For Friday (and the weekend), here's a video about comedy--how we can define it and understand what it's doing, even when it's making us cry (from laughter, or from horror). Watch this after reading our two short plays, The Bear and A Proposal, which we'll discuss next week! The BLOG RESPONSE is at the end of the video, so don't forget to LEAVE A COMMENT!
ALSO: don't forget to turn in your Rough Paper #1 on Friday, either by e-mail or to the box on my door!
Believe it or not, my choice of a show that is secretly a 'comedy,' at least by the definitions in this video, is Stranger Things. Sure, it's got horror, thrills, and terrible things happen to some of the characters, but it's overall a comedy. Why? Well, #1 it's nostalgic about the past--the humor of the show comes from how it revamps the tropes of famous horror movies and books, everything from Stephen King (Firestarter, IT, Cujo, 'Salem's Lot), The Thing, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, etc. It even borrows from more humorous movies that ARE comedies, such as The Goonies, Gremlins, and the sadly neglected show, Freaks and Geeks. And in this show, the relationships and their love problems ARE the story: Will and his mom, Joyce (in Season 1--she's utterly obsessed about finding him), Nancy and Jonathan and Steve (love triangle), Mike and El, and of course, Joyce and Hopper. Most of their interactions are funny, and wouldn't be out of place in a teen comedy. You could even say the monsters from the upside down are merely there to give more drama and impetus to the comedy--and the characters are often wise-cracking through it all. We see this even more in Season 3, when they introduce a new character, the very comedic Robin, who is a foil to Steve and makes him look even goofier. The Russians are an obvious throwback to shows like Red Dawn, and are hard to take seriously...especially when Alexei joins Joyce and Hopper and demands cherry icees. That's what makes this show so successful: it gives us all the elements of comedy (even happy endings!) through the sleight of hand of a horror movie. But in the end, it's about the relationships and the jokes--not so much the monsters.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about Stranger Things, also! Dustin and Steves bromance is the only thing that got me through watching the series alone! Im not a huge horror fan, but the cute young love and innocent views of the danger that the kids are facing being softened with the hilarious remarks they make made it bearable!
DeleteThe second choice is the 2019 Knives Out with Jamie Lee Curtis and Chris Evans. It is a modern twist on the old Clue movie and board game that has the family drama so intense that the gruesome murder doesn't seem sad, but just a plot point. Jamie Lee Curtis plays 'that' family member who was always there for her dad, so she thinks she's better than the rest of the family and completely points fingers at who could have killed him. Chris Evans plays the complete opposite of Captain America, and more of a Judd Nelson character that shows up late and is too cool for any of his family. The twist at the ending of the movie is amazing and I never would have guessed the killer, I definitely recommend it!
You know what they say, great minds think alike! :) But I do think that's what makes the show so appealing, it's a comedy pretending to be a horror show. But I think the horror gets much less every season--and it gets a little more campy by Season 3. I feel there's much less at stake with the newest season, but it's also more fun, esp. with all the relationships. I haven't seen Knives Out yet, but it sounds like a perfect candidate. Thanks for the recommendation!
DeleteAlthough some sources do in fact have it listed as comedy, the majority do not so I chose Cobra Kai as my example. It does feature a fair amount of humor, even with a bit of slapstick, but the emphasis of the show focuses on the drama and the action, because of this it is mostly only recognized as belonging to those two categories. However, the series meets many of the standards mentioned in the video above. Although the action is persistent and well choreographed, the action is not a central focus to the plot. Yes, the first season finale culminated in a karate contest and season two culminated in a school fight, but the greatest takeaway from both finales was the personal dynamic and relationships between the characters and how these events effected them. In fact, the season two finale fight was based entirely on relationship drama between characters who are dating someone, cheated on someone, was cheated on by someone, etc. And when the mayhem broke out between these characters friend groups, everyone paired off to fight someone that they once had a relationship or close friendship with. Although it may be cheating to a degree to choose this show because of the slapstick humor utilized, it does seem that the more effective humor comes from the intersecting relationships and the miscommunications involved.
