Module 10: “Why Are These People Laughing?”

Module 10: “Why Are These People Laughing?” PS 150 American 20th Century Political History Benedictine College Fall, 2012 John F. Settich, Ph.D.

“American Comedy” in the Encyclopedia Britannica DVD • “The incongruous is “the essence of the laughable,” said the English essayist William Hazlitt, who also declared, in his essay “On Wit and Humour” in English Comic Writers (1819), that “Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be.”” • APA Style: comedy. (2011). Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.

You will laugh when you know the underlying truth in the skit, joke or situation and when you are struck by the absurdity of the punch line.” • Comedy depends on an appreciation of the truth, topical or universal.

In addition to understanding the underlying truth, the audience must appreciate the art or the character of the comedian, believing his or her version of the absurd. • You have to be mentally agile, or at least awake.

You should know the difference: “A comedian says funny things.” “A comic says things funny. “ Johnny Carson was a gifted, versatile comedian. Comic Professor Irwin Corey, master of the malapropism.

This is their classic skit: “Two tens for a five.” Do hit the hyperlinks to the YouTube video so that you can see and hear some of the classic comedy routines of their day. Be patient with the style. Give it a chance. http://youtu.be/f7pMYHn-1yA Bud Abbott and Lou Costello did radio, stage work, television and movies. They were a classic team: straight man and comedian. Bud set the joke, Lou got the laugh with his response.

Let’s give credit to the writers: It all starts there. Some wrote their own material. • Some stole (Milton Berle) from everyone. • A few write their own. • Larry Gelbart, Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, Steve Martin, Will Rogers, Lily Tomlin and Mark Russell write.

“Schtick” is a vital word in comedy. • It comes from Yiddish and it describes a comedic theme or “bit of business”. • Early in his career Steve Martin played the banjo and had an arrow through his head – his schtick.

“Schlemiel” is another word with Yiddish derivation. It means a unlucky person, often a dolt to whom unlucky things happen, like soup being spilled on them. • We laugh at schlemiels – we are glad it didn’t happen to us!

Sad Sacks: these are the tragic little people (very much like a schlemeil). They never seem to enjoy the laughs that others have at their expense. • Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Emmett Kelly and George Gobel are examples. They are naturally sympathetic figures with whom we identify.

Here’s a typical Borscht Belt joke from Rodney Dangerfield: “My wife ain’t too bright. One day our car got stolen. I said to her: ‘Did you get a look at the guy?’ She said: ‘No, but I got the license number.’” Welcome to the Borscht Belt ! This was the region of the Catskills in upstate New York where Jewish families would vacation in the summer (1920s – 1960s) and they feasted on great comedy.

http://youtu.be/TIoBrob3bjI A classic Tom Lehrer song, not to be missed. Click it NOW, darn it… • Satire is a form of comedy that often requires a sophisticated knowledge about events or personalities, such as political satire. • Some is broad, other satire is sharp and wickedly pointed. Will Rogers was a fine humorist and satirist during the 1920s and 1930s Mark Russell’s topical humor is well done. Try this one: http://youtu.be/9BxYfHuMDt0

The Edgy Ones: These were the comedians whose material pushed the boundaries of social decency at some time in their careers. Richard Pryor Lenny Bruce Mort Sahl George Carlin Dick Gregory

Genius Lunatics: their brilliance was sometimes driven by drink or drugs, but their improvisational gifts are rare, rare.

Yes, there were many funny women from Margaret DuMont to Fanny Brice to Martha Raye to Roseanne Barr to Phyllis Diller to Mary Tyler Moore to Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. They were comics, comediennes, schlemiels and stand-up artists and more. And, of course, Gracie Allen, most of all.

Speaking of funny women: Barbra Streisand & Marilyn Monroe. This clip (1953) shows Marilyn’s 1st appearance on TV, in a skit with Jack Benny. Watch it. http://youtu.be/c_IzdZDyT0w http://youtu.be/k4pYENXT9Ek is the Streisand video clip, also worth watching.

There was no more famous comedy team than the (real-life) Marx Brothers. Watch this little clip from Duck Soup, their best film: http://youtu.be/d5cJuAtNcJA

There were lots of other teams. • The Smothers Brothers were edgy, topical and long-lasting (52 years performing). Watch: • http://youtu.be/iFVrtjUmz7c • Watch George Burns & Gracie Allen, too http://youtu.be/qvLcPklwm9o

Matt Groening is a rich and talented man who gave America (and the world) the Simpsons, among other cartoon artworks. • The stories, the characters and the situations are quite brilliant and often full of social commentary. • http://youtu.be/faRlFsYmkeY

Gary Larson is another cartoonist who deals in single panel stories in his FAR SIDE. • Charlie Barsotti has a panel below. His work appears in the New Yorker.

Observational humor has been around a long time, but Jerry Seinfeld elevated it with his “show about nothing.” It is like old sit-coms, but more focused on the odd confluence of persons & events, rather than just situations and comedic responses.

Some sit-coms are based on relationships and their changing and challenging dynamic. Three’s Company and Friends are exemplars. • Both highly reflected & created popular cultural trends.

Early variety and skit-based shows came, as many of their performers from Vaudeville and night clubs. • Sid Caesar, Laugh-In and others reworked classic schtick for television audiences. • Those who knew the material loved it, again.

Radio comedy ruled between the mid-1920s and the early 1950s. • Families scheduled their lives around Fibber McGee & Molly and Jimmy Durante, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, The Goldbergs, Groucho Marx and more and more.

Marshall McLuhan, Canadian academic in the 20th century taught us the difference between TV (cold medium) and radio (hot medium). In listening to radio, our brain engages and “fills in the blanks” with our imagination. TV does not. Radio comedy was FUNNY ! Bob & Ray had a funny, funny style

Some were one-of-a-kind and others aspired to be. You know Carrot Top and Gallagher. • In the early days, Spike Jones and the City Slickers were way over the top, but funny & absurd. • When is crazy, too, too crazy?

The Face of Race: African-Americans have been prominent comedians, yet their race has too often been the butt of America’s jokes in the 20th century. • From Amos ‘n Andy to Jack Benny’s Rochester to “Yo Mama” jokes, the edge cuts both ways. http://youtu.be/u5vZzoBixAU This is old film of a radio show

Speaking of race, All in the Family was a message TV comedy by Norman Lear. A white bigot, Archie Bunker said what many thought and those around him put him in his place, firmly, but gently. See http://youtu.be/l8ZnxsroVnA

Children’s comedies often appealed to adults as well and by design. • They also developed children’s tastes for comedy at an early age. http://youtu.be/gCnPmu_421g Discover the fun with Howdy and his gang, including Clarabelle and Mr. Flusterbuster and Princess Summer Fall Winter Spring.

We are not nearly finished with 20th century humor. We have just begun. • But, this is a start. Explore on your own and see what makes you laugh! • Try: http://youtu.be/CNicvsP9uzo

Module 10: “Why Are These People Laughing?”