Response to lead Blogger "Jake"
While reading Jakes blog post I believe that he arguably makes some noteworthy points about humor and comedy. His post lead me to think about humor found on television from a new point of view.
One of Jake's major points is made when he states "Seinfeld," really is, a show about nothing. And that's why it's everything" (Jake6Blog). I can understand what Jake means by this in the sense that when people intend to watch something funny their main goal is to obviously laugh. While he uses some good examples to back up his ideas I feel that he may miss a few other crucial points about what makes a television show funny. For example, in shows such as “The Office” or “Friends” throughout the many seasons, viewers have built relationships with characters. When viewers get to know characters on a personal level the comedic dialogue between characters may hold a stronger meaning to the viewer. I do understand that comedy is supposed to be lighthearted and fun and Jake does a good job within his post expressing this. I personally believe that a show can still be pretty darn funny yet still hold other important characteristics beyond humor.
Another example I thought of was from the well-known show “Full House”. This show is packed full of comedy especially coming from one of the main characters Michelle. Within the show's dialogue, Michelle often replies with her well-known tagline “You got it, dude”. There are many jokes made within the show yet the reason that these jokes are funny is because of the relationship the viewer has built with Michelle through the many seasons. We understand that this specific phrase is funny because it is coming from her. The show itself isn't just a surface level show and I think that this is what makes it so great. The comedy itself has a deeper meaning and while I do understand why Jake appreciates surface-level humor it is important to look at both viewpoints.
One of Jake's major points is made when he states "Seinfeld," really is, a show about nothing. And that's why it's everything" (Jake6Blog). I can understand what Jake means by this in the sense that when people intend to watch something funny their main goal is to obviously laugh. While he uses some good examples to back up his ideas I feel that he may miss a few other crucial points about what makes a television show funny. For example, in shows such as “The Office” or “Friends” throughout the many seasons, viewers have built relationships with characters. When viewers get to know characters on a personal level the comedic dialogue between characters may hold a stronger meaning to the viewer. I do understand that comedy is supposed to be lighthearted and fun and Jake does a good job within his post expressing this. I personally believe that a show can still be pretty darn funny yet still hold other important characteristics beyond humor.
Another example I thought of was from the well-known show “Full House”. This show is packed full of comedy especially coming from one of the main characters Michelle. Within the show's dialogue, Michelle often replies with her well-known tagline “You got it, dude”. There are many jokes made within the show yet the reason that these jokes are funny is because of the relationship the viewer has built with Michelle through the many seasons. We understand that this specific phrase is funny because it is coming from her. The show itself isn't just a surface level show and I think that this is what makes it so great. The comedy itself has a deeper meaning and while I do understand why Jake appreciates surface-level humor it is important to look at both viewpoints.
What are the differences between pure humor and applied humor, if we can make that distinction? How do shows that do other things using humor--such as develop characters--function differently? Of course, some no doubt would claim that many of the characters on Seinfeld are lovable in their own way.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I made the same point about Janice's tagline in "Friends"... it's funnier because we have an awareness of her history with Chandler. Personally, I find comedy more humorous when I can relate to it on some level or another.
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