Lead blog Sept 21- Jim Gaffigan and the superiority theory

About a year ago, I had the privilege of seeing my all time favorite comedian live and in person- Jim Gaffigan. He came to my hometown of Cincinnati with his 2017 stand-up tour titled 'Noble Ape'. Gaffigan's main style of comedy is self-depreciation mixed in with relatability. He utilizes a style of observational comedy, which is the actions and events that occur in his day to day life. He's best known for taking on a variety of different voices along with his many different impressions, which range from his wife to famous celebrities. To describe Gaffigan's style of humor, he frequently pokes fun at himself, a tragic situation he's been in, or makes fun of society. Therefore, in my opinion, his comedy style best relates to the superiority theory of humor.

The best example of the superiority theory at work in Jim's shows is the frequent references to his weight. In almost every single set, he talks to the audience about the daily stresses parenting, eating junk food, and of course laziness in general.  For instance, during one of Jim’s stand-up shows at the Comix comedy club in New York City, he talks about being on the treadmill for what seems like forever. But to no avail, he only burned fifty calories: “It’s always so sad to see how few calories you’ve burned. FIFTY CALORIES? What’s that... like smelling a Big Mac?” Jim Gaffigan- the gym (start at 2:19).

When I think of the superiority theory, I think of a group of people laughing at the expense of someone else, or even sometimes in a relatable way. This is basically Gaffigan’s tactic in getting a positive reaction out of his audience. He knows that like most of America, and just people in general, have faced the battle that is going to the gym. By explaining to his audience his own struggle about failing to properly exercise, the audience laughs for two main reasons. One, because we tend to laugh at the expense of others. Two, we often put ourselves in the place of the comedian because we can relate to their joke/struggle. But what makes Gaffigan’s jokes different, is that he,in a way, allows us to laugh at him. He encourages the audience through the course of his set to accept the fact that he likes his Big Macs and Ben & Jerry’s. He has a wife, five children, and points out that their family is by no means perfect. In a quote for USA Today, Gaffigan explained how “Any comedian has the approach that they can make anything kind of funny," he said. "I’m not talking about wanting to take a nap or my insatiable appetite, but that’s tied into how I dealt with this family medical crisis." This whole ‘relating to the audience’ dynamic is one of Gaffigan’s most crucial talking points, and brings up topics that he knows will most likely resonate with his audience.

Overall, I would say that Jim Gaffigan has a great sense of humor that can appeal to almost everyone. His style of stand up is a great example of the superiority theory of comedy. In using this theory, the audience can laugh at him while also laughing at themselves, relating to Gaffigan’s array of unfortunate predicaments he has constantly found himself in. This is also my personal favorite style of comedy, because I can laugh along with the comedian as well as the audience. The combination of Jim Gaffigan’s comedy style, along with his delivery of the jokes, makes him one of my favorite comedians of all time.

Here’s a funny clip just because: Jim Gaffigan- Hot Pockets