Comedy - What Is It?

[Clinton Huxley]

What is comedy? I started a thread about a new Vic n Bob comedy and Mistermack commented that they leave him cold. They can reduce me to tears of laughter. Why the difference in reaction? Lots of people love Big Bang Theory, it makes me want to press a button to send the Earth spiralling into the Sun and end mankind for ever. Lady H even likes Friends!

Comedy. Conditioning or genetics? Can you learn to find something funny?

And what is it for? Would an AI laugh?

[Animavore]

Did anyone see the British Comedy Awards last week? What a blatant piece of self-congratulatory wank that was.

[rachelbean]

All I know is Harry Hill makes me want to kill myself.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Did anyone see the British Comedy Awards last week? What a blatant piece of self-congratulatory wank that was.

Load of pissed-up, coked-up twats congratulating themselves on being funnier than anyone else. The worst of it is, most of them are so fucking good when they do what they do - they're just wankers when they're durnk and off script. There's nothing sadder than a drunk trying to make every line into a punchline.

[Svartalf]

Well, a line made after overdoing the punch is a punchline ain't it?
Or are they on something stronger than punch?

[Blind groper]

We all different. It has got something to do with sex. Not surprising that different people find different things funny.

I find Mr. Bean excruciatingly awful. But Rowan Atkinson in the Blackadder series was brilliant. Same actor, and different character goes, in my own very, very humble opinion, from genius to crap. Yet others would believe the exact opposite.

[JimC]

We all different. It has got something to do with sex. Not surprising that different people find different things funny.

I find Mr. Bean excruciatingly awful. But Rowan Atkinson in the Blackadder series was brilliant. Same actor, and different character goes, in my own very, very humble opinion, from genius to crap. Yet others would believe the exact opposite.

Agree 100% about Rowan Atkinson...

Because of the vastly different reactions of people to comedy, it is almost impossible to generalise about its nature. I have heard suggestions that in all comedy, there must lurk a surprise of some sort...

[Seabass]

I think Crumple is a laugh riot, but Rum is not amused. Why? You can't explain that.

[JimC]

I think Crumple is a laugh riot, but Rum is not amused. Why? You can't explain that.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

What is comedy, indeed.

This...

...for example.

Is it a mildly amusing appeal for money for a good cause (which will probably be invested in armament manufacturers and tobacco companies) or a vicious, unprovoked attack on the delicate sensibilities of those few remaining Nazarene fans? You decide. Whichever, it generated more complaints to OFCOM than any other broadcast this year! Personally, I loved the wringing hands but think the script could use a little work.

[Audley Strange]

Comedy originally refers to poetry and plays with happy endings (and not in a Palm Sandwich Massage parlour way) as opposed to tragedy. Still we get it mixed up, I've always found Hamlet hilarious and A Clockwork Orange but I look at something like the aforementioned Big Bang Theory or Friends and just cringe.

Some say comedy equals tragedy plus time. I've always thought tragedy plus time equals shoddily made Docudrama.

[Mysturji]

To paraphrase Robert A. Heinlein: We laugh at pain, because that makes it hurt less."
But the pain needs to be displaced in some way, and not too serious for our sensibilities.

[Animavore]

All I know is Harry Hill makes me want to kill myself.

Hopefully this won't push you over the edge.

[Tero]

Something to do with bangers and mash?

[rachelbean]

All I know is Harry Hill makes me want to kill myself.

Hopefully this won't push you over the edge.

I will not be watching that preview, as I've had a very good Christmas so far and I don't want to spiral into a deep depression just before the new year...