There are many elements of humor that many of us didn’t know about. Different elements of humor can be amusing, facetious, ironic, light-hearted, etc. These elements can be in movies, stories, and even just in general when talking. A story with some elements of humor is “from Brothers”. In “from Brothers” a low comedy story, the author talks about a Scieszka brother memory on a family car trip. This story was hilarious. During the car trip they had got some sweets and their cat got a hold of it and starting throwing up and threw up on one of the brothers. It was a continuous effect. One brother threw up on another and so on. In the story, when the cat puked, it says, “The cat puked up the pecan nut log. Jeff, the youngest and smallest
Barbara Ehrenreich employed the use of humor multiple times in Nickel and Dimed; it was perhaps her most frequently used rhetorical device. Ehrenreich was trying to portray the tragedy and heartbreak of the situation by using that sort of hopeless, sardonic humor. She also used her humor as a way to camouflage topics that would otherwise be off-limits. Although some of the humor included in the narrative may have seemed distasteful, it all had a purpose and was rarely used inappropriately.
What is the most common perception held in this country concerning the people and the way they live in the South? The perception most of the country has about life down here in the South is one of slow-paced living, simple-minded people, and stubborn, unwarranted pride. One of the best ways to combat this perception is through the use of humor; Lewis Grizzard was one of the best at this, because he could take the experiences from his own life as well as the lives of others in the South and turn them into humorous semi-fictional stories. He was one of the preeminent fictional authors this country has ever seen because of his ability to connect with people and joke about everyday life in the south, without offending the subjects of those jokes, despite the popular opinion the rest of the country held.
In the early seventies and into the early eighties there was a storied and sometimes highly controversial television series called “M.A.S.H” which stood for “Mobile Army Surgical Hospital”. The series was a follow on to the wildly successful movie by the same name. In both cases the story revolved around a group of Doctors and Nurses and supporting cast who operated a forward field hospital in Korea during the Korean War, the 4077 MASH. The characters were lovable, laughable, affable and endearing to viewers. However, the show was not without its recurring controversy. Everything from Anti-War sentiment to adultery to alcoholism were broached during its run on national television. One controversial issue that surrounded the show on a recurring basis was that of comedy in a surgical unit where blood, guts and pain were the order of the day, and in an environment where many thought that attitudes and demeanor should have been more serious. Specifically regarding the relationships between men and women, (Doctors and Nurses) and superiors and subordinates. The one-liners, the sexual innuendo, the practical jokes and surgical suite humor were all part of the allure of the series. In any case, whichever side of the controversy you found yourself on, “MASH” was tremendously successful and maintained a huge following.
My humor consists mainly of a mix of high and low comedy, and sarcasm. One element of humor that does not appeal to is caricatures. An example of this is a terrorist joke. The terrorist was holding a pencil and saying “Where is the trigger?” exaggerating the fact that, in the news we hear about terrorism, and when the terrorists come to America they would not be able to decipher the language or the meaning of objects. The joke did not appeal to me in anyway and didn’t make sense. A certain part of an element of humor that does not appeal to is disgusting anecdotes. In the passage, Brothers by Jon Scieszka, a family goes on a roadtrip and stopover to eat. A brother drops a piece of candy and the cat eats it and yacks it up. “Tom burped a bit of Stuckey lunch back on Gregg.” The bodily functions and them throwing up and spilling out of the puke wagon had made me lose my appetite for lunch.
The play, Blood Brothers by Willy Russell, is a twisted tale of two brothers born on the same day and from the same womb, yet they live in two entirely different worlds.
• Incongruity Theory posits that comedy is derived from the perception of something incongruous violating our mental patterns and expectations. Sunny Prestatyn initially constructs an idyllic image of femininity only to undermine it through coarse sexual innuendo, offensive language, and violent imagery to comedic effect.
Steve Almond’s “Funny is the New Deep” talks of the role that comedy has in our current society, and most certainly, it plays a huge role here. Namely, through what Almond [Aristotle?] calls the “comic impulse”, we as a people can speak of topics that would otherwise make many of uncomfortable. Almond deems the comic impulse as the most surefire way to keep heavy situations from becoming too foreboding. The comic impulse itself stems from our ability and unconscious need to defend and thus contend with the feeling of tragedy. As such, instead of rather forcing out humor, he implies that humor is something that is not consciously forced out from an author, but instead is more of a subconscious entity, coming out on its own. Almond emphasizes
“Morreall argues that, if we want to answer these questions, we shouldn’t focus on whether the joke happens to trade on a stereotype. Instead, he takes the primary problem with some humor to be that it involves disengaging from things with which we ought to be engaged.” (Morreall, 529)
Humor can come in many different forms. Many people are aware of the blatant humor of slapstick, but it takes a keener mind to notice the subtle detail in sarcasm or satire. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift was able to create a piece of literature addressing the faults of the Irish culture while embedding in a humorous essay. Swift’s satire allows for the gravity of the Irish standings to be exploited under the disguise of a proposal for economic benefit.
Humor is more than just amusing entertainment to pass the time. Though jokes and witty banter can be shallow, humor can go deeper than surface level to convey messages to audiences who would otherwise be close-minded about certain ideas. Humor is a great tool to get audiences to change the way they think, feel, and act. In “Saying Goodbye to Yang,” Alexander Weinstein uses humor to criticize some of society’s faults such as the way it has become heavily reliant on technology, racially insensitive, and judgmental.
lighten the mood and accentuate the comedic theme of the story through his creation of
Australian humour is very unique to Australia, and many other cultures find it quite unusual. It can be described as dry, anti-authoritarian, self-mocking, very ironic and as to stretch the boundaries of what is acceptable. Our humour is seen through our use of slang, print cartoons, radio sketches, comedy series’ on television, films, everyday life and in Australian literature. According to the Collins Dictionary and Thesaurus , humour means, “The quality of being funny; the ability to appreciate or express that which is humorous; situations, speech or writings that are humorous”. Due to its unique qualities, it will become apparent that Australian humour is quiet different to that of America and England and other nations. To highlight the importance of humour through the development of Australian identity, five main elements have been identified. These are, the part Australian humour plays in Australian identity, its unique qualities, its integral part in the Australian identity, the role of humour in times of great hardship and other nation’s perceptions of Australian humour. It is through these elements that it will become evident that humour is an important part of the development of the Australian identity.
Language or the way in which words are used is one of the most important components of a comedy. Through an intelligent use of word play and the ability to add
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and
Humor has been the source of entertainment throughout history. Today humor is practiced in movies, plays, songs, television shows and radio. Humor has brought fame and fortune to those who have mastered its power.