Will Ferrell is a pop culture icon in today’s world. He is characterized by his nonsensical manner, and awkward demeanor. His current and past blockbuster movies have made him into a comedy mogul by the likes of people all over the map. His public appearances are mostly comical and light-hearted in nature. However, recently the lanky comedian has come out of his comedy shell and begun to dive deeper into American culture. He has given a speech before college graduates, and even advocated for certain politicians. His grey hairs now come with knowledge of the world that he has begun to convey in his art as well as interviews. So why has an older Will Ferrell become such a cultured, altruistic individual? Using Abraham Maslow’s concept of hierarchy …show more content…
This motivation based theory begins with individuals needing important, but basic human needs. This physiological need is the the base of Maslow’s pyramid. The importance of this, is that an individual cannot move up the pyramid until their survival needs are met. Things like food, water, shelter, and sex are a must in order for an individual to be happy. The next step up the pyramid after those needs have been met is the safety needs. This level deals with the feeling of overall safety and having shelter. Maslow believed that building a life that was orderly, structured, and predictable was indicative of safety needs. Maslow also indicates that these two levels normally manifest at a younger stage of development then the next stages. Another important note is how this hierarchy theory is meant to apply to the average person, and that there are exceptions to the rule. Gandhi was arguably self-actualized without eating. In the case of Will, we will assume that he is indicative of an average person. Maslow also seems to note that the needs lower on the pyramid are more important or influential than the needs at the top. These needs are about survival more than psychological …show more content…
Ferrell, has always contended that “for every movie he makes for them, he makes one for himself (Blyth, 2017).” In the interview he talks about his latest box office failure The Deadly Adoption, a movie made for television where he is casted in a drama role. Personally, he loved filming in the movie and wants to do many more movie like it. However, his need for belongingness keeps him in the comedy genre to continue and bring pleasure to other people. In another interview he talks about his bold move to turn down millions and renounce an idea for Elf 2 (Grow, 2013). He stated that despite the fan hype, he just didn’t believe there was good enough content to pursue another movie. Despite the obvious cash incentives Ferrell chose to forgo a mediocre movie. He did so for his fans and himself. In the interview, he states he would rather be proud of what he makes movie wise instead of making a quick buck. This decision shows an obvious independence from culture and environment that is another aspect of Maslow’s self-actualized individual. His ability to internally focus on his decisions and not give into the peer pressure of society shows a true affirmation for his genuine
He is a towering 6'3, has wildly curly hair, stunning blue eyes, and is one of the world's most respected comedic actors. Who is it? It's Will Ferrell! The star of many hit comedies, including Old School, Anchorman, Elf, and Talladega Nights,Will has been making people laugh ever since his 7-year run on Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately, when he first started on the show, people looked to him as being one of the most annoying cast members in the history of the show. His career almost seemed like a joke! However, Will went on to overcome his negative self-image in the world of comedy by surprisingly becoming a hit on SNL, making box-office topping movies, and using “funnies” to tune the youth into political issues.
Throughout the history of comedy, many actors and actresses have come and gone and left behind their hilarious movies and stand-up shows. Adam Sandler and Chevy Chase are good examples of how comedy has helped shape the face of acting. Comedy is very important in today’s society, with famous actors and blockbuster hits. Comedy is fun for the whole family, and it is the most watched form of movie out there. Most people find enjoyment out of a good laugh with their friends and family.
Paul Reiser is known as a popular American comedian, actor, and writer. One of his famous comedy dramas is Mad About You which aired from 1992 to 1999. This television show won some famous awards. He also became a famous person. However, he had not shown up on a television after the end of Mad About You. Then, on April 14, 2011, Reiser was back on a television, and this return was gathering people's attention. His new television program was called The Paul Reiser Show. However, this comedy show was cancelled on April 22, 2011. Paul Reiser Show completely failed to survive on a television.
Humor is an intriguing aspect of our life that makes us happy when we are sad, and keeps us upbeat when with friends. The title that I chose was the Broadway performance from Will Ferrell in Will Ferrell: You 're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush. Will Ferrell portrays the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, as he reflects on a variety of incidents and occurrences that happened while serving the United States from 2001-2009. The humor speaks primarily to people who are politically savvy and especially know the major points in Bush’s presidency. Ferrell highlights key points such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2000 Presidential election, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama. In “You 're Welcome America,” the target audience is political savvy individuals who are well informed with politics and followed the Bush presidency closely. The humor most associated with this material is stand-up comedy, and irony with a few political jokes smashed in between, with Will Ferrell proving his worth cracking jokes as the wiseass George W. Bush. Overall, I find this comedy to be hilarious, while others struggle with many of the jokes because the audience needs to be “in the know” with
Humor throughout the world has a large effect on how culture is classified. Rebecca Krefting cites “communication studies scholar and humor expert Judith Yaross Lee [as saying], “American humor reveals the state of the nation” (26). A very famous actor, Kevin Hart, has been in many stand-up comedy skits and movies throughout his life. For example, Hart has been in Central Intelligence, Get Hard, and stand-up acts, “White man laugh”, “Swearing at my teacher” and many more. All his comedic appearances include silly, wacky, and ridiculous humor. Harts comedy appearances have affected people’s interest in relationships, and the use of language.
