Response to Lead Blog September 25

I'm not an avid watcher of SNL, but I've seen some clips and skits here and there. I found this skit rather interesting. It seemed more chaotic than I expected. The people sounded frantic and scared. Despite this, I enjoyed it for the most part. I wasn't familiar with all the songs and artists being impersonated, but I do think that Bruno Mars is very talented. I have always loved impersonation videos. It's so fascinating how some people can capture the voices of others. Impersonations are the funniest when the impression is accurate. I think that this skit is funny in its own unique way. No comedy theory really pinpoints the reason behind the humor. This seems to contain silly everyday humor. Humor is an essential part of life. If it didn't exist, we would go crazy. Laughter relieves psychological stress and often times clears tentions or awkwardness. This is the very reason we often look for something funny when we are feeling down. I've definitely seen funnier impressions, but I enjoyed this. Sometimes things are funnier when I don't expect them to be. For example, if some one informed me of a certain comedian and told me that he or she was hilarious, I am more likely to approach his or her work from a critical angle. Also, things are funnier when I understand the joke. On talk showsy the hosts often poke fun at topics that are not necessarily understood by everyone. Creativity is another aspect of great comedy. This SNL skit was pretty creative. Creativity, relatibility, and good punch lines are my top three most important elements of good comedy.

Response To Lead Blog September 18

I have heard of Aziz Ansari in the past, but all this time, I thought he was an actor. It was slightly surprising to learn that he is a stand up comedian. Aside from that, I thought certain aspects of this clip were funny. The way in which he is looking at marriage in itself is funny. To most people, marriage is considered one of the happiest moments in a person's life. On the contrary, Ansari views it at an almost morbid angle. The overanalysis of such an underanalyzed topic is the body of the humor. The addition of the voices and sound effects also assisted in making it funny. I personally love stand up comedy, even though I don't watch a lot of it, and it's always interesting to watch comedians perform small skits to validate their claims. I think that the incongruity theory is the most prevalent one in this clip. Most people wouldn't associate the topic of marriage with humor, so the way Ansari breaks it down is unexpected to the viewer. Relief theory could also be applied here. Ansar is taking what is perceived to be a serious situation and making light of it. It's interesting how such a short clip can send a message. This clip could be compared to a vine. Obviously, vines are considerably shorter than this because they are only six seconds long, but those six seconds hold a lot. Many times, I have watched a vine over and over again. This video truly shows that quality is more important than quantity.

My Favorite Comedy THeory

If I'm being completely honest, I have never thought deeply about the reasons we find various situations humorous. Laughter is a fascinating form of emotional expression, and I am interested in digging deeper into the subject matter. I now know that here are three main theories of humor, however, the one which I find most convincing is the relief theory. Many awkward situations can lend themselves to nervous laughter. People make jokes to lighten a negative mood. People laugh when they are simply just happy. A great example of this theory is if someone's silly cell phone ringtone went off in the middle of a serious meeting. The people in the meeting would most likely laugh. This is a form of relief. Although this theory resonates with me the most, I do feel that all the comedy theories make sense. We can't exactly pinpoint the reason for our laughter because each situation differs. Every situation lends itself to a different analysis.