ReplyDeleteHa, I'm about to start watching this, and am so excited to see it. I think it falls into the Stranger Things category above: an exercise in nostalgia that is an excuse to explore what it means to grow older and still be the people we were. And maybe, how those previous identities and relationships define us. But it's interesting, because every trailer I've seen for the show makes it look like a Comedy. It highlights all the 'funny' lines and the nostalgia factors. And ultimately, it's hilarious to think that we're getting this story from Johnny's perspective--the 'villain' of the story. But what does it mean to be a villain? Is anyone really a villain to themselves? That's the comedy of genre, that someone has to be bad, and someone good, even though both of them could be shitty at different times. And from what I've seen of the trailer, Daniel doesn't look like he's aged into Myagi-like wisdom. So yes, I can really see this working!
DeleteCarla Torres: One movie that I think of when I think of NOT a comedy but is titled as one is Lady Bird. The show is marked as a comedy/drama but is more of a drama and a little bit sad not so much comedy. Like The Seagull and the other Chekhov plays, this is classified as a comedy but it is not. The film Lady BirdI is deep and has a weird sense of comedy behind it. Meaning that it is deeper than just comedy because of the personal struggles she goes through. In the film, the main character Lady Bird, has a cruel sense of humor and finds things funny that others would not. There is times throughout the film where she talks about depression and many big things like that where she finds them funny and others do not. In a way, it is awkward but it is also is real and it can often be translated into comedy.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad that you thought of this before me, Carla! I love Lady Bird!
DeleteWow, you're right--Lady Bird could have been written by Chekhov! It's exactly what I'm talkiing about...a kind of melancholy comedy, with a lot of introspection and darkness behind it. Her cruel sense of humor is very Chekhovian, too. She could be a version of Masha or Irina, since they are often most humorous when they are taking themselves the most seriously. Great response!
DeleteYhelm: The movie that comes to my mind is Little Miss Sunshine. Although it was billed as a comedy, it was filled with dark and tragic elements. A family sets out to take the little sister to compete in a
ReplyDeletetalent competition. Along the way each family member is dealing with their own issues. There is fighting, emotional
break downs and The talent
show is almost a side note to the drama within the family. It is funny but the topics are often serious.
Yes, yes, this is a perfect candidate! I haven't seen this movie for a long time, but yes, it's a comedy that is pretty dark, and at times, not obviously 'funny' at all. Yet it's all about the relationships and the comedy that results from such a ridiculous set of characters going off together to the pageant. Comedy doesn't have to play it for laughs; it can be more about the absurdity of the situation, and the truths that come out of these situations. We don't even have to laugh, but if we see ourselves in the characters, and realize our own absurdity, that's comedy enough.
DeleteThe film that I immediately thought of is my favorite horror movie, It! This movie is filled with really witty kids who have really messed up lives at home. In between all of the jump scares, there's always a little snide remark or ball-busting comment that lightens the tension. Whether it's the constant "Your mom!" jokes directed at Eddie or the strong character of Beverly fighting against the cruelness of their school, this movie is filled with comedy GOLD!
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the movie several times, many of the scare scenes are funny as well. The scene where the naked old lady grows a couple inches and comes stalking through the house (the naked old lady was also a horror trope use in The Shining) cracks me up every time.
Did you notice you never give the name of the film? I'm trying to guess from your clues but am somehow missing it. Now I'll never know! :) And yes, whenever something appropriates elements or tropes from another film (or type of film) it can often seem comic. Because they're winking at the audience, and often use these elements in a jokey way. I mean, how can you reference The Shining without going for the laugh, since you can never match the terror and originality of the film itself? Stranger Things does the same thing with their references--they're always a little goofy, a little "remember this?"
DeleteThe name of the film is "It"! I can see how that might be confusing though. Haha.
DeleteCallie Farley: The movie that first same to mind is Submarine (2010) directed by Richard Ayoade. This movie is listed as a drama/romance.
