1. British Comedy/JRB 1: Key Terms and Concepts of Comedy
British Comedy/JRB/2013/Key Terms & Concepts
British Comedy/JRB 1: Key Terms and Concepts of Comedy

2. Caricature – creating a character by picking certain individual qualities of a person and exaggerating or distorting them for ridiculous effect. Caricature is closely related to parody: a caricature is a parody of a particular person. Political cartoons employ visual caricature.
Prime Minister John Major ( ) Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ( )
- the ‘grey man’ deranged eyes, ‘men’s’ suit
Source: Spitting Image ( , ITV)

3. Carnivalization – Mikhail Bakhtin's concept for a particular mode of comedy and its sociological importance. Carnival, as a metaphor, designates how societies provide opportunities for their members to act out rebellious impulses in acceptable ways. Carnival is a kind of 'safety valve' for rebellious cultural energies.
Centripetal and Centrifugal forces.
Centrifugal forces tend to push social
boundaries outward and promote
individuality, diversity, and change.
Comedy and carnival are both centrifugal
forces.

4. Comedy of Manners – Originating in the theatre, the comedy of manners depicts the codes of behavior and affectations of a social class. Codes of courtship and marriage are the most frequent focus. The treatment is usually ironic or satiric and the storylines are often elaborately artificial. Comedies of manners often employ type characters and caricatures, particularly in minor roles.
Left: Hyacinth & Richard Bucket (pronounced ‘bouquet’) – middle class
Right: Onslow & Daisy – lower class
Source: Keeping Up Appearances ( , BBC)

5. Double Entendre/Innuendo – French for 'double meaning,' this is a figure of speech that is intended to have two interpretations; usually one meaning is straightforward and the other is risqué or ironic. Source: Bottom S3:E2 ‘Terror’ ( , BBC 2)
Quick Link:

6. Irony – Originally a term in rhetoric, irony characterized a statement where the intended meaning is the opposite of what is literally said. Over time, the term has widened to designate a situation characterized by an opposite or contradictory meaning or effect.
Source: Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, Stanley Kubrick-dir.)

7. Types and Distinctions of Irony
i. Verbal Irony
‘The use of words to mean something different from what a person says… the main feature of verbal irony that sets it apart from other types of irony is that it is used by the speaker intentionally. It occurs in a conversation where a person aims to be understood as meaning something different to what his or her words literally mean.’
Types: Overstatement & Understatement
‘Thanks for the speeding ticket, officer. You just made my day.’
‘Yes, boss. I’d love to work overtime this weekend doing your work for you.’
Source:

8. Types and Distinctions of Irony
i. Verbal Irony versus Sarcasm
Commonly used interchangeably. However, there is a distinction in that sarcasm is typically used with the intention to insult or cause harm.
Ironic: ‘Great. Someone stained my dress.’
Sarcastic: ‘You call this a work of art?’

9. Types and Distinctions of Irony
ii. Dramatic Irony
‘…occurs when the audience is aware of something that the characters in the story are not aware of.’
Stage One: Installation
the audience is informed of something the character does not know about
Stage Two: Exploitation
this information is used to develop curiosity among the audience
Stage Three: Resolution
the character finds out what is going on
See also the subset of Dramatic Irony, Tragic Irony: Romeo and Juliet

10. Types and Distinctions of Irony
iii. Situational Irony ‘involves a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually happens’ – an incongruity Occurs when the exact opposite of what is meant to happen happens Common Misunderstanding: Bad Luck versus Situational Irony When someone washes his car and it rains this is bad luck. Explanation: nothing caused the man to think that it would not rain. When the TV weather presenter gets caught in an unexpected storm, it is ironic. Explanation: he or she is expected to know the weather forecast.

11. Parody & Pastiche – Parody is a type of comedy that imitates the serious materials, conventions, style, or manner of a familiar artistic form (or a particular work). Parody exaggerates or twists the form in order to render it ridiculous. Parody is often used as a technique in satire. Related: spoof Pastiche is a type or style that uses or imitates the previous works of other artists. Unlike parody, this is usually done with respect. Parody mocks, pastiche celebrates.
Source: Shaun of the Dead (2004, Edgar Wright-dir.)
-Both parody and pastiche of the zombie movies of George A. Romero

12. Satire – A type of comedy that belittles its subject by evoking attitudes of amusement, scorn, or indignation. Satire uses laughter not as an end in itself but as a weapon: satire is justified as a corrective or means of reform.
The fortnightly satirical magazine, Private Eye (1961-). This cover takes a satirical look at the lack of political difference between the nation’s two biggest political parties, Labour and Conservative. ‘Before’ is former Prime Minister Tony Blair (Labour), and ‘after’ is the current Prime Minister David Cameron (Conservative).

13. Wit – Verbal humor based on manipulation of language: puns, twisted logic, and other forms of wordplay often characterized by spontaneity.
Graham Chapman (comedian)
“I object to all this sex on television – I keep falling off.”
Sir Winston Churchill (politician)
Nancy Astor: “If I were your wife, I’d put
poison in your coffee.”
Winston Churchill: “If I were your husband,
I’d drink it.”