In 1954 an American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that all people are motivated to fulfill a hierarchical pyramid of needs. At the bottom of Maslow's pyramid are needs essential to survival, such as the needs for food, water, and sleep. The need for safety follows these physiological needs. According to Maslow, higher-level needs become important to us only after our more basic needs are satisfied. These higher needs include the need for love and 'belongingness', the need for esteem, and the need for self-actualization (In Maslow's theory, a state in which people realize their greatest potential) (All information by means of Encarta Online Encyclopedia).
Maslow believed that there was a hierarchy of five innate needs that influence people’s behaviors (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p.246-247). In a pyramid fashion, at the base are physiological needs, followed by safety needs, then belonginess and love needs, succeeded by esteem needs, and finally the need for self-actualization. Maslow claimed that lower order needs must be at least partially satisfied before higher level needs are addressed. Furthermore, behavior is dominated by solely one need
Maslow’s hierarchy of need is a psychological theory that was proposed by Maslow in his writing in 1943. It is a theory in psychological review about human motivation. In his writing, Maslow wanted to have a clear understanding what exactly makes people motivated. He believed that there is a system of motivation possessed by individuals, which are not connected to unconscious desires or rewards. Maslow stated that motivation helps people to attain specific needs. An individual desires to get the next need when one is fulfilled.
When writing a joke, a comedian must often consider which subjects can and cannot be joked about. As our contemporary society becomes more politically correct, people have become more defensive about their own beliefs and morals. Most people love comedy laughter. But when the topic of the joke goes against their own convictions, it loses its humor. As sensitivity to certain topics increases, comedians have needed to adjust their delivery of jokes. Comedians can use a variety of delivery tactics to lighten the mood of a heavy topic. In some ways, addressing controversial subjects comically can actually produce more laughs than the light-hearted, fun-loving topics that used to be prominent in comedy. Comedians ask themselves if there is a specific
Unlike many of his colleagues at the time who were focusing on psychopathology, or what is wrong with individuals, he focused on how individuals are motivated to fulfill their potential and what needs govern their respective behaviors (McLeod)). Maslow developed the hierarchy over time, adjusting from a rigid structure where needs must be met before being able to achieve a higher level, to where the individuals can experience and behave in ways across the hierarchy multiple times daily depending on their needs. The hierarchy is comprised of 5 levels; Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. The bottom two levels are considered basic needs, or deficiency needs because once the needs are met they cease to be a driving factor, unlike psychological needs. Loving and Belonging and Esteem needs are considered psychological needs, and are different from basic needs because they don’t stem from a lack of something, but rather the desire to grow. Maslow theorizes that individual’s decisions and behavior are determined based on their current level of needs, and the ideal level to achieve full potential culminates in self-actualization; however, operating on this level cannot be achieved until the preceding levels of needs have been
Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled, a person seeks to fulfil the next one, and so on. The earliest and most widespread version of Maslow's (1943, 1954) hierarchy of needs includes five motivational needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
Abraham Maslow wrote the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory was based on fulfilling five basic needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization. Maslow believed that these needs could create internal pressures that could influence the behavior of a person. (Robbins, p.204)
The nature of comedy has always left it somewhat resistant to critical analysis, and to some extent the same can be said for comedic actors. The class-clowns of Hollywood like Will Ferrell are often times constructed as being nothing more than amusing, so they seem lik...
Theories of motivation consists two parts. Content and process motivation theories. Content motivation theories focuses mainly on people needs and explains why people have different needs at different times. Content theories of motivation treated as a need or desire, to act for the sake of promoting a certain goal. One most prominent theorist Abraham Maslow (1943) proposed the hierarchy of needs. It states that all the needs of the people can be divided into five categories, aligned incentive effect in descending order: (psychological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization needs). Psychological are the basic needs to survive, e.g. food, clothes, shelter, warmth, sleep, etc. Safety are the needs like security, stability, freedom from fear, etc. Social needs are the feelings of belongingness, acceptance, being part
Similarly, Maslow's theory also reflects that humans have an internal force to reach their highest potential (Maslow, 1968). Maslow examined the hierarchy of basic human needs and developed a pyramid of requirements which motivates human beings and shapes their personality. At the bottom of his pyramid are found the basic physiological motivations which are necessary for survival such as food and shelter. The next level incorporates the need for safety, both physical and psychological. This is followed by love and belongingness which relate to receiving and giving affection. Presuming the love need is met, the next level up is the need for esteem which includes the feeling of self-esteem and self-respect. At the top of the pyramid stands the complex need for self-actualization which is a meta-need as per Maslow (1964) and we can reach it through peak experiences. It is the highest level of growth when someone reached her or his capacity to the fullest. Maslow estimated that only 1 percent of people ever really fulfil this need (Maslow,