How Can Spontaneity Make Comedy More Entertaining?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of comedy, particularly focusing on spontaneity and its role in making humor more entertaining. Participants explore various styles of humor, including slapstick, dark humor, satire, and absurdity, while sharing personal preferences and examples.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find slapstick humor predictable and therefore unfunny, preferring spur-of-the-moment comedy and quick wit.
  • Others argue that predictable humor can still be funny, citing examples like a penguin sliding toward a cliff.
  • Several participants express a preference for dark, morbid, or low-brow humor, with some emphasizing the importance of being un-PC.
  • There are mentions of various comedians, such as Emo Phillips, Chris Rock, and Mitch Hedberg, with participants sharing favorite routines and styles.
  • Some participants appreciate satire and surrealist comedy, while others prefer subtle humor that may not be immediately understood.
  • Disagreement exists regarding the effectiveness of certain comedians, such as Benny Hill and Emo Phillips, with mixed opinions on their humor.
  • One participant shares their experience writing comics for a school newspaper, indicating a personal engagement with humor creation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of preferences and opinions on different styles of humor, indicating that there is no consensus on what makes comedy entertaining. Disagreements about specific comedians and types of humor are evident throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants' humor preferences are influenced by cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, and individual interpretations of comedic styles, leading to a diverse range of viewpoints.

wolram
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I find slap sick rather mundane because it is so predictable, any thing that
one can see the outcome is not funny to me, the spur of the moment comedy, the quick Witt is my comedy.
 
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dark, morbid & low-brow humour is my thing. the more offensive the better. :devil: i'll laugh at anything but there isn't much else that REALLY makes me laugh.
 
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wolram said:
I find slap sick rather mundane because it is so predictable, any thing that
one can see the outcome is not funny to me, the spur of the moment comedy, the quick Witt is my comedy.

IMO predictable humour can be pretty damn funny. For example I would find a video clip of a penguin sliding backward very slowly toward the edge of a cliff hilarious, for the very reason that I know exactly what is to happen, but the penguin doesn't.

In most cases though I find dry and witty humour the best.
 
Two words:

Emo Phillips
 
Americans have a different but simillar sense of humour to the UK, Canadians even more so, the Germans don't appear to do funny :smile:

Hows that...

I like anything but farce and slapstick, obviously being English absurd humour appeals to me a lot as well.
 
I like stuff that's un-PC, racial, and full of cursing. -something like Chris Rock, Eddy Murphy-ish.
 
I generally enjoy satire and surrealist comedy.

A lot of people say to me, 'You think it's really clever to be sarcastic don't you?'. And I say to them... 'No!'.

Of course that joke works better if I tell it using my voice.
 
Chi Meson said:
Two words:

Emo Phillips
Amen!

"So I said hey, sweet thing, want to come back to my place?" and she said "Do you have cable?" and I said "No, but the ropes should hold you."

"What did you get for Christmas? I got new underwear! ... Well, new to me."
 
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  • #10
I think I'm not supposed to like slap-stick, but it makes me laugh just the same. Mel Brooks says (I changed it some): Tragedy is when I stub my toe, comedy is when you fall down the stairs. My favorite kind of humor is parody.
 
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  • #11
wolram said:
I find slap sick rather mundane because it is so predictable, any thing that
one can see the outcome is not funny to me, the spur of the moment comedy, the quick Witt is my comedy.

I agree, but I have a totally different type of humour. It's subtle and you have to be quick to understand it and get it. Those who get it all the time say I'm hilarious. Some people don't get it but still think I'm funny but don't really know why.

Just the other week a guy at work said I was hilarious. He commented on the things I say in "between" things. He said he doesn't get it right away most of the time, but he normally gets it a minute later.

It might sound useless to have humour that no one gets right away, but it's there and those who catch it... :smile::smile::smile::smile::smile:

I don't laugh at obvious stuff though. I also do have a "dumbed" down type of humour since not everyone gets it.
 
