I’ve learned so much during the course of this semester. I’ve learned various important things about humor, comedy, and laughter from Morreall, Vorhaus, Sacks, Provine, and others. I enjoyed The Comic Toolbox by John Vorhaus the most, and it was the book that sustained my attention the most, as it was the most relevant to me. Although this class has impacted me in many ways, here are the top five things I’ve learned from this class.
1. There are four elements that go into creating a comic character: comic perspective, exaggeration, humanity, and flaws. But, the most important is the comic perspective. Every comic character begins and ends with a strong comic perspective. The comic perspective is a character’s unique way of looking at his/her world, which differs in a substantial way from the “normal” world view. A character’s strong comic perspective is what gives the comedy its spark, which flows from the character’s quirky and unorthodox way of looking at life.
2. There are many different theories surrounding humor (e.g., the superiority theory, the incongruity theory, the relief theory, and the relaxation theory). However, I think the most relevant theory I learned about is the superiority theory. I know that I’ve laughed at someone else’s misfortunes too many times to count. It’s what makes fail videos so amusing. However, this is also what makes laughter so destructive—laughing and joking at other people’s pain can be used to express ridicule, creating an anti-social atmosphere.
3. It may sound like a cliché, but laughter really is the best medicine. In a time where there’s so much uncertainty and doubt, turning to laughter and comedy helps to relieve some of the burdens. We can’t get through the tough times without some form of humor because what would be keeping us sane? Whether it’s finding my cat in weird places or watching The Emperor’s New Groove and Good Boys with my brother, I’ve learned how to appreciate the true power of comedy. I’ve learned how to find the humor in the little things, and this class has helped me to do so.
4. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” taught me about the power of our imaginations and how our fantasies can be humorous. He’s the exact opposite of his fantasies in real life, which relates to the idea of inversion. Not only does this short story exemplify mock-heroic humor through the main character, it also highlights the complete contrast between who Walter Mitty think he is (i.e., who he imagines and wants himself to be) and who he actually is, which is what gives him depth. One of the most striking characteristics of Walter Mitty’s fantasies is their silliness, which may be heroic but only melodramatically. It appears as though Walter Mitty has a mundane and boring life, but he’s transported by his larger than life imagination, making him seem more interesting and sensational than he really is. From the fountain pen Mitty uses to replace a piston during his surgery to the beautiful woman who appears in his arms, his fantasies contain events and elements that couldn’t possibly happen in reality.
5. One concept I found to be particularly interesting and relevant is the rule of nine, which states that for every ten jokes you tell, nine will be trash. Depressing? Well, not really. In fact, Vorhaus teaches us that the rule of nine turns out to be highly liberating because once you embrace it, you instantly and permanently lose the toxic expectation of succeeding every time. The expectations are already so low when you start that there’s really nothing to lose. In all, the rule of nine is a tool for lowering expectations. For me, I know that I want to succeed every time I try something, but this concept reminds me that sometimes we first have to fail a lot before we can succeed. I can’t just expect to write a perfect joke right off the bat—it takes a lot of trying before one golden joke is produced.
Comedy and humor come in all shapes and sizes. This class has taught me so much about what it means to be humorous and how to carefully craft comedy. There are so many theories and constructs surrounding comedy, as well as ways to go about creating a comedic body of work. Laughter brings people together, but it can also tear people apart. At the end of the day, laughter is contagious.
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