Comedy
There is a sort of thing that's been bothering me about the internet for a while. Like, quite a while. It's this whole popularity thing, these internet celebs/winners that have always mystified me. It's becoming less of a mystery. Comedy is a tough thing, and when someone is making a goldmine, even though I may not find it funny, I feel happy for them. But there are a few things that just mystify me. Meet Fred. This kid makes a living off making those videos, he has the #4 most subscribed to channel on YouTube of ALL TIME. He is so popular, that FRED got his own movie. A movie that almost rivaled High School Musical when it was shown on Cable TV. (just like HSM) This was a mystery to me.
YouTube's #2 Superstar. This guy specializes in finding videos that are really popular, talking about them before, after and during the videos with a persona that has more in common with a Radio DJ with ADD on amphetamines than anything I associate with human. (If you argue that radio DJ's are human, you have already lost. I will explain later) It's the begging for attention that kills it for me. Having run across him before, back in the Daxflame days, it has become apparent that he's only there to coast on other videos and, unless he's had a change in medication, can be pleasant to listen to.
Daxflame is a good counter to this, a 15 year old boy started portraying a troubled kid, his own age who had clearly some deep rooted psychological problems. As much as this was played for laughs, it was also compelling and human. That 15 year old kid was able to show more insight into what he was trying to communicate than many actors, artists and writers ever do. (I say try to communicate, as acting should never be about conveying the whole truth) Stand up comedians rely almost entirely on this insight, and that's like the second most exclusive club on earth. Insight and Wisdom. I believe the old "What's the deal with airline nuts?" sums up the backbone of most comedy. You take an idea, a concept or whatever and you examine it, usually bringing a specific viewpoint to it. For this to be funny and not offensive, the comedian needs insight into the subject, viewpoint and the audience. I have been listening to a lot of comedians talk about not craft, but life and all the crazy shit that's happening. Not as jokes, some device to deliver a punchline, but just discussing them and finding ways to relate to them (or making them more easily relateable to others.) Stephen Fry's "Things I wish I had known when I was 18" I think it was called, and the Joe Rogan experience has really cemented this for me, in many ways.
This isn't my point. It is a precursor I felt I had to go into, just to be able to approach the subject. Why the fuck do people like these things then? Why is the Big Bang Theory popular? The creators have little respect for the characters whom they have created, at least the main element which only exists as some sort of joke, and there seems to be a complete lack of understanding what makes them what they are. What sort of people like things that are so simple, that there is nothing to challenge the mind, there are no new ideas being presented? Either they are kids/immature or are busy trying to build a world which doesn't have to be this world. A simpler world.
There is a definite market for the idea, that you can write off people as being "label." It's pretty dehumanizing, but that's ok. At the same time, it also allows the fantasy of someone so two dimensional that there can be no flaws, or if they are flows they are the good kind that sort of fit in with your delusion. (Hey Twilight) It's a sort of comedic escapism, where the world has become such a scary place that the only thing that doesn't terrify you any more, is a fantasy version of you/your soulmate pointing out the obvious in an esoteric field only you and an exclusive group (because it has to be personal) will know/appreciate. I might be way off on this, but this is where the internet, fandom secrets, human observation, film appreciation and comedy have brought me. Comedy and horror/drama are supposed to be the same thing, only presented in a different light. There is nothing compelling here, nothing to sink my teeth into. Only hollow instant gratification, that isn't that satisfying.
There are ways to make seemingly nonsensical things be compelling, Terry Gilliam's Monty Python animations, David Lynch's entire filmography (excluding the Straight Story) and Masaoki's cooking. Not all of these things are easy to get into right off the bat. But there is always a design, a method to the madness. An understanding and purpose. They create experiences that leave something behind, even if it is just a chuckle. Because it makes sense. Somewhere.
