“Comedy characteristically begins with desire before encouraging us to laugh at it, but—in doing so—it can also reconcile us to desire, make it somehow easier to live with” (Bevis 18).
On Week 3, I want to spend
both classes presenting short examples of comedy from throughout our culture as
curated by you, the students (the true experts on modern comedy!). I want you
to find a short clip, maybe 3-5 minutes long, from something you find
particularly funny. It can be anything: a show, a movie, a skit, a stand-up
comic, a song, etc, so long as we can watch
it like a spectator. Show it first, and then I want you to briefly answer
the following questions for the class:
1.
Why
is this funny? What makes it comedy?
2.
How
is it subversive? Why might someone find it threatening or inappropriate?
3.
Which
chapter in Bevis’ book (Chs.1-5) does it most connect to? Find a specific
passage or idea from one of these chapters (we’ll discuss them all next week)
that made you go “ah ha!” when you watched it. Help us briefly appreciate the
connection.
For example, remember how
we watched and discussed the skit, “It’s Business Time” form The Flight of the Conchords. This is a
show that makes fun of something very taboo—a couple’s sex life—but also
explores the real-life problems that come with routine. It’s not that having a
“sex date” is bad, or that marriage is bad, but that sometimes we need to laugh
at the absurdity of love to have a healthy relationship with our significant
others.
DUE WEEK 3: Tuesday,
January 30th and Thursday, February 1st (we’ll decide the
order in class on Tuesday, so be ready to roll!). Please feel free to e-mail me
with any questions or concerns, or come to my office before or after class (or
during office hours) for help. Good luck!
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