Discussion: It's All Fun and Games Until...

[dinuriel]

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great May :)

And now, to kick off June '11...

The obvious discussion topic for this month's comedy theme would be the question of "What is funny?". But that seemed a little predictable and perhaps a little broad, so instead I'll invert the question: what isn't funny? How does a joke or gag fall flat? Is it obvious

Comments

[celebkiriedhel]

Something can be funny - but if the timing isn't right - it becomes unfunny too

[dinuriel]

Oh yeah, timing is crucial. I've heard different people tell the same joke and some of them absolutely nailed it while others... not so much, all because of the timing.

Bad taste is a subjective thing, for sure. I love a good raunchy sex joke, for example, but some of my more conservative friends just find them vulgar. I'm with you on the toilet humor, though. Maybe that's just a gender thing? Sometimes me and my brother will be watching South Park (which I usually find funny--I like their "will joke about absolutely anything" approach) and they'll start making crap jokes and my brother will be laughing his ass off and I'll just be sitting back thinking "Okay... can we get back to the snide social commentaries now?"

I think you summed it up pretty well with your last sentence. You know it when it happens. It's an instinct thing; sometimes there isn't much logic as to what does or doesn't offend us.

Thanks for the insight, Kiri :)

[starling_1]

I hate toilet humor. That's about it. Pretty much anything else is funny even if it's really raunchy, as long as it's delivered by someone who knows what the hell he or she is doing. Humor is a skill set I don't have and really admire.

[dinuriel]

Yeah, I find toilet humor pretty cringe-worthy too. Like I said to Kiri... maybe it's a male/female thing? I know a lot of men who find it funny and not many women who do. Then again, gender is another subjective thing, so maybe that's not it at all.

I like to think there's something to be laughed at in most things. Sex can be absolutely hilarious.

Humor is tough. I struggle with it unless it's a character like Florian who just takes over. It's always great to see a well-written, humorous piece.

[ocelotekatl]

It's difficult to define precisely what's unfunny; humor is very subjective. I think what may be funny to one gender, sexual orientation, race, class, etc. may not be so universally

[dinuriel]

Oh yeah, it's definitely subjective.

And you're right, even jokes about sensitive issues can be pulled off by the right comic. Would everyone laugh? Probably not. But it's like anything, really--appeals to some, not so much to others.

Toilet humor does seem to be more symptomatic of the dumbing down of society than anything else. That's probably the only thing I find offensive about it (other than that, my problem with it is simply that it's almost always stupid). It's pretty sad that we live in a society where stupidity is almost something to strive for :(

And absolutely the character can make or break a comedic seen. Some characters are just always funny. Some characters are so unfunny that they're funny. And I figure a chapter writing itself is always a good sign ;)

[goodbye_sun]

I have to agree with ocelotekatl, what makes us laugh is such a subjective thing, its really hard to definitively say you do or don't like a certain type of type humour, or that certain subjects are totally off limits. So much depends on the circumstance and delivery of the comedy. I think the best way I can define the line between what will make me laugh and what won't is in how real it feels and how honestly its presented, the more contrived, the less likely I'm going to find it funny.

When it comes to writing comedy, I think it comes down to pacing and knowing your character well enough to decide what they find funny and when they might say it. So, if it falls flat, it's probably less about a bad joke, and more about that joke just not fitting the character and the context.

[dinuriel]

Yeah, I wouldn't say anything is exactly "off-limits". It helps to know your audience, but then again there's sensitivity and there's self-censorship. And you're right, it's all in how it makes a person feel.

Certain jokes for certain characters? That makes sense. I can think of plenty of hilarious scenes I've read that wouldn't have been the same with a different character in the spotlight. Almost any joke can be funny to at least somebody if it's told correctly, or at least that's what I think.