What is the Humor Project
Well its funny…
The humor project centers around learning comedic strategies and using those strategies to create our own humor. We are doing this project in order to understand and replicate these humor devices. I really enjoyed the different techniques that I could explicitly pick out in my analysis and I think that it helped me quite a bit.
The work that I produced was a a 4 min long video about how useless clones might be. I was able to make this video using strategies that I had learned from analyzing texts such as “Slaughter-House V” by Kurt Vonnegut.
Comparison:
The two pieces I will be comparing are Kellen Erskine’s stand up, “Composed”, and “Snow Crash”, a book by Neal Stephenson. These were published in different media formats, the former, on video, the latter, on paper. However, both have made a lasting impression on me in regards to comedy. Erskine’s set is made up of anecdotes and joke segments that last 10 seconds to 4 minutes. It was published on Drybar Comedy that features stand up shows that are clean. “Snow Crash” is a book that revolves around a hacker named Hiro Protagonist, who tries to save America from a potent and widespread drug. The book is a satire on what the author thinks the future would look like.
Erskine’s subject matter revolves around mundane stories and ideas – topics that are non taboo and considered safe for young human consumption. He mentions penguins, bike locks, school mascots, and shopping carts. The items and ideas he presents need very little context to be understood, therefore making the humor very accessible.
On the other side of accessible subject matter, stands Stephenson who presents humorous ideas that need significant prior knowledge to be understood. He references American pastimes, Sumerian literature, religion, technology, and humanities. What’s ironic about his subject matter is that it is very relevant today, but very relevant during the time the book was published, which was 1992. The book touches on several taboo topics such as sex, drugs, and violence, and treats these topics casually.
“Evolution says that an animal either dies off or adapts comfortably to its environment. I just don’t think they belong in Antarctica; they seem cold. I go to the LA zoo; they don’t keep them in a freezer, they keep them on cement and they’re fine.”
- Kellen Erskine, Composed
Erskine seems to point out absurdities about everyday items and situations. He reframes a normal situation such as going to the grocery store with his kids, into something that seems paranormal. As shown in the quote above, Erskine references the “incongruity” of the penguins’ existence.He doesn’t seem to present an overall message in his work, but he often gives a blank stare to show how ridiculous mundane things can be. The purpose of the work is to entertain in a family friendly way, so the work doesn’t need to be profound in contrast to “Snow Crash.”
“This Snow Crash thing–is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?”
Juanita shrugs. “What’s the difference?”
-Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
However, like Erskine, the book points out absurdities in everyday life, but pokes fun at a future life(from the time written). His themes revolve around “The Tower of Babylon”, a Sumerian piece of literature. The theme is about how language can be used like code, to control mass amounts of people. Stephenson argues that technology makes it easier for something like this to happen. His message is that information is like a drug, and whoever controls the drug, is able to control other people. The humor in this is that it is a reflection of society and religion, freedom and slavery.
There are many strategies that Erskine employs that I wish to use in my own humor project. One such strategy is taking a very mundane topic such as bike locks and turning the idea into something that makes bike locks absurd. Erskine presents the idea that bike locks can be used to lock other people’s bikes, obstructing property, therefore making it seem like the idea should be illegal. Another common strategy used is his comedic timing. He often pauses and gives a deadpan look at the audience after a short segment, further increasing the humor when the situation is absurd. He often does these pauses to make the audience think. I may use this depending on whether I am doing an audio performance or a written piece of literature. Because Erskine’s work is on stage, it is often very different from what is in a book.
“Snow Crash” does not make you laugh the way Erskine’s stand up might. Instead, it makes you think and chuckle inside. I wish to use this sort of humor in my own work. He often points out ironies and unspoken truths throughout the book. I feel inspired by the way that Stephenson reveals these truths about linguistics and sci-fi. One of my favorite aspects, however, is the black and blue humor that is painted across the book. There are many scenes where people just – die. There are chapters that cover taboo subjects, but treat them in a humorous light. One such subject was rape. Y.T, a fifteen year old girl was being raped, but she had a device hidden in her that neutralizes anyone that tries to have sex with her.
The themes and subjects that I wish to implement from Erskine is that everyday objects can be used for nefarious purposes. One of the first segments involves using traffic cones to redirect traffic. I might do something similar and mention how caution tape can be used to cut off building access to others until the janitor comes.
The themes in “Snow Crash” are definitely something that I want to touch on. The society that the book is set in isn’t very different from our own currently, despite the book being published in 1992. I would like to explore how language can be used to motivate people to action and how those who have an understanding of it can be empowered. I even would love to talk about capitalism, which is mentioned in the book:
“CosaNostra Pizza doesn’t have any competition. Competition goes against the Mafia ethic.”
- Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
I think that its most powerful subject is having a virtual life. This is something that has been explored by authors in the past, but none of them except for “Snow Crash” have stood out to me. The way I want to talk about it is in terms of what it might look like and what is already here.
Behind the Scenes
Script
