Lead Blog Response #2

Despite not being a regular Seinfeld fan myself, my family, friends, and obviously classmates express a love for this comedy classic. In my last blog, I dissected the characters of the sitcom Friends, breaking down the traits that audiences so adore. After reading Jake's blog I plan on examining why we find the crude humor that Seinfeld provides us with so hilarious.

"We hypothesize that humor is elicited by benign violations and show that moral violations that simultaneously seem benign elicit laughter and amusement in addition to disgust."

Humor gives us a chance to get away saying things that should definitely not be said. In our conscious, we are able to filter what comes out of our mouths. The lack of filter possessed by our leading character Jerry is what makes him so appealing. Inconsiderate, judgemental, and plainly rude statements and actions have the ability to be funny, following the Incongruity Theory and Benign's Violation Theory. 

Being mean does not guarantee laughter though. An unspoken line exists that separates what is acceptable and what is a step too far.

Lead Blog Response #1

The television classic, Friends, is a crowd-pleasing comedy that people of all ages continue to enjoy. The show itself does not have a continuous plot, but its eclectic collection of characters managed to keep it going for a staggering 236 episodes. In Alex's blog, she applied our newfound knowledge of the theories of humor and comedy to the sitcom while also pointing out individuals who present them. For this blog, I plan to continue exploring the characters individually and attempt to relate them to Freud's theories of comedy.

Joey Tribbiani 

- "little kid" humor 

- victim of much superiority humor

Joey, in my opinion, is one of if not the most laughable character. He fulfills the comical archetype of the attractive actor without any brain cells to spare. The other characters enforce their mental superiority over him regularly while the audience follows his personal antics, sexual escapades, and career.

Chandler Bing

- sarcasm

- over-inflated 

Chandler has never been my favorite character. In comparison to the rest, I find him to be one of the more regular characters. This makes him very relatable to the audience and allows us to channel our own lives while watching him. Out of the theories of comedy, I would most associate Chandler with the relief theory because of the light he brings to inconveniences and instances we can all relate to.

Phoebe Buffay

- incongruity theory to a tee

- airheaded nature

Now onto Phoebe, my personal favorite, and the character I most identify with. Naming another character like Phoebe is near impossible, and that is simply what makes her so great. Her extreme individuality and contrast to those around her shed light and laughter on any scene she is in. 

Rachel Green

- "princess" character 

- victim of superiority theory and her own stupidity 

Rachel, probably the most problematic of the bunch. She is introduced to the audience as a flighty girl led by her heart, not her heart. Like Chandler, Rachel is a pretty run of the mill character whose mistakes and triumphs we cannot help but follow and link to our own experiences.

Ross Geller

- personality applies him to the incongruity theory

-nerdy nature and bad luck makes him an easy target for superiority humor 

Unlike the rest of our male characters, Ross Geller appeals to the more sensitive and intellectual side of the male psyche. His quirks and ticks are what make him the lovable and humorous character we know him as.

Monica Geller

- extreme personality features

- another case of incongruity theory

Monica, the last of our characters is most well known for her OCD tendencies and controlling nature. The struggles that Monica faces tend to be self-conflicted, leaving the audience to laugh at her and the hoops she must jump through and the challenges she must overcome.

Theories of Humor

As children and even babies, human beings have a natural recognition of things that are humorous. People making ridiculous faces, strangers' inconveniences, and an out of place sounds or actions are elementary examples of this. But do we know where this began? Comedians, writers, and philosophers have put together a list of the theories of humor, my personal favorite being the Relief Theory.

I consider myself an optimist for sure and hearing comedy be linked to the failures of others was not the most comforting thing. Humor and comedy are a release, a method of letting out the unspoken thoughts, stressors, and second guesses out. Although I am definitely guilty of chuckling at the misfortunes of those around me I do not think that humor is based on the superiority people believe they hold over one another.