Introduction

The Humor unit was a short lesson on comedic techniques and tools where we did daily improvisational activities and read both an absurdist play and a satirical novel.

I really enjoyed this unit because of how unique and different it was not only from what you would experience in a regular high school setting but also from what we even usually do at Freestyle. Being at the point in our lives where we are, comedy is a big part of our lives and personalities so having the opportunity to study it and hone it so we can express ourselves through it was a unique opportunity.

English

Besides simply studying comedy and reading the works of literary humorists, we also were given the chance to produce our own humor in different forms. 

First we did a study on two humorists of our choice that inspired us to do comedy. The two humorists I took influence from in creating my work were the Monty Python and SNL groups.

Two humorists that inspire me for this project are the comedic groups Monty Python and Saturday Night Live. These comedy groups from the 70s continue to live on in American television to this day, proving great value as comedy. Both Monty Python and SNL use a particular type of comedy called sketch comedy as the main structure of all their performances and productions. A short collection of scenes or situations, the sketches that these two groups do involve a wide variety of comedic tools including everything from banter, caricature, and slapstick to irony, satire, and blue humor. Monty Python and SNL have also been famous for covering a wide range of subjects in their comedy.

One particular SNL skit that my partner and I looked at in getting ideas for our project was “Bok Bok.” This sketch fast-food chain advertisement follows a format that is familiar from typical fast-food commercials one sees on TV, but creates a comedic parody through the use of exaggerism and understatement surrounding the establishment’s incredibly and ironically creepy mascot – Bok bok. The piece is not only a parody of the modern fast-food chain commercial, but a parody of sorts on the viral photo of “Momo” – a horrifying humanoid chicken sculpture. One of the techniques the writers of SNL use in “Bok Bok” to somewhat satirize fast-food commercials is exaggerism – a comedic tool in which the features, strangeness, or defects of someone are wittingly exaggerated. In the commercial, everything is normal except the chain’s mascot, Bok Bok which is conversely extremely exaggerated to create a creepy character that stands out shockingly within the seemingly normal landscape of the “ad.” This extreme and shockingly disturbing exaggeration of the mascot’s features is compounded by the use of the comedic tool of understatement – stating something in restrained terms as less than it is. The premise of the ad skit is that the fast-food company is trying to clear up concerns about the creepiness of their mascot, Bok Bok. In order to do this, understatement is used to normalize the exaggerated strangeness of the character. All these techniques help build the overarching comedic technique of parody – a humorous version of any well-known performance or writing. SNL’s skit “Bok Bok” is a parody of both common fast-food chain commercials and the viral photo “Momo.” The skit copies fast-food commercials but uses all the aforementioned comedic techniques to make it their own funny version. It does the same thing with the “Momo” character, reproducing it exactly in the fast-food establishment’s mascot Bok Bok.

Much like the SNL skit, the Monty Python comedy group’s movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail uses caricature, understatement, and satire to create a comedic narrative film. In every Monty Python production, caricature – exaggeration of a person’s mental, physical, or personality traits, in wisecrack form – plays a large role. One example of caricature in Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the characters of the knight Sir Robin who, in addition to pretending to ride around on a non-existent horse with his personal attendant mimicking the sound of horse hooves by rhythmically hitting two coconut shells together, has a personal musician who sings about Sir Robin’s deepest fears and true personal qualities. This makes an otherwise stately knight character comically relatable. Another comedic technique that Monty Python uses, much like SNL, is understatement. Understatement is used in a slightly more typical form in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, for example when Arthur is fighting the Black Knight, who insists that every injury – even having both his arms and legs cut off – is “just a flesh wound” and he’s “had worse.” This makes the audience laugh with confusion, wondering how on earth someone could be so undefeated in spirit when rendered quadriplegic. And finally, much like SNL’s “Bok Bok,” all these comedic techniques in Monty Python and the Holy Grail come together to form a larger satire about the medieval times and religious crusades. By making the characters and situations so hilarious through caricature and understatement, the film’s topic of medieval religious quest is made to seem ridiculous and the audience is prompted to think critically about it.

Both SNL and Monty Python provided great inspiration for my project because of their subtle use of comedic techniques to create hilarious parody and satirical sketches. I find the way their comedic techniques come together in their sketches to be inspirational. My project is going to be a comedic drug commercial, structured similarly to the comedic sketches of SNL and Monty Python. One technique that I hope to integrate directly into my sketch is understatement, which both SNL and Monty Python use in their sketches. I hope to do this through the understatement of a list of crazy side effects from my imaginary medication. In SNL and Monty Python this adds value to the sketches by highlighting a certain thing by putting less emphasis on it than you would expect one to. In my sketch I believe that understating both through calm tone and through no verbal emphasis, will make the audience focus more on the absurdity of what is being said. Another technique that I hope to use in my project is satire. Since my project is a parody of a common drug commercial, I hope that the comedy will create a satire that points out the ridiculousness of the side effects that come with common medications and the humor in the way the commercials are created.

After learning about comedy and studying two humorists, we created our own comedic production. I worked with Kaitlyn Ecklund to produce a short comedic drug commercial. We started the process by brainstorming and then writing this script:

1: Are you feeling down?

2: *hold up blue construction paper cut-out of sad theater face* Blue?

1: Sad?

2: Worthless?

1: or Hopeless? *short pause*

Well, it’s that time of year again when everyone is catching their breath and holding their head.

*medium pause*

1 & 2: *excessively happily hold out pen* COLLEGE SEASON

2: Chances are you’re experiencing DECISION DEPRESSION

1: But don’t worry, you’re not alone. Millions of students across the nation feel this way, such as ourselves.

2: And to you I say, there’s hope! Take CEREBRIOLUM MORTEMYOL, or as it’s known in Latin, BRAIN DEATH

1: Cerebriolum Mortemyol stimulates your brain to create elevated levels of endorphins and dopamine, which decrease your feeling of Decision Depression and increase your feeling of happiness and comfort.

2: Cerebriolum Mortemyol also produces reserve pools of scholarships in the Pineal Gland of your brain. Not only does it cure your DECISION DEPRESSION.

1: Side effects may include headaches

2: dizziness

1: nausea

2: itchiness

1: and rashes

*slight pause*

2: tingling throughout your phalanges

1: coughing

2: bleeding fingernails

1: hot flashes

2: sporadic dancing

1: aggressive repulsion to apples and ice

2: convulsion

1: spontaneous racism

2: limb detachment

1: death.

*long* pause

2: If you experience any of these symptoms for more than 336 hours, please talk to your doctor.

1: Cerebriolum Mortemyol. Your pill *short pause* for a better life.

After writing this script, we went to Cuesta Park and filmed our comedic commercial. We got the help of Hudson Jones and Emory Harkins for filming and audio.

Once we had all the video and audio footage we needed, we used Adobe Premier to edit together our video.

And finally, it all came together in our final humor project video.

ARVE Error: Mode: lazyload not available (ARVE Pro not active?), switching to normal mode

We played our video in front of the whole class on humor project presentation day, April Fool’s Day no less.

ARVE Error: Mode: lazyload not available (ARVE Pro not active?), switching to normal mode