Humor

Introduction

The humor project was a combination of personal creativity as well as a study of the technical elements of humor. We learned why things are funny, how to make things funny, and studied various forms of humor. These included books, plays, sketches, and films, each showcasing different forms of humor.

Humor Study

The Humorist Study

Robin Williams was and still remains the face of a comedic movement. He was not only the proponent of the comedy renaissance in San Francisco, but a well-loved, eccentric household name that brought smiles to the homes of people on a national scale. His art was comedy, finding justification in laughter and nuance in it’s eccentricity. Raised in Chicago, Williams drew inspiration from his need for attention. As the youngest of three siblings and half-siblings, he credited his mother as his first genuine comedic inspiration, attempting to make her laugh and gain her affection. However, Williams’s career and known personality as an outgoing individual did not come until much later in his life, when he found a voice in his high school drama class. Here, he began practicing comedy, but ultimately pursued political science into his higher education. Soon after, he dropped out of traditional college to attend a theater school, eventually getting accepted into Juilliard in New York City. Here, Williams’ talent was showcased and praised by peers and professors alike, many finding joy and camaraderie in Williams’ honest and relatable humor. He was cited as someone who “was going to be something special.” He soon began working stand-up acts as he could find them, and found more traction in his impressions and anecdotal humor.

In his comedy special An Evening With Robin Williams occured in the beginnings of his career as an independent comedian. This piece exemplified Williams’ capability as an improviser and serious comedian. Following his work as a comic in the hills of San Francisco  late 70s, An Evening was a capstone on the era of off-the-wall, independent, and grassroots humor that started Williams’ comic career.

Premiering as a TV special, An Evening was filmed in one of San Francisco’s great performance venues, San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The show has been described as witty, fast-paced, and lewd, as a large portion of the comedy special was committed to his penis, the thoughtfully named “Mr. Happy.”

Williams’ defining characteristics of performance were unique, and these acts would come to define his comedic talent later on in his life. As the special was recorded in front of a live audience, the reactions to Williams’ fast-talking, crude, and over-the-top personality can be traced in their reactions. Williams’ often stops during his performance to break the fourth wall, making fun of his audience and insisting they “keep up.” His genius is less apparent in the content of the jokes as they are in the delivery. His act flows in one single unit, boasting his natural talent for segues and performance.

And yet, the pinnacle of the show comes not in the overall superficial jokes that keep his boisterous facade on for his audience, but the more intimate, personal reflections he allows his audience to witness.

Williams uses one segment of An Evening to inform the audience that he expecting his first child, a statement meant with joy and soft-hearted sentiments from the audience. Quickly, Williams launches into a sketch between his future child and himself, on which mocks the importance of fame and social status for the true intimate connection of family. Ultimately, this provides an insight to Williams’ internal monologue, using a bold and unusual mix of caricature and anecdote, satire on the entertainment industry, and a deeply personal fear of his future.

This piece would showcase Williams’ talent in an unprecedented manner, reaching national screens and engaging families, both an important step in his career shift from live performance to a career in film and television.

Williams was a visionary, an inspiration for comics generations prior to his, and a face that would echo in the memories of children and parents alike for the joy he brought to their hearts.

Image result for an evening with robin williams

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Jenny Slate is mostly commonly known for her role in Parks and Recreation, the popular NBC sitcom. However, she has found equal success from her work on animated features, such as the Netflix original Big Mouth, as well as Zootopia and The Secret Life of Pets. Each project she is a part of most commonly emphasizes her unique vocal intonation, one that is high-pitched and girlish to some, while endearing and interesting to others.

Slate has always been an academic individual, graduating as valedictorian in her primary education, and receiving a degree in literature  from Columbia University. In college, she was accredited the formation of the comedy improv group Fruit Paunch. She would soon meet her comedy partner, Gabe Liedman, and formed an official comedy duo in the aptly titled “Jenny and Gabe.”

Their first comedic showcase was formed in their combined act Big Terrific. This special reached a lot of acclaim in the New York City comedy scene, being cited by Time Out New York  as “the best variety show of 2008.” Following this project, Slate would regularly perform her one-woman show Jenny Slate: Dead Millionaire at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. Her show would run through 2008 and 2009, eventually leading to a zenith in Slate’s early comic career.

Slate joined the cast of Saturday Night Live from 2009 to 2010, showcasing her talent on a national scale and framing her quirky, honest character through her sketches and accidental swearing in her debut episode. Her contract was not renewed, and Slate would then join the cast of Parks and Recreation, playing the defining role of Mona-Lisa Saperstein. This role and her combined comedic credentials eventually afforded her her first feature-length film credits in 2012 in the animated children’s comedy Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.

These combined comedy specials reached their pinnacle in the form of Obvious Child, a feature-length film that cast Slate as their main actress. The film dealt with the struggle of early womanhood and being a starving artist in the comic scene of a bustling city. Her performance in this piece afforded her several awards, including, but not limited to, the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy, and Best Breakout Performance at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Slate’s act in this piece exemplifies her uniquely personal humor, playing off of her Jewish background and capturing the essence of modern-age, young adult women. Her role was that of a stand-up comedian, one whose act was not much more than a summary of her life, her jokes based on the misfortunes she encountered. The structure was genuine, branding her not only a strong actress, but a strong female comedian with a tough act to compare with. Her use of anecdotal humor, though based on a fictitious life, was engaging and honest, bringing to light issues that many young adults deal with, including job loss, family issues, and accidental pregnancies from drunken encounters. She embodies the character, embracing her blue humor which paints abortion as less than a big deal, and job insecurity as a bump in the road which we must all encounter as independent young people. Her anecdotes give context, her blue humor providing details for her personal narrative, and even some aspects of banter float along as not only her character, but the plot of the film is carried by her humorous position.

Obvious Child was a proud work for Slate, one which captured her ability to balance the comic Jenny Slate with the actress and performer Jenny Slate. This film was clearly a strong showcase for her and should be recognized as a pinnacle for her comic career.

I can’t wait to see what’s next in her career, and I’m excited to come along for the journey.

Image result for obvious child screencap

Script

Hello Everyone! I have come here today to just share a little bit about my life with you

How’s everyone doing today?

I’ve head people do that at open mics so I thought I would try it

Um, so yeah, I committed to college!

Hold your applause

I still haven’t passed English class

But yeah I committed and I’m really excited but I’m going to the Pacific northwest!

The reason I don’t tell you the specific college is because I’m trying to be ambiguous and edgy and act like I haven’t told everyone one of my customers at work

Anyways, anyways

I was at work the other day and a friend of mine was like,  “Uhhhhh, Seattle?”

And I was like, “Yeah, ya know, I’m looking forward to it blah blah,”

And she looks at me and she goes, “But it’s so rainy,” and she said it like that too like it was some kind of secret, “rainy.”

And I was like, “Yeah, I guess” and this girl looks me dead in the eyes and she goes, “Seasonal depression is a real thing you know,” and I look at her like, “Are you kidding? You must be kidding. Depression????? I have no idea who she is,” but like, you know, runs in the family, so  that made me laugh bc like

  1. ) I’m already worried about that and
  2. I happen to have CLINICAL depression, something I like to call chronic sad guy syndrome so it doesn’t seem so intense

So, yeah. I committed to college.

And that’s my time! Thank you very much!