“I dearly love a laugh...”  ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Before we begin… Agree or Disagree 1. Laughter can be beneficial to one’s health 2. Children are often better than adults at seeing humor in situations. 3. Human weaknesses can be good sources for humor. 4. Humor never changes; what’s funny now will always be funny. 5. People who can laugh at themselves have a better self-image than those who can’t.

Agree or Disagree? 6. Serious topics can be approached with humor. 7. Too much humor can be a bad thing. 8. Without humor, life would be unbearable. 9. Humor is a good tool to use to bring people together. 10. Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else. -- Will Rogers

Laughter is the best medicine… Physical benefits of mirth and laughter:  Increased endorphins and dopamine  Increased relaxation response  Reduced pain  Reduced stress Cognitive benefits of humor and mirth:  Increased creativity  Improved problem-solving ability  Enhanced memory (for humorous material)  Increased ability to cope with stress, by providing an alternative, less serious perspective on one’s problems Emotional benefits of humor and mirth:  Elevated mood and feelings of well-being  Reduced depression, anxiety, and tension  Increased self-esteem and resilience  Increased hope, optimism, energy, and vigor Social benefits of humor and mirth:  Bonding with friends and family  Reinforcement of group identity and cohesiveness  Increased friendliness and altruism  Increased attractiveness to others  Happier marriages and close relationships

Forms of Comedy Few comedies are one purely distinct form or another, but rather they include a blend of types. Here are some rough categories that can help focus discussions. Low Comedy:  Laughter is often based on the physical mishaps, slapstick, and bodily functions.  Ex. Family Guy, Futurama

Low Comedy: Modern Family 

Low Comedy: Sponge Bob “Bubble Party”

Farce:  The devices that drive the plot identify this form of comedy: mistaken identities, coincidences, and mistimings. The characters become puppets of fate.  Characters interested in each other must often struggle to be together as others contrive to keep them apart.  There are always coincidences, doublings, or obstacles, i.e. twins, busybodies, marriages that happen at the wrong time.  Money and class figure prominently in the action.  Ex. Modern Family,

Farce: Modern Family Alex has a Boyfriend?

Farce: Modern Family Alex Gets Dumped

Farce: Modern Family Is Alex’s Boyfriend Imaginary?

Farce: Serendipity Pay attention to the importance of timing in this clip.

Comedy of Manners:  Emphasizes the mechanisms of language and reduces life and its problems to verbal repartee.  Uses clever insults, put-downs, puns, paradoxes, and epigrams  Does not hesitate to sacrifice a character’s feelings to the cause of witty dialogue  3 groups of characters:  the true wits: insightful, self-aware  the would-be wits: witty, but not insightful  the witless: unaware of the true meaning of lives around them  Ex. The Office, Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation

Comedy of Manners: Big Bang Theory “Sheldon Teaches Penny Physics” As you watch, consider the witty and witless characters.

Comedy of Ideas:  Characters argue about important issues like war, gender, marriage, religion, class, and government.  Characters represent different approaches to these issues.  Satire is a type of comedy of ideas, that is often irreverent and challenges the conventional thinking on issues.  Ex. The Simpsons, The Colbert Report, and, at times, South Park

Comedy of Ideas: Modern Family “Under Pressure” 

Comedy of Ideas: Family Guy “Undecided Voters”

What type of comedy would you guess Twelfth Night to be? Remember, Shakespeare had to entertain an audience of multiple classes. Forms of Comedy courtesy of apcentral.collegeboard.com/PreAPWorkshops Copyright 2004 College Entrance Examination Board