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Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 1:07pm
by Kory
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:02pm
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 12:58pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 8:42am


Is this funny? I think it is, but I honestly can't explain why it works.
Is it just the sheer absurdity?
Well, yes, but why is it absurd? What's being disrupted or transgressed or whatever to make that funny? I'm just curious about what's going on there that makes a person laugh.
I would say 1. the fact that it's not his content, and 2. the length of the bit. There's a bit of audacity, I suppose in just lip-synching to something that you haven't written and using it as part of your own material.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 1:12pm
by JennyB
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:07pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:02pm
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 12:58pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 8:42am


Is this funny? I think it is, but I honestly can't explain why it works.
Is it just the sheer absurdity?
Well, yes, but why is it absurd? What's being disrupted or transgressed or whatever to make that funny? I'm just curious about what's going on there that makes a person laugh.
I would say 1. the fact that it's not his content, and 2. the length of the bit. There's a bit of audacity, I suppose in just lip-synching to something that you haven't written and using it as part of your own material.
For some reason, my work is blocking this. What is it?

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 1:15pm
by Dr. Medulla
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:07pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:02pm
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 12:58pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 8:42am


Is this funny? I think it is, but I honestly can't explain why it works.
Is it just the sheer absurdity?
Well, yes, but why is it absurd? What's being disrupted or transgressed or whatever to make that funny? I'm just curious about what's going on there that makes a person laugh.
I would say 1. the fact that it's not his content, and 2. the length of the bit. There's a bit of audacity, I suppose in just lip-synching to something that you haven't written and using it as part of your own material.
I agree with everything you say, but I'm still not certain why it's actually funny. Maybe it's just that we expect someone to say something when they have the stage and he's inverting that. There might also be some kind of toying around with nostalgia going on there. But none of it is very straightforward (at least to me) as to why it actually works.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 1:16pm
by Dr. Medulla
JennyB wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:12pm
For some reason, my work is blocking this. What is it?
Andy Kaufman lip-synching to "Pop Goes the Weasel" on SNL back in '75 or '76.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 2:31pm
by Kory
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:15pm
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:07pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 1:02pm
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 12:58pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 8:42am


Is this funny? I think it is, but I honestly can't explain why it works.
Is it just the sheer absurdity?
Well, yes, but why is it absurd? What's being disrupted or transgressed or whatever to make that funny? I'm just curious about what's going on there that makes a person laugh.
I would say 1. the fact that it's not his content, and 2. the length of the bit. There's a bit of audacity, I suppose in just lip-synching to something that you haven't written and using it as part of your own material.
I agree with everything you say, but I'm still not certain why it's actually funny. Maybe it's just that we expect someone to say something when they have the stage and he's inverting that. There might also be some kind of toying around with nostalgia going on there. But none of it is very straightforward (at least to me) as to why it actually works.
Re: nostalgia, I'd imagine there's a fair amount of humor based in the fact that he's an adult reciting (recording of) a child's song to a an audience of adults.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 2:40pm
by Dr. Medulla
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 2:31pm
Re: nostalgia, I'd imagine there's a fair amount of humor based in the fact that he's an adult reciting (recording of) a child's song to a an audience of adults.
That's certainly a part of the appeal of his Mighty Mouse bit, tho the real humour in that is the "dead air" involved—him just standing there, looking nervous, taking a sip of water. It's just amped expectation throughout. I get that one, but he's so active in Pop Goes the Weasel that I'm a more at a loss why it works.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 2:48pm
by Kory
Dr. Medulla wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 2:40pm
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 2:31pm
Re: nostalgia, I'd imagine there's a fair amount of humor based in the fact that he's an adult reciting (recording of) a child's song to a an audience of adults.
That's certainly a part of the appeal of his Mighty Mouse bit, tho the real humour in that is the "dead air" involved—him just standing there, looking nervous, taking a sip of water. It's just amped expectation throughout. I get that one, but he's so active in Pop Goes the Weasel that I'm a more at a loss why it works.
I guess it's just one of those things. Maybe writing about comedy is like dancing about sculpture or whatever.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 2:50pm
by Kory
Here's something fun about this page. All the videos are playing at once for some reason and it's creating a seriously strange echo.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 2:54pm
by Dr. Medulla
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 2:48pm
Maybe writing about comedy is like dancing about sculpture or whatever.
People say stuff like that but I disagree. The discussion won't be funny, but comedians know that this stuff can be broken down because they do talk about it amongst themselves, tinkering with elements to make something more effective. The inspiration might be beyond comprehension (that is, irrational), but I think we can figure what makes something funny (or not funny). And Kaufman was so damned good at mining the unconventional that figuring out why something that seemingly shouldn't work—a foreigner who bombs as a comedian, an asshole lounge singer, a snob reading Gatsby—but clearly does, that intrigues me.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 05 Sep 2017, 2:55pm
by Dr. Medulla
Kory wrote:
05 Sep 2017, 2:50pm
Here's something fun about this page. All the videos are playing at once for some reason and it's creating a seriously strange echo.
Yeah, I noticed that it autoplays but not in unison so it creates a spooky, distant effect.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 11 Sep 2017, 4:47pm
by Dr. Medulla
Pre-Taxi appearance as Foreign Man on The Dating Game:

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 02 Oct 2017, 8:31pm
by Dr. Medulla

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 02 Oct 2017, 8:40pm
by revbob
Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Oct 2017, 8:31pm
Yowza! Perhaps new KitH episodes?
https://www.avclub.com/kevin-mcdonald-s ... 1819083817
Id like to see that but i do wonder if they could still be funny. I mean they were fucking hilarious in their day. Would rbry still have that edge 20 years later?

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 02 Oct 2017, 9:13pm
by Dr. Medulla
revbob wrote:
02 Oct 2017, 8:40pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Oct 2017, 8:31pm
Yowza! Perhaps new KitH episodes?
https://www.avclub.com/kevin-mcdonald-s ... 1819083817
Id like to see that but i do wonder if they could still be funny. I mean they were fucking hilarious in their day. Would rbry still have that edge 20 years later?
A friend who saw their tour a few years back said they still had a spark. And the Mr. Show return was pretty dang good, so I wouldn't be pessimistic.

Re: Funny sketch comedy that's funny

Posted: 03 Oct 2017, 12:42am
by Inder
Is the metacafe video linked above autoplaying for anyone else?

This is annoying.