Response to Katherine

I agree how Jim Gaffigan uses the superiority theory to get his humor across to the audience. I also laugh at others misfortunes, along with my own. You can't take life too seriously. It's nice easing up and just having the freedom to laugh at other people's mistakes or quite frankly, your own. For myself, I stay laughing throughout the day because I am comfortable laughing at my own mistakes. The ability to let loose relieves chaos and stress from the surroundings and circumstances around us. I like being able to relate to Gaffigan through his weight struggles. It may or may not be an insecurity of his, but it is a touchy subject here in America. That's why I'm glad he is so open about it and has the ability to make people laugh about his weight. By doing so, it doesn't make the issues about weight seem like a problem at all. Who cares about the social norms for body image. #selfloveandhumor

Response about Seinfeld

I personally don’t actively watch Seinfeld, but I know enough about it to agree with how it’s just a show about laughter. The overall gist of the show has no major plot-line and it’s funny to the level where you see yourself doing it. It can be a very relatable show in some aspects; a classic combination of of sarcastic snarky humor with a bit of realism. One part I particularly like about the show is all the questions being asked. The characters would question every irrelevant thing intertwining what was related and what wasn’t. This adds a sense of dry humor to the show that I find hilarious. Seinfeld is a good escape amongst the chaos of our everyday lives. With it, one can easily enjoy it without an acquired sense of humor.

What I Find Funny About Friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT-8Yz1JsdQ

 Why is the TV show, Friends, funny? There’s no exact answer as to what can be pinpointed for humor, but there are three theories of humor. There is the superiority theory, where we laugh at other people’s misfortune, relief theory, where laughter helps during emotional or high stress moments, and the incongruity theory, where logic is mixed with things that don’t go together. By putting all theories into consideration, one can piece together what makes people laugh during Friends.

By using the superiority theory during the show, we can take a closer look at one of the character’s Chandler Bing. Almost all of his jokes relate back to this theory.  He brings a sense of intelligence with his humor because he provides outsides happenings and experiences into his jokes, making him seem funnier than the rest of his friends. In every episode he provides some kind of sarcastic remark that usually is making fun of someone’s stupidity or misfortune. One thing I noticed from Chandler is that he was open to laugh at other people’s mistakes and also his own. He was open about his past happenings and embracing them for a good laugh. The writers used the superiority theory through Chandler to get a good reaction from the audience and enhancing his humor.

The next focus is relief theory and how it was integrated into the show. Overall, Friends is not an intense show with emotional roller coasters. However, the show provides real life scenarios that the characters face that hit close to home with a few viewers in the audience. One example that particularly comes in mind is when Ross and Rachel officially break up. Seeing the constant pain, betrayal, and guilt starts weighing heavy on the viewers. This stressful event can be relatable amongst people who have been in the same situation or if they feel they have been cheated on by their significant other. During this scene the camera switches back and forth between Ross and Rachel and the rest of the friend group. Why might the director change settings during such a dramatic scene? Making people laugh gives one a complete turn around of emotion, which is key in the sense of helping people cope in stressful situations. Watching this episode there was added comedic relief when the camera would switch back to the rest of the friend group. Without the ability to cope in emotional situations, there would be complete chaos. By utilizing the relief theory it can make you think that laughter truly is the best medicine.

The last theory used in the show is the incongruity theory. This is considered one of the more basic forms of comedy making unusual connections, bizarre viewpoints, and unexpected actions funny. Phoebe particularly comes to mind when it comes to random connections to be made or for her to do something out of the blue. With her, you never know what’s going to come out of her mouth making it a funnier surprise to what she says. Phoebe is a free spirit that can stick to her roots no matter what her reasoning is. Her outrageous comments make sense to her, but for a regular outsider, they might seem quite peculiar. This adds another viewpoint of comedy to pay attention to throughout the show.

By utilizing all three theories, Friends is considered funny because it appeals to many types of humor depending on what your preference may be. We can each relate to the characters in some way making it more personable allowing the audience to be more open to the humor and comedy they have to offer.  

Relief Theory

I believe the relief theory is the most persuasive theory when considering comedy and humor as a whole. This type of comedy relieves tension during a high stress event providing an emotional break for the audience. For example, if you look at the movie IT, the writers provided comedic relief throughout the movie especially after a “scarier” scene. By doing so, the movie was more enjoyable and made it easier to watch (especially for people who don’t like horror movies). Without relief, it is harder to make it to the end of the movie without being completely scared. Making people laugh gives one a complete turn around of emotion, which is key in the sense of helping people cope in stressful situations. Without the ability to cope in situations, there would be complete chaos. This is why the relief theory is the most persuasive. All three theories display different types of comedy, but this one in particular helps the most with our day to day lives. Hence the saying that laughter is the best medicine. A happier outlook on life can make the best difference in someone’s life.