Comedy Analysis

Silent film star Buster Keaton once said that “a comedian does funny things. A good comedian does things funny.” After a semester of learning and discovery in my Comedy Improv class, I believe what he means is that it is easy to do an action that by itself alone is funny. However to truly be great, a comedian must be able to take a typical everyday situation and, through keen observation and insight, make it funny. More specifically, the action of slipping on a banana peel itself is funny, but watching Keaton simply play a game of cards or eat a meal is spectacularly funny. In my opinion, this insight into comedy is a crucial key to a person’s success within improvisation. Anyone can generate laughs in a funny situation since it is the

These insights include the session with the OSU Comedy Improv Team, class lecture, and within group exercises. First, when the OSU Comedy Improv Team visited I was impressed with how fearless they appeared in front of the class. This was apparent in each team member’s willingness to work with us and take chances. I felt more comfortable knowing that these team members were with me. With respect to the class lectures, I realized that there is a thin line between tragedy and humor. Reaching back into the tragedies of Ancient Greece, a person could not help but be impressed with the sheer complexity and seriousness of the business of comedy. A solid example of this is the use of comedy as a social corrective. Given the recent election and our current social divide as a country, one can see how comedians such as Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah use comedy every night to point out hypocrisy, calm fears, and work to motivate change. Finally, several of the group exercises offered great insight into the world of comedy. Most important were the exercises that utilized a partner. These exercises proved to me that to be successful in comedy a person must be aware that he or she is not alone. Just like in sports, you are part of a team and must rely on your teammates to create scenarios, situations, and opportunities that are entertaining, funny, and