For this project we were given the options to work alone or with others in creating either a stand-up performance, a video, or a slideshow for our comedy presentations. What I valued most about this project was that we needed to fight our inner embarrassed selfs in order to have fun with this project. This was a big step for me and others because something that is typically so nerve-racking was a lot easier to do with the surrounding community of Freestylers who showed their support to each other during the presentations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Humorist Study:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The two comedians I am studying are Bill Burr and Ali Wong. Burr\u2019s comedy has a very clear point of view and he has a mischievous and wicked sense of humor, as does Wong. They both like to execute self-deprecating humor which I personally like the best because it’s easy to joke about yourself and it’s inoffensive to others. They also both use a structure, but disguise it. Bill usually sets up a dilemma in the beginning of his act and follows it with recognition, incongruity, and simple truth. Wong also follows this structure, and her brutally honest personality about past mistakes and embarrassing traits earns her big laughs. Her netflix special Baby Cobra<\/em> demonstrates that having the comedy in a narrative form holds a lot more comedic value and is a lot funnier than just setting up a joke, spiking the punchline, and moving on. Burr\u2019s deployment of anecdote and recountment of common experience as social critique, basically shit-talking, is relatable. Analyzing one of his performances, I found that the structure Burr follows is quite simple. For example, to start this performance he says, \u201cI\u2019m afraid to get married, man.\u201d This is Burr setting up a dilemma that’s very relatable. Next, \u201cWhat man wouldn\u2019t be afraid to get married at this point? Look at Kobe. Look at the shit he’s going through right now.\u201d This is where Burr recognizes Kobe as someone to empathize with, and it makes the audience laugh because of the reality of Kobe\u2019s situation and how Burr feels like he can relate to him. Lastly, \u201cGuys gettin a divorce: his wife is gonna get seventy million bucks, never hit a layup in her life.\u201d This earns a big laugh from the audience because Burr not only recognizes Kobe\u2019s situation and makes the audience picture Kobe\u2019s wife in a lakers uniform (recognition and incongruity) but also states a simple truth; the fact that she’s gonna get so much money by divorcing the basketball star. Similar to Wong, Bill Burr uses his relentless truth to make the audience laugh, no matter how outlandish it sounds, it resonates with what people are actually thinking despite how socially abhorrent it might be. Ali Wong presents her audience with the same sorts of dilemmas, surrounding mistakes shes made in her life and her disgraceful and vulgar sense of humor. I feel that both of these comedians exemplify my favorite type of joke-teller; one that takes their own insecurities and can confidently put themselves down. I feel like this is the best humor because not only is there no risk of offending other people, but some of the funniest and most ironic jokes stem from one’s own perception of themself.
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