Silent ComedySilent Comedy

COM 320: History of the Moving Image

Four Distinct Humor Mechanisms

1. Disparagement–setting up a one-up, one-down relationship

2. Incongruity–a surprising juxtaposition 3. Dark/High arousal–shocking or otherwise

over-the-top, e.g., Sick humor, Black/dark humor, Harmful slapstick/physical comedy

4. Social currency–humor derives from shared knowledge or experiences

Four Distinct Humor Mechanisms

1. Disparagement: Q. What do you call a man with half a brain? A. Gifted.

2. Incongruity: Q. What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup? A. Anyone can roast beef.

3. Dark/High Arousal: Q. Why do Scotsmen wear kilts? A. So the sheep won't hear the zipper.

4. Social Currency: Q. What's the difference between a new husband and a

new dog? A. After a year, the dog is still excited to see you.

The “Senses of Humor” Perspective (Neuendorf et al.)

Each individual has preferences among the four humor mechanisms—this profile may be unidimensional or multidimensional.

The individual will seek media content that potentially matches their profile.

Media content that has potential for multiple humor mechanisms will be more successful.

Individual with common senses of humor profiles will be more compatible.

Types of Humor Found in Easy Street? Types of Humor (based on Senses of Humor (SOH) research):

Found in Easy Street? 1. Disparagement–setting up a one-up, one-down relationship

____________ 2. Incongruity–a surprising juxtaposition

a. Visual ____________ b. Verbal ____________

3. Dark/High arousal–shocking or otherwise over-the-top, e.g.: a. Sick humor ____________ b. Black/dark humor ____________ c. Harmful slapstick/physical comedy ____________

4. Social currency–humor derives from shared knowledge or experiences (“How about those Browns?”) ____________

The “big three” silent comedians (international):

1. Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)–His “little tramp” character became the most recognizable figure in the world (remember Ballet Mechanique?). His forte was extracting emotion from the audience. Born in London, he came to the U.S. in 1912, working at Keystone, Essanay, Mutual, and First National before co-founding United Artists with D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks in 1919.

The “big three” silent comedians (international):

2. Buster Keaton (1895-1966)–“The great stoneface,” his forte was extreme physical comedy. He started in vaudeville with his parents’ act, graduating to film in 1917 on a film with the already-established Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Through much of his silent career, he had his own small studio and released films through such companies as Paramount and Metro.

The “big three” silent comedians (international):

3. Harold Lloyd (1893-1971)–His character wore horn-rimmed glasses and was a bit nerdy–a “zanily optimistic everyman.” In his films, story and characterization took precedence over physical slapstick (although he is most easily recognized as the man who hung from a clock on a tall building in Safety Last).

Two “giants of comedy production” in the silent era: 1. Mack Sennett (1880-

1960)–according to historian Gerald Mast, Sennett’s films “whaled the daylights out of Authority and Pretension with a bed slat.” He started at Biograph with D. W. Griffith, then established Keystone in 1912; there he made the Keystone Cops shorts (“pure motion”).

Two “giants of comedy production” in the silent era: 1. Mack Sennett (1880-

1960) Charlie Chaplin, Fatty

Arbuckle, Harry Langdon, and Ben Turpin all got their starts with Sennett.

Two “giants of comedy production” in the silent era:

2. Hal Roach (1892-1992!)–had his own studio by 1915. He teamed Laurel with Hardy; Harold Lloyd got his start with Roach. Developed the Our Gang series of shorts. He was the only silent comedy giant to “survive” the introduction of sound.

ODDS & ENDS

Disparagement

Sarah Mania! Sarah Palin’s Greatest Hitsby liberal online blogger Josh Marshall (5 million hits)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E

Incongruity

The Landlord with Will Ferrell (on Funnyordie.com) (77 million hits)

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74/the-landlord-from-will-ferrell-and-adam-ghost-panther-mckay

Dark/High Arousal

“Ow My Balls” from the film Idiocracy (2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAg1r6zw7Bg&feature=related

Social Currency

Jib Jab

Irish Step Dancing (starring School of Communication faculty and staff):http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/5WsrwJRLb1fXmmvd

Unnecessary Force (starring School of Communication faculty and staff):http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/HZdw0QqHKJoPogmd

Multiple Types

Disparagement + (Verbal) Incongruity:

1. What’s the difference between Florida and yogurt?

Yogurt has an active culture.

2. So, two blondes walk into a building. You’d think one of them would have seen it.

Multiple Types

??? + ???

Clevelander Mike Polk’s The One Semester of Spanish Spanish Love Song (6.8 million hits) http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ngRq82c8Baw

YouTube’s Mass Communication Function—Most “Favorited” Content: Comedy

Judson Laipply (Evolution of Dance) (182 million hits)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg Liam Kyle Sullivan (Muffins, Shoes)

Shoes—One of YouTube’s first viral videos (44 million hits) http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=wCF3ywukQYA&feature=related Muffins—Decidedly amateur-quality video (18

million hits) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tcR19y7GPM