I would like to talk about Masaoki since I posted him here. It is to the best of my knowledge completely real, a cooking show made by an alcoholic that is suffering from some mental illness that is never explained. He doesn't share a lot with the viewer, but if you watch just two of his videos, you will feel as if you know him. He is a pure pearl in a mountain of poop. A beautiful flower, and I wish him well, wherever he may be now.
I could probably edit/write this better, but I need to stop being rusty.
YouTube's #2 Superstar. This guy specializes in finding videos that are really popular, talking about them before, after and during the videos with a persona that has more in common with a Radio DJ with ADD on amphetamines than anything I associate with human. (If you argue that radio DJ's are human, you have already lost. I will explain later) It's the begging for attention that kills it for me. Having run across him before, back in the Daxflame days, it has become apparent that he's only there to coast on other videos and, unless he's had a change in medication, can be pleasant to listen to.
Daxflame is a good counter to this, a 15 year old boy started portraying a troubled kid, his own age who had clearly some deep rooted psychological problems. As much as this was played for laughs, it was also compelling and human. That 15 year old kid was able to show more insight into what he was trying to communicate than many actors, artists and writers ever do. (I say try to communicate, as acting should never be about conveying the whole truth) Stand up comedians rely almost entirely on this insight, and that's like the second most exclusive club on earth. Insight and Wisdom. I believe the old "What's the deal with airline nuts?" sums up the backbone of most comedy. You take an idea, a concept or whatever and you examine it, usually bringing a specific viewpoint to it. For this to be funny and not offensive, the comedian needs insight into the subject, viewpoint and the audience. I have been listening to a lot of comedians talk about not craft, but life and all the crazy shit that's happening. Not as jokes, some device to deliver a punchline, but just discussing them and finding ways to relate to them (or making them more easily relateable to others.) Stephen Fry's "Things I wish I had known when I was 18" I think it was called, and the Joe Rogan experience has really cemented this for me, in many ways.
This isn't my point. It is a precursor I felt I had to go into, just to be able to approach the subject. Why the fuck do people like these things then? Why is the Big Bang Theory popular? The creators have little respect for the characters whom they have created, at least the main element which only exists as some sort of joke, and there seems to be a complete lack of understanding what makes them what they are. What sort of people like things that are so simple, that there is nothing to challenge the mind, there are no new ideas being presented? Either they are kids/immature or are busy trying to build a world which doesn't have to be this world. A simpler world.
There is a definite market for the idea, that you can write off people as being "label." It's pretty dehumanizing, but that's ok. At the same time, it also allows the fantasy of someone so two dimensional that there can be no flaws, or if they are flows they are the good kind that sort of fit in with your delusion. (Hey Twilight) It's a sort of comedic escapism, where the world has become such a scary place that the only thing that doesn't terrify you any more, is a fantasy version of you/your soulmate pointing out the obvious in an esoteric field only you and an exclusive group (because it has to be personal) will know/appreciate. I might be way off on this, but this is where the internet, fandom secrets, human observation, film appreciation and comedy have brought me. Comedy and horror/drama are supposed to be the same thing, only presented in a different light. There is nothing compelling here, nothing to sink my teeth into. Only hollow instant gratification, that isn't that satisfying.
There are ways to make seemingly nonsensical things be compelling, Terry Gilliam's Monty Python animations, David Lynch's entire filmography (excluding the Straight Story) and Masaoki's cooking. Not all of these things are easy to get into right off the bat. But there is always a design, a method to the madness. An understanding and purpose. They create experiences that leave something behind, even if it is just a chuckle. Because it makes sense. Somewhere.
I would like to talk about Masaoki since I posted him here. It is to the best of my knowledge completely real, a cooking show made by an alcoholic that is suffering from some mental illness that is never explained. He doesn't share a lot with the viewer, but if you watch just two of his videos, you will feel as if you know him. He is a pure pearl in a mountain of poop. A beautiful flower, and I wish him well, wherever he may be now.
I could probably edit/write this better, but I need to stop being rusty.