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.
I like the idea that we could think of all of the different theories as applying to different characters. One idea about the theories is that they explain different kinds of humor, not humor as such. Comedy always seems to involve some different interaction between the three.
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