Comedy

What makes something funny?

 Definition of Comedy

A dramatic composition, or
representation of a bright and amusing
character, based upon the foibles of
individuals, the manners of society, or
the ludicrous events or accidents of
life; a play in which mirth predominates
and the termination of the plot is
happy.
 Sources of Laughter
• Derision- We find enjoyment in the discomfiture of others
Stock characters- fools, fops, hypocrites, misfits, bores, braggarts,
wanton, drunks etc.
uses of insults and put downs
• Incongruity- We find contrast amusing.
People out of their element or mismatched
Jack Sprat and his wife, My Fair Lady, a clown at a funeral etc.
• Automatism- Repetition in action or words, machine like movement
Lucy in the candy factory, The rule of 3, Who’s on first
• Recognition- Seeing the truth about ouselves,steroetypes.

Its all in the timing!

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• Rule of Three
• When telling a joke, comics remember the "rule of three:"
1) Never do more than 3 jokes on a subject.
2) Stick to 3 actions, 3 lists or 3 times in a joke.
3) The punchline is the 3rd item on the list.
So here's an example from an old joke:
Trick or treating is very lucrative in Beverly Hills. (Setup)
Last year my kid got 6 apples (item #1)
4 pieces of candy (item #2) and
2 points on the next Spielberg movie. (Punchline, item
#3).
 The Seven Jokes
Comic theory suggests that there are only
seven joke topics
1. Sex
2. Family life
3. Reversal
4. The Insult
5. Odd combinations
6. The News
7. The pun
Harlen, Theodore Orientation To The
Theater, New York, Meridith Publishing,
1962