Analysis 

The two humorists that I am going to be talking about are SNL and Key and Peele. I chose these two groups because they both commonly follow a comedic narrative/skit format that I personally find very entertaining and that I hope to use in my humor project. SNL and Key and Peele tend to be kind of similar in the sense that they both use a lot of exaggeration and sarcasm in their skits but differ in their subjects. SNL, being most well known for their political satire skits, usually tend to focus on a more serious subject. They commonly use more dark humor and/or wisecrack during their skits which draw attention to a lot of underlying issues through comedy. This is really obvious in their skits about Donald Trump, and more specifically, “Impeachment cold open”.  This skit shows a series of phone calls between Trump and other government officials that use really obvious forms of wit, hyperbole, and sarcasm to point out the underlying issues with Trump’s impeachment. The skit focuses on a very serious current event that is also very controversial and uses comedy to point out an opinion on this issue. Meanwhile, Key and Peele, while having a similar structure, focus more on random, more lighthearted subjects. Even with the occasional dark humor, Key and Peele’s skits are based on very random things such as “How not to forget where you parked.” In this skit, Key and Peele are shown getting out of a vehicle in a parking garage and trying to come up with a way to remember where they parked. The two characters spend the rest of their time bantering and coming up with very random and absurd ways to remember where the car is, eventually leading to something that does NOT help them remember. This is focused on something very small in the average person’s life but makes their audience look at it in a new, funny, and entertaining way. 

Reflection

Considering both SNL and Key and Peele and their main comedy tools, I think of my project as just combining the two. I really find it entertaining when comedy is something current or draws on a more serious issue because I think it is easier for the audience to relate to. I will definitely be using this idea from SNL by making my humor project about the daily struggle of being in quarantine. Yes, quarantine has caused real issues and created a lot of obstacles for people, but I do think this will make my humor project funnier to its audience, as all of us can relate to it. On the other hand, I don’t think that I will be using as much dark humor in my humor project as SNL, simply because I do not want to offend anyone and I also do not think this would be the subject to do that with. With the inspiration for my focus coming from SNL, I am relying more on light-hearted more random comedic elements in my skit just like Key and Peele. The main comedic part of my skit will be very very random or extremely exaggerated things that will be related back to the more serious main topic. Because I am creating a “commercial” for possible medicines, the main source of entertainment will be the long list of side effects that come after each suggested medicine. The side effects themselves will be random and goofy in an effort to balance out the seriousness of the subject. One skit I will specifically be drawing inspiration from is SNL “Chantix” parody commercial. The skit focuses on making fun of the long list of side effects that are commonly seen in medicine commercials. While the narrator is listing them, not only are they super random and weird, but the prospective medicine users actually start to show these wacky side effects, adding in yet another comedic element. Overall, I think my humor project is really an attempt to find the balance between these two professional humorists, and will hopefully bring light to a situation that we are currently in. 

Proposal

I am planning on working with Syd Johnsen, and we’re going to do a comedic narrative Ad/PSA-esque video for our humor project. Our project would be formatted like an “attempted medicine commercial that also shows the behind the scenes. The video would have an intro explaining the negative sides of quarantine and lead us to show our possible solutions. Each solution would be followed by the long list of “side effects” that will be super random and funny. After each one, we would scratch the idea and start the commercial over introducing another “prescription”. Eventually, in the end, we would frustratingly tell our audience that there is no real solution to the boredom that is quarantine. We will edit the video kind of poorly too and to the comedic side of things as well. We chose this because it is something that we are all currently going through and brings light to the topic, which I think many people could use right now. We will probably use techniques such as blend word, caricature, exaggerism, and irony to develop our script. I think this will be pretty easy for Syd and I to brainstorm for as both of us have done MANY different and unique things to keep ourselves entertained, as well as finding this sort of humor entertaining. I also think it is an idea that isn; ’t super hard to film or collaborate on as we can film ourselves doing things that we have been doing anyway, without using too many props or having to purchase anything to film it. Our inspiration is also endless, as there is an insane amount of things we can do, even from home, to keep ourselves entertained. If this gets approved, our next step would be to write the script for the side effects and storyboard what shots we need. We have already come up with a list of activities that would be easy to exaggerate and make funny. 

 

 

Below are links to videos that inspired my project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR25izGfrmQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0FMk2zUHA0&t=29s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGYDWO5Fhtg

Script

N1: Are you sick of your coronacation yet? Are you running out of ways to entertain yourself when you’re stuck at home? Is watching people fight over toilet paper on the news just not doing it for you anymore? 

N2: TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. GET RIPPED. (blows whistle) 

N1:  Working out not only boosts your immune system, but also is something you can do anywhere anytime. Taking time to tone your body and drop a few pounds will also ensure that you will look your best when this stupid coronacation is finally over! 

Dude: total chick magnet dude 

N1: Side effects may include…

Shin splints, torn muscles .. pulled muscles, Concussions, attracting too many side chicks, being so buff you cant fit in any of your clothes, or losing so much weight they all fall off of your body, loving yourself too much to the point that you can’t stop staring in the mirror, broken bones, crutches, constant hunger to the point of gaining all of your weight back immediately, erectile dysfunction, vomiting, and death. 

N2: Death? Bro that’s messed up. We can’t use that anymore. We need to start over bro. 

(video rewinds) 

N1: Are you sick of your coronacation yet? Are you running out of ways to entertain yourself when you’re stuck at home? Is watching people fight over toilet paper on the news just not doing it for you anymore? 

N3: ease the tension with art therapy! Open your mind and discover your creative desires! Paint! Draw! Dance! Sew! Anything to unleash your creativity can benefit you in a time like this!

Side effects include… 

Change in music taste, change in room, back pain, constant change in favorite color, memorization of the color wheel, finger cramps, discovering a new aesthetic, finding yourself through your art, going temporarily insane after inhaling too many paint fumes, changing your major to art/graphic design, having way too many pieces of your art to the point where you have absolutely no more space anywhere in your house, erectile dysfunction, vomiting, and death.

N2: Brooooo, nahhhhh. Death? Again? This is all wrong we have to start over. Do it right this time bro.

(video rewinds again)

N1:  Are you sick of your coronacation yet? Are you running out of ways to entertain yourself when you’re stuck at home? Is watching people fight over toilet paper on the news just not doing it for you anymore? 

N2: Honestly, at this point, we’re just tryna get through this so just grab your fav snacks and sit your booty down on a comfy couch and binge your fav shows

N1: Side effects may include… 

Lack of food in your pantry, obesity

N2: bro I can’t even fit out of the door! 

N1:  loss of memory of what day it is, forgetting what the outdoors look like, bloating, pooping, chronic diarrhea, stench, bad breath, mass amounts of dirty dishes, dreadlocks, extreme laziness, stomach rolls, completion of Netflix, remembering the lines of every single episode of your favorite show, erectile dysfunction, vomiting, and death.

N2:  CUT!!!! This shiz I hopeless I quit!

Disclaimer: The providers of this video have no experience in surviving a coronacation without severe boredom. 

If there’s no wind, row. 

 

Video