Introduction
For our English humor project, we could make any production we wanted with the goal of producing humor. My group and I chose to make a music video parody because we thought it would make for a challenging but enjoyable project.
Humor Analysis and Reflection
Analysis
One comedic work I am inspired by is Remedial Chaos Theory, an episode of the TV show Community. My second source of comedic inspiration is Aubrey Plaza’s sense of humor and acting.
The premise of Remedial Chaos Theory is that when a character rolls a die to determine who must pick up their pizza delivery, their timeline splits into 6 different timelines depending on the outcome of the die. The episode explores the 6 different timelines and each results in a different outcome, but has connecting events that change depending on who picks up the pizza. Remedial Chaos Theory utilizes absurd and seemingly random humor, but ties everything together in a way that makes sense at the end. The episode is hilarious and includes satisfying callbacks at the end to all the events in the alternate timelines. There is also a great deal of irony used throughout, as the audience knows what happens in other timelines, but the characters do not. Some of the best scenes include strange but funny statements.
In Remedial Chaos Theory, one joke’s dialogue goes as follows.
Troy: Uhhh guys, what does a pregnancy test look like?
Jeff: (not looking up from something he’s reading) It’s like a thin piece of plastic with a thing on the end of it.
Troy: (pulls a revolver from Annie’s purse) Okay, so this is definitely a gun.
Though simple, it makes for an extremely strange but memorable scene. There are many similar gags throughout the episode that subvert expectations to create humor and jokes.
Aubrey Plaza’s sense of humor is sarcastic and she delivers her jokes with a deadpan facial expression. She never cracks up and the humor makes you not sure if you should laugh or stay serious. Another technique similar to that of Community is absurd humor. It is strange and weird and often very out of context in a certain situation. She uses wit and sarcasm to create effective funny situations. She also uses awkwardness in her jokes to add to the weirdness.
Both these comedic influences have a sense of weirdness or absurd humor that I would like to incorporate into my humor project. There is something about reversing or going against the audience’s expectations that makes for interesting dialogue and jokes that I would like to explore in my humor project.
Reflection
One method of humor that speaks to me the most is absurd humor. I find it funny to use random and strange topics and objects in humorous situations. Both sources of influence have weird and absurd humor. In my humor project, I would like to make a video about something relatable that has lighthearted humor.
One technique I am inspired by is the “Bait-and-Switch” technique of setting up a joke and then changing up the punchline to surprise the audience. Another technique I would like to try is sarcasm and irony. I think it would be interesting to contrast a similarly insignificant subject with dramatic irony.
Additionally, I would like to use the delivery of our jokes to enhance the effect, similar to how Aubrey Plaza’s blank facial expression makes her jokes much more humorous. I think I would like to use irony in this instance and have a contrasting delivery and dialogue.
I think all these techniques will be useful in our project because they just make jokes more funny.
Part 2
- Are you collaborating with others?
- Yes – Lucy, Tae, Theresa, Zoey
- Which form of humor are you planning to develop? (See menu.)
- Comedic Narrative/Music Video
- What is the subject (or, in the case of satire, the target)? Why did you choose this subject?
- New Freestyle campus
- Which comedic tools/techniques do you plan to use, and why? (List at least 3 main ones and explain briefly how you plan to use them):
- Parody – we changed the lyrics from the original song to make them about the new campus
- Slapstick – punching people
- Irony – now that we have moved campus, it is funny seeing what we were feeling when we hadn’t moved yet
- Exaggeration – we’re not actually crying but we exaggerate our sadness from the moving day being pushed back
- Why do you think this is the right humor project for you? (If you have a group, can you assure me that everyone is invested in this idea and you won’t have trouble getting everyone to contribute meaningfully?) What makes you excited about this idea? What are some potential pitfalls you wish to avoid?
- I feel like I resonate with this kind of humor because it is relatable and has a wholesome and happy tone.
- If you get approval, what’s your next step?