  • #12
turbo-1 said:
Amen!

"So I said hey, sweet thing, want to come back to my place?" and she said "Do you have cable?" and I said "No, but the ropes should hold you."

"What did you get for Christmas? I got new underwear! ... Well, new to me."

I got my nephew a Batmobile for his birthday. But when I went to hang it over his bed, I realized one of the critters was still alive...
 
  • #13
NatLamp humour:

1. Exploding toilets are funny.
2. Dead children are not funny.
3. Unless they're killed by exploding toilets.
 
  • #14
Mitch Hedberg!
 
  • #15
morphism said:
Mitch Hedberg!

:mad: i was going to say that. demetri martin is really good too
 
  • #16
cyrusabdollahi said:
I like stuff that's un-PC, racial, and full of cursing. -something like Chris Rock, Eddy Murphy-ish.

yeah i thought eddie murphy mocking muhammed ali was hilarious :smile:
 
  • #17
http://www.callahanonline.com/index.php" is my kind of guy!

harrass.gif
vaccuum.gif


& so is http://www.maledicta.org/" :biggrin:
 
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  • #18
The days are gone when skits like this one can be shown on TV. This is from the early days of Saturday Night Live. It has been pulled from youtube because the n word is now a no no.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3070404054444817529&q=chevy+chase+richard+prior&total=3&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
 
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  • #19
Seeing how people are listing their faves I will push http://http://www.stewartlee.co.uk/" as my favourite ever comedian.
 
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  • #20
Kurdt said:
Seeing how people are listing their faves I will push http://http://www.stewartlee.co.uk/" as my favourite ever comedian.

Stewart Lee's fantastic. I love his delivery; very original without any crap goofisms. I assume you've seen his "stand up comedian" show?
 
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  • #21
Couperin said:
Stewart Lee's fantastic. I love his delivery; very original without any crap goofisms. I assume you've seen his "stand up comedian" show?

I have along with his 90's comedian and in August I'm going to the Edinburgh festival to see his new one :biggrin: His construction of jokes is superb and like you say combined with his delivery its a fantastic combination.
 
  • #22
As far as slap stick and site gags, for me Benny Hill was king. With Benny's stick you didn't know what to expect next.
 
  • #23
turbo-1 said:
Amen!

"So I said hey, sweet thing, want to come back to my place?" and she said "Do you have cable?" and I said "No, but the ropes should hold you."

"What did you get for Christmas? I got new underwear! ... Well, new to me."

I woke up in the morning and went into the kitchen and my sister had made some eggs...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3080370870555042372&q=emo+phillips&total=72&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=9
 
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  • #24
I don't get emo's humor.
 
  • #25
cyrusabdollahi said:
I don't get emo's humor.

How about Zach Galifianakis? The guy cracks me up.
 
  • #26
I used to find Bill Hicks funny until I realized he was anti-everything, then he just got downright annoying.
 
  • #27
edward said:
As far as slap stick and site gags, for me Benny Hill was king. With Benny's stick you didn't know what to expect next.


Please, please, not Benny Hill, he should go down in history as the most unfunny comedian.
 
  • #28
turbo-1 said:
Amen!

"So I said hey, sweet thing, want to come back to my place?" and she said "Do you have cable?" and I said "No, but the ropes should hold you."

"What did you get for Christmas? I got new underwear! ... Well, new to me."


:smile::smile:
 
  • #29
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I write funny comics for the school newspaper. It's definitely one of the best or the best. The newspaper illustrator absolutely loves it. Friends love it too.

I have some political stuff coming this year. It'll be hilarious. I just hope I don't get kicked out of school.
 
  • #30
JasonRox said:
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I write funny comics for the school newspaper. It's definitely one of the best or the best. The newspaper illustrator absolutely loves it. Friends love it too.

I have some political stuff coming this year. It'll be hilarious. I just hope I don't get kicked out of school.

You should test your comedy on us first, politics are beyond me, but then i guess Brown came to late.
 

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