ReplyDeleteThe premise of the movie is that 15 year old Oliver Tate is an unpopular boy who is absolutely infatuated with one of his classmates, Jordana. When Jordana invites Oliver to meet secretly after school, she takes pictures of them kissing, hoping to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. The ex-boyfriend ends up putting Oliver in a headlock and punching him at school in front of the entire class. However, Jordana soon becomes his girlfriend and after a couple of weeks they have sex in his bedroom while his parents are out. On the other hand another underlying plot is that at home, Oliver is really concerned about his parents. His dad is depressed, his mothers ex-boyfriend moves in next door, and he begins flirting with his mother. Then, Oliver's relationship with Jordana grows, but he finds out that her mother has a potentially fatal brain tumor. At an early Christmas dinner at Jordana's house, he witnesses her father break down about it and, unsettled, Oliver decides that the Jordana he loves is at risk because the emotional events surrounding her will "make her gooey [sentimental] in the middle". Because of this Oliver stops talking to Jordana. Along with the underlying plot which houses Olivers more pressing and emotional concerns, he is thinking that his mother and Graham are having an affair so Oliver attempts to repair his parents' relationship. Although, while searching for his mother on the beach, he is shocked to see that Jordana is with another boy. Horrified, he heads home but, on the way he sees his mother with Graham and assumes the worst. Enraged, he breaks into Graham's house, gets drunk, and commits minor acts of vandalism. When Graham comes home, he finds Oliver but returns him home. The next morning, Oliver awakes to see that both his parents aren't angry with him and are reconciling. Oliver remains is still sad about losing Jordana and is heartbroken for weeks, until he sees her on the beach. Running towards her, he explains his actions and learns that Jordana has either broken up with her new boyfriend or never had one.
Firstly, this movie is very sad in many ways. Both Jordana and Oliver are quite depressed because of their home lives. However, both of them deal with this sadness by being sarcastic and witty. Oliver is quite awkward and quirky and so is Jordana. I think that what makes this movie a little funny though is the characters personalities and the overall over the top drama of some of the situations. Both Jordana and Oliver are also pretty vulgar and just downright odd. This characterization really lightens the mood in a lot of ways and makes the movie pretty funny despite the dark tones and messages.
I haven't seen this movie yet, but I love the director (he's the guy from The IT Department, right?--the English guy?). It sounds perfect, though, and relationship dramas are almost always hidden comedies, since love from a distance is almost always absurd. Without feeling the emotions ourselves, we just see the goofiness and the foolishness. Of course, a good movie makes you fall in love with the characters, so eventually you're won over and then you think of it as a drama. But that's comedic too--that you can believe that another couple's relationship is your own! Again, the line between comedy and drama is razor thin at times, and barely worth mentioning. They exist together.
DeletePaul Harris:
ReplyDeleteLa La Land is absolutely my favorite film of all time, acting as a romantic drama and musical, but when looked at closely, could also serve as a soft comedy instead. The film takes place in modern America and centers around the lives of two struggling artists: Mia, the aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz musician trying to revive jazz in a world that wants to forget it exists. Like Nina and Trigorin, the relationship seems doomed from the start. Sebastian has a passionate love for jazz and turns down a date with his sister's friend because he's not convinced she likes jazz; contrarily, he is infatuated with Mia after an admittedly bumpy start to their relationship after she tries to confront him after being fired for not sticking to Christmas tunes while playing piano for a restaurant. Mia hates Jazz and doesn't see why Sebastian is so passionate for that kind of music, which comedically draws him in closer instead of pushing him away, funnily enough. Here you can see the comedic similarities this film has to other dramas. Perhaps he sees her as another struggling artist who is simply misunderstood by society and would flourish if only she was given the chance. Despite their initial fears of getting into a relationship, they start a blooming relationship after Mia ditches the boyfriend one of her friends sets up for her.
However, the relationship, as well as their lives, begin to go down a downwards spiral and the true tragedy and surprisingly comedic moments of the film begin to show their head. Despite being told she's talented and just has to keep trying at success, only a few people show up for Mia's play she wrote and directed herself, the same play she mentions writing for the entire film; furthermore, Sebastian compromises his dream of reviving Jazz after he signs a contract with a Band going on tour in which he's forced to play music he hates. In what is comedically tragic, he sacrifices his dream to make enough money to support Mia, even though their relationship was founded upon both of them supporting each of their ambitions and dreams. This causes them to separate until Mia gets a call from a famous producer who just happened to be present at her play. Mia receives an audition for a big movie, but is unsure if she'll receive the part; likewise, Sebastian is unsure of where the future will take him until he finishes his contract with his band. They agree to go their separate ways, but promise to always love each other; this is what produces the most hilariously tragic moment of the entire film.
Years later, Mia has become a famous actress and is happily married with a child - but not with Sebastian and instead with another unnamed man. This is another of one of the film's comedically tragic twists. Mia and Sebastian somehow begin to date even though they should theoretically hate each other and when the film convinces you they're meant to be together, the movie rips them apart. Mia and her husband stumble into Sebastian's club that he spent the entire film fantasizing about making. They each lock eyes and the epilogue of the film begins, which I won't spoil because I believe the sequence is one of the most beautifully shot and narratively strong scenes ever put in film.
