I think Alex's blog post does a fine job with relating the three main humor theories to the hit show Friends. I personally found it helpful that each character from the show matched up with a particular theory of humor. This helped me remember the theories in a more in-depth way by relating them to something I already have knowledge about. For Instance, Phoebe aligns with the incongruity theory because of her sporadic jokes and personality, combining concepts and things that normally would not go together. There is one particular episode I remember watching a few weeks ago where Phoebe is playing her guitar alone in the subway station singing "Your love is like a giant pigeon, crapping on my heart". I found this line exceptionally funny because no one would think to associate a giant pigeon and a broken heart. Phoebe's constant use of incongruous ideas as such make her a prime example of what the incongruity theory is all about. The show Friends is an easy comparison to the three humor theories because the show incorporates many different aspects of the theories, you are bound to find a character in the show that you like. In conclusion, I would say that Alex's examinations of the theories and relating them to the characters of Friends was a clever way to demonstrate the specific qualities of the humor theories.
The interesting thing about comedy, in general, is that it's all subjective. What I find hilarious may not even register with someone else as humorous. This same principle is applied to comedy tv shows as well. In response to Jake's blog post, I found some of the points that he raised as interesting. He explained how the show Seinfeld has no overlying plot, and that's what makes it so exceptional. In a way, I agree with him. There is always a time and a place where we just want to laugh, and not worry about keeping up with a detailed plot or keep track of attributes we need to remember in order to understand the show. Seinfeld is definitely that kind of show where you can turn it on and just enjoy the singular episode for what it is. The humor in Seinfeld is a sort of observational comedy, where the premise of the humor is based on going through the motions of everyday life. But referring back to my original point, someone may not be interested in that type of show or hum...
That's a perfect example of incongruity at work. The formula "your love is like" x ... " of my heart" is so common that it's a cliche. Of course, what follows is usually something sweet, not something that is defiling the heart. I wonder how the show would work often without Phoebe?
ReplyDeleteI think you make a great point about the characters, in some ways, representing the theories all on their own! Phoebe would definitely align with the incongruity theory, as you suggest. I would suggest that Chandler would portray the relief theory through his many badly-timed and often overly intimate jokes... His one-liners regularly relieve tension in otherwise awkward situations. Joey would, of course, represent the superiority theory... His naïveté and simple mistakes are laughed at by viewers as a result of our feelings of intellectual superiority over him.
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