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Kaftan ponders absurdist comedy


Kaftan Barlast

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I just had an argument with some friend regarding absurdist comedy that originated in this comic http://www.qwantz.com/apologies/000006.html right here, and continued into the old falsifications that its only the more wellknown Monty Python sketches with a conventional punchline that are funny, the rest is just random weirdness.

 

My argument is that ALL monty python sketches are increadibly funny and if you dont find absurdist comedy funny, its because you havent taught your brain to 'read it' and understand whats funny about it. But it is possible to aquire this skill later in life with a little help.

 

Now, in an effort to do that, I will now try and attempt to manually explain in bulletpoints why http://www.qwantz.com/apologies/000006.html is increadibly funny:

 

  • Absurdity - the man walks over what seems to be an alien planet and encounters a bear who invites him to drink tea
  • Social comedy - its apparent that the bear is a really annoying/obnoxious person that the protagonist isnt too fond of
  • Pop culture reference - the bear is revealed to be a trekkie obsessed with Star Trek TNG and mentions the increadibly famous "tea, earl grey, hot" line
  • Unexpected event - suddenly, some kind of monster appears and eats the bear
  • Absurdity - even though he is being eaten, the bear only cares about his star trek interest
  • Absurdist punchline with a sprinkle of social comedy - even though the bear is now devoured, he still insists that he wants to continue the discussion

 

A good test to judge wether you think this is funny is to ask yourself if your brain registers the last frame as a punchline or just an anticlimactic ending with little meaning or purpouse. If its so, my theory is that by thinking in a sensible and objective way about this, it should be possible for everyone to atleast on a purely intellectual level understand why it is funny.

 

 

I have too much free time. and coffee.

Edited by Kaftan Barlast

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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Not a huge fan but then again all my jokes are sodomy related so I've pretty much transcended all genres and have settled into amazing.

There was a time when I questioned the ability for the schizoid to ever experience genuine happiness, at the very least for a prolonged segment of time. I am no closer to finding the answer, however, it has become apparent that contentment is certainly a realizable goal. I find these results to be adequate, if not pleasing. Unfortunately, connection is another subject entirely. When one has sufficiently examined the mind and their emotional constructs, connection can be easily imitated. More data must be gleaned and further collated before a sufficient judgment can be reached.

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Not a huge fan but then again all my jokes are sodomy related so I've pretty much transcended all genres and have settled into amazing.

 

 

Aaah, sweet homoerotiscism. Its like the zero-point energy of casual comedy.

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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Not a huge fan but then again all my jokes are sodomy related so I've pretty much transcended all genres and have settled into amazing.

 

:x:lol: :lol:

In 7th grade, I teach the students how Chuck Norris took down the Roman Empire, so it is good that you are starting early on this curriculum.

 

R.I.P. KOTOR 2003-2008 KILLED BY THOSE GREEDY MONEY-HOARDING ************* AND THEIR *****-*** MMOS

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I like absurdist comedy.

 

I just don't laugh out loud at it.

"Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!"

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When I first saw And Now For Something Completely Different I was about 12. I thought it was utterly hilarious. Now I'm older and the avant garde has morphed into vintage, some bits make me laugh and others don't (unarmed combat training with tropical fruit and the camp squaddies doing drill always gets me though).

 

Sometimes absurdist comedy tries too hard (Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer spring to mind), but I did like Big Train (funniest sketch - imaginary Ming the Merciless style space tyrant trying to juggle with intergalactic management dilemmas while doing hoovering, shopping, mowing lawn in small suburban semi).

 

Now I must admit I enjoy character-based comedy and standup more (Frasier is one of my all-time favourites).

 

Cheers

MC

sonsofgygax.JPG

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A good test to judge wether you think this is funny is to ask yourself if your brain registers the last frame as a punchline or just an anticlimactic ending with little meaning or purpouse. If its so, my theory is that by thinking in a sensible and objective way about this, it should be possible for everyone to atleast on a purely intellectual level understand why it is funny.

 

 

I have too much free time. and coffee.

 

I don't register the last panel (frame is the film term) as a punch line because it's not. It's the same absurdist situation as the previous panels while a punch line has to add new information or viewpoint. It works because it

"When is this out. I can't wait to play it so I can talk at length about how bad it is." - Gorgon.

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Although some xkcd strips are quite funny, its usually too soaked with "Im so clever and well-read that its ridicilous" smugness for it to be enjoyable. And it has some really annoying fans that make it even worse.

 

 

I don't register the last panel (frame is the film term) as a punch line because it's not. It's the same absurdist situation as the previous panels while a punch line has to add new information or viewpoint. It works because it

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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Although some xkcd strips are quite funny, its usually too soaked with "Im so clever and well-read that its ridicilous" smugness for it to be enjoyable. And it has some really annoying fans that make it even worse.

 

Maybe you're just bitter and read it the wrong way.

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Guest PoziomyPion

Well, if you have to explain a joke, it's not funny anymore. You just get it or not, I don't really see a point in converting anyone to like/understand humour of a certain comedian or a comic strip. :(

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Well, if you have to explain a joke, it's not funny anymore. You just get it or not, I don't really see a point in converting anyone to like/understand humour of a certain comedian or a comic strip. :(

 

Hey, that's exactly what your mum said!

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but then again all my jokes are sodomy related

ahh... a pillow biter. gotcha. >_<

 

kaftan, are you sure walsh and you aren't kin, or maybe the same person?

 

taks

comrade taks... just because.

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Guest PoziomyPion
Well, if you have to explain a joke, it's not funny anymore. You just get it or not, I don't really see a point in converting anyone to like/understand humour of a certain comedian or a comic strip. >_<

 

Hey, that's exactly what your mum said!

 

 

Oh my gosh, you are so funny! If you are not a comedian, you should at least consider becoming one. Mum jokes are so popular and so not overused, there's a bright future ahead of you!

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kaftan, are you sure walsh and you aren't kin, or maybe the same person?

 

 

That's a ridicilous and completely unsubstantiated claim. Its completely impossible for us to be the same person because he wears glasses, and I dont.

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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Well, if you have to explain a joke, it's not funny anymore. You just get it or not, I don't really see a point in converting anyone to like/understand humour of a certain comedian or a comic strip. :shifty:

 

Hey, that's exactly what your mum said!

 

 

Oh my gosh, you are so funny! If you are not a comedian, you should at least consider becoming one. Mum jokes are so popular and so not overused, there's a bright future ahead of you!

 

That's what she said!

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I think part of finding absurdist comedy funny is having some real world connection to the particular sketch. I don't know if you could call the Biggus Dickus sketch absurdist (is it?) but I personally connect with that because I remember a hilarious moment in high school during chemistry class where a serious video about chemistry had the chemists talking about 'balls and how they are handled'. I forget the context of it, but it had most of the class roaring in laughter.

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