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.
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?
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.
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: 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: 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.
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.
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?
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?