Mia and Sebastian's relationship is simultaneously a trainwreck and a happy ending, which is what makes their love so humorous. At first you think they're incompatible, that is, until they get together; then, you're shocked when Mia marries another man. This seems like a betrayal to Sebastian, but their pledge to love each other wasn't a romantic pledge, which is the most comedic twist of all. They were each integral to each other's success and wouldn't have been driven to succeed without each other; thus, they achieve their dreams eve without fulfilling the stereotype that they're destined to be together. Their tale seems like a textbook tragedy on the surface, but the comedy comes from the fact that the opposite couldn't be more true.
Paul--you wrote an entire paper here! All you need is a few sources and some close reading and you can turn it in for your Paper #2! But La La Land is a perfect candidate, since it's hard to tell what this movie is: it masquerades as a comedy-musical, but it's much darker and thoughtful than that description would allow. I think it is a comedy, though, since it's all about the absurdity of living in this world and trying to make it--truly it's a "la la land," a crazy place. Much of the comedy is based on the characters having to sell themselves out or do something they don't believe in, which is only funny from a distance--it's humiliating up close (like playing in the cheesy cover band at the party). So while the happy ending points us to a comedy, the movie also makes us laugh at all the stereotypes, and all the ways we let ourselves be detoured from our dreams.
DeleteA show I am currently watching that is not listed as a comedy but I think is very funny is Her Mother's Killer. It is a Netflix original about a Columbian woman, Analia, who tries to get revenge on the person who killed her mother. The killer is actually Analia's father, because he sexually assaulted her mother. It is also a very political show. What makes this show so funny are the characters. One of the character's, Toto, makes the funniest comments about people. He gives everyone funny nicknames, like he calls Analia "frog". Another funny character is Dorita. Her accent is pretty heavy so anything she says is funny. This show is pretty dark, but every other scene is a funny scene. The scene may start off dark, but always ends in a joke. Sometimes the jokes are even dark, but they are still funny because of the similes or metaphors that are used. I have only watched this show in Spanish. I tried watching it in English but it was not as funny.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fascinating, though I certainly haven't seen it yet. I often think other countries are better at mixing comedy and tragedy, and exploiting other modes of comedy, since we tend to be so literal; we want everything to conform to very unvarying rules. But you bring out another very interesting point, since it's not as funny in English translation. So maybe we're missing out on a lot of the humor in Ckekhov by not reading it in Russian? I bet much of the comedy would be more apparent--and his intentions much more clear--if we could read it in the original (I can read Russian, but very poorly, so I doubt I could see no matter how hard I tried). I wish we had discussed that in class!
DeleteA show that I immediately thought of is "Orange is the New Black," which is a Netflix original. This is probably one of my favorite shows ever, just because it touches on so many issues throughout its eight seasons, and it has such a great representation of women. It is listed as a drama, but it definitely has a lot of aspects of comedy. I think an element that makes it comedic would be the fact that it does cover such heavy subjects but uses bright, lively, and funny characters to sometimes lighten the mood or make it more realistic. The serious moments are laced with funny ones, and there is a great balance between the two. These women use a lot of comedy to cope with the reality of their life in prison, and there are several moments in the show that make you giggle.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example: I've seen the whole first season, and it is really hard to pinpoint what kind of show this is. It's full of outright comedy and some very absurd (and therefore humorous) situations. Yet it's not played for laughs. But it also exposes the flaws of our prison system, which is one of the original points of comedy--to reform society through later by holding a mirror up to the audience.
DeleteI barely watch movies and TV shows so this was tough for me! But I did come up with one: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (ha ha ha ha yes). "Let's get our bodies back" is a plot-driving element but also a joke (especially at the end) and is very much a Back-to-Eden sentiment. Misplaced infatuation is a big anime thing and it's definitely at play between major characters (Winry and Ed, Mei and Al, probably others that I can't remember) as well as being a recurring joke with minor characters. And it definitely uses laughter to offset the dark themes. That's part of what makes it such a joy to watch.
ReplyDeleteI don't know this show, though I have read the manga I assume it's based on, and I can easily see it fitting this paradigm. All magna/anime to me walks a very fine (and strange!) line between comedy and tragedy, laughter and tears. I sometimes think they take an almost perverse pleasure in laughing and crying in the wrong places, which might be a cultural choice as well as an artistic one! But even animation plays with our expectations, since in this country we assume animation/manga/comics are "childish," and therefore "comic" and humorous in intent...so you can really subvert our expectations with this dynamic form.