- Work on a script with my group to come up with parody lyrics.
Process
For this project we wrote parody lyrics, recorded our singing and edited the audio, filmed scenes, and edited everything together to create the final music video.
Script
Parody lyrics corresponding to shots
| Everyone + Tae La, la, la, la-la-la La, la-la-la, la, la-la-la | Ping pong |
| [Verse 1] – Theresa Been dreaming of Freestyle’s new campus 🐙 | Zoey in old campus zoom out |
| Zoey Excited to leave the portables, | Of us jumping in front of the new campus building Or running out of portables |
| Lucy But Moving Day keeps being pushed back…..(oh help, oh help) | Janine punching lucy (Lucy is Moving Day) |
| [Pre-Chorus] – Theresa + Lucy I’m feelin’ underwhelmed (underwhelmed) | Tired in chairs Lying down over benches In those benches by the orange net |
| Lucy Oh, I wish I’d have a building that could house me (house me) | House with arms by Theresa and Lucy; Zoey running through and sitting inside ‘house’ |
| Janine Now I’m crying in a box 📦 | Crying in box |
| Zoey So tired of waiting (Say what you say, but I want a new building) | Theresa against portable wall |
| Janine But still, I have no room, please, please! | Act like we’re trapped in a space that we can’t break through? Mime Behind glass wall Zoey |
| [Chorus] – Lucy Gave second chances to construction!! | Everyone point at the constructionBow and arrow and fake heart things Something with number Two End with pointing at construction |
| Lucy But now I’m left here feeling homeless! | Someone crouched in corner of Photo room, little light |
| Lucy Oh, the way my teachers make us feel we’ll move soon | Any of the teachers talking? Or pop-ups of the Freestyle teachers’ heads |
| Everyone + Tae Waiting is so dumb! | |
| DIALOGUE: Excited: “I’m so excited to move in next week!!” (Lucy) Dead: “It’s not happening” (Janine) “What about next year?” (Tae) | Us talking. Film in the hallways between the softball field and fence. Backpacks as props. Someone (Lucy?) runs up to Tae & others with backpacks on, filming the run, then dialogue. Say “It’s not happening” in a sharp tone |
| Theresa [REPEAT Pre-Chorus] I’m feelin’ underwhelmed (underwhelmed) | Pillow fight to show frustration? (slo mo)Or a prom scene showing us going crazy? |
| Janine Oh, I wish I’d have a building that could house me (house me) | Hug a stuffed animal? |
| Zoey Now I’m crying in a box (wah wah) | Box on top of head (while dancing) |
| So tired of waiting (Say what you say, but I want a new building) | Prom scene with three – Tae, Janine, Lucy – heads down, cut scene to reveal each person. |
| But still, I have no room, please, please! | Begging |
| [Chorus repeat] – everyone Gave second chances to construction!! | Rewind effect if we have time maybe? |
| But now I’m left here feeling homeless! | Sleeping outside |
| Oh, the way my teachers make us feel we’ll move soon | Mr. Greco talking |
| Waiting is so dumb! | Ending |
Audio
To start, I downloaded the instrumental of the original song “Cupid” and cut it to the parts we wanted to use in Pro Tools.
On recording day, Mr. Flo helped us record all of our parts in the recording studio.
After, Lucy edited our recordings together with the instrumental track and added reverb to create the final audio using Pro Tools.
Video
We filmed scenes during school on the old and new campus as well as during Freestyle prom. Tae filmed the at school and at home scenes and Lucy filmed the Freestyle prom scenes. Tae and Lucy used Premiere Pro to edit the audio and video together and add subtitles.
Final Product
Thank you
Tae for filming and editing and singing
Lucy for editing video and audio and singing
Zoey and Theresa for writing lyrics and singing
Fiona for filming
Mr. Flo for helping us record
Mr. Greco, Tae, Lucy, Theresa, Zoey, Lori, Veena, Lara, Caleb for appearing in the video