DeleteThe movie that first popped into my head when I read the question was Band Of Brothers over the European and Pacific theater. I found this as a potential comedy because the characters are always joking and laughing after they nearly experience death. These scenes of laughter are usually quite funny to me because the characters insinuate such joy that they are not dead, and that the Nazis/Japanese "did not get them this time". There also are scenes that include female relationships that posses comedy; furthermore, these scenes are usually funny because after all these soldiers are usually 18, 19, or 20 years old and are not very smooth with the ladies.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting...it's no mistake that some of the most tragic situations need comedy to help us bear them. And to make it through this experience, you would need a heavy dose of humor for it not to break you completely. There's something very Shakespearean about characters who can laugh through the darkest part of their lives.
DeleteKurstyn Young:
ReplyDeleteThe first show that came to mind was Supernatural, which was dubbed as a suspense tv show, but the relationship between the two brothers was often pretty comedic. This show definitely brings our the laugher towards dark impulses. There were several episodes that had Dean and Sam bantering back and forth, but Dean was always cracking jokes at inappropriate times. The comedy stood out more when Sam was bantering back and trying to one up his brother. The comedy was not in every episode, but frequent enough that it kept the show from being completely dark and demonic.
Oh yes--this show is a lot like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is a strange mix of goofball antics and semi-serious horror. Sometimes the show plays it more straight than others, but it's always aware of walking the line, and reminding the viewers that it's not that serious; it seems like the brothers' relationship does the same thing here (amazingly, I've never seen this show!).
DeleteKristen Mendoza-Keenom
ReplyDeleteMy choice of show is Teen Wolf. It's classified as a horror, but it certainly has some of the comedic elements that were mentioned in the video. There is misplaced infatuation in the first season with Stiles (a funny and awkward guy that's low on the high school food chain) loving Lydia (the school's smartest and most popular queen bee) and Lydia loving Jackson (the school's top lacrosse player). In the first season, Stiles' infatuation with Lydia is misplaced because she only likes guys that are popular and top athletes. Lydia's infatuation with Jackson is misplaced because he's (excuse my language) an asshole that only cares about himself and would trade her for someone else in a second if he thought they were better. Plus, I swear the man's in love with himself. That's not boyfriend material if you ask me.
There is also a desire to "return to Eden" in one of the later seasons when Scott wishes to go back to before he turned into a werewolf and became "someone" (due to his increased athleticism) because of all of the crap that's happened to him and his friends. But if he really went back to how he was before, he would still be wishing to be more popular and better at lacrosse, which he became after he was bitten.
And despite the fact that it's called a horror, I feel that it's more of a comedy instead. Sure, there are a lot of monsters, thrills, and violence. But there's so much comedy involved in the interactions between the characters, especially those that are romantically tied to each other whether the love is reciprocated or not. And the stuff that happens in the show is so tragic to the characters. I've cried my eyes out quite a bit while watching it, but I was also often laughing at the same time due to the absurdity of how many horrible things were happening to these characters.
Though I haven't seen the show (I only know the movie from back in my day) this sounds like a perfect fit for all the reasons you describe. And even the show itself is a throwback, so it riffs humorously on the original, no doubt with many callbacks to those 'good old days.' The horror, as in Stranger Things, is merely a backdrop to heighten the relationships and add a level of absurdity we don't often encounter in life. But yes, it can still be moving and harrowing for the viewer, because even though we start at a distance, it's easy to start taking the characters as seriously as they take themselves! That's the beauty of art: comedy rarely stays comedy, any more than tragedy does.
DeleteRather than choose one specific show that I think is comedic that is not really meant to be, I am going to say that all soap operas are. I think that I find them comedic in nature due to the overdramatized scenes within them. There is always a huge emphasis on the the darker impulses of the characters within soap operas as well. They are full of scandals, affairs, murders, and so many other things that would typically rarely happen and yet they happen all the time within these shows with all of the characters. They also tend to structure these awful events as way that is so absurd in comparison to real life. However, so many people love them and because of this when I watch them it makes me laugh and I think that it is funny.
ReplyDeleteyes, that's a great point--they really are potentially comic, and sometimes, overtly comic! It's very over-the-top, and the plots are absurd, a mere framework to highlight the convoluted relationship drama. And I think that's their appeal--the mix of comedy and tragedy, so you never have to take it too seriously.
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