Thinking Deeper
Great post, Caroline! I love the way you analyzed in depth what exact phrases you found funny in the comedian's stand-up act! This was very insightful and helped the reader/viewer better break down what exactly is causing laughter in the video!
We've been using the Superiority Theory as a simple explanation for a humorous situation, and as a result, we've been looking at humor through a pinhole. In her post, Caroline mentioned how "well constructed stand-up comedy depends less on the audience feeling superior and more on the self-awareness of the comedian". This was a point that went beyond the surface level when analyzing humor. The question is: Is the audience laughing at the comedian? or Are they laughing with him? and What exactly does the comedian, John Mulaney, find funny about his own jokes? (Obviously, if he didn't find his own jokes hilarious, he would not be showcasing them publicly).
Well, arguing Mulaney has a sense of self-awareness aligns closely with arguments made in the past about humor. Hobbes' original Superiority Theory argued men can only laugh at their own past follies if they can distinctly picture themselves apart from their past self (Lippit). Philosophers and Theorists who opposed the Superiority Theory argued men do have the ability to laugh at their present mistakes. Caroline, in her post, made this same argument. Mulaney has a sense of "self-awareness". He knows he's making fun of his character flaws and/or recent mistakes. He does, in fact, find his recent actions funny, so he presents them and grants his audience permission to laugh at his mishaps also.
To simply say Mulaney utilizes the Superiority Theory to create humor in his audience isn't thinking deep enough. Is the audience really feeling superior and laughing at the comedian's inferiority? I would argue against this assumption. The audience is laughing with Mulaney at his recent past follies. Mulaney does, after all, choose relatable subject matter for a reason. ;)
We've been using the Superiority Theory as a simple explanation for a humorous situation, and as a result, we've been looking at humor through a pinhole. In her post, Caroline mentioned how "well constructed stand-up comedy depends less on the audience feeling superior and more on the self-awareness of the comedian". This was a point that went beyond the surface level when analyzing humor. The question is: Is the audience laughing at the comedian? or Are they laughing with him? and What exactly does the comedian, John Mulaney, find funny about his own jokes? (Obviously, if he didn't find his own jokes hilarious, he would not be showcasing them publicly).
Well, arguing Mulaney has a sense of self-awareness aligns closely with arguments made in the past about humor. Hobbes' original Superiority Theory argued men can only laugh at their own past follies if they can distinctly picture themselves apart from their past self (Lippit). Philosophers and Theorists who opposed the Superiority Theory argued men do have the ability to laugh at their present mistakes. Caroline, in her post, made this same argument. Mulaney has a sense of "self-awareness". He knows he's making fun of his character flaws and/or recent mistakes. He does, in fact, find his recent actions funny, so he presents them and grants his audience permission to laugh at his mishaps also.
To simply say Mulaney utilizes the Superiority Theory to create humor in his audience isn't thinking deep enough. Is the audience really feeling superior and laughing at the comedian's inferiority? I would argue against this assumption. The audience is laughing with Mulaney at his recent past follies. Mulaney does, after all, choose relatable subject matter for a reason. ;)
I agree that Caroline's post is a great example of really diving deep and staying focused on a few key details and ideas. I think it's always funnier if we can laugh with people, even if part of laughing with them is laughing at them. Superiority can be funny, but it's always going to be niche compared with laughing with people. Perhaps the controversial nature of Cody Ko is a good example of that.
ReplyDeleteI love how in-depth you went with this analysis! I think you made a great argument against the traditional employment of the superiority theory here... It's not that the audience feels superior to Mulaney - it's hard to have a moment of "sudden glory" over someone who's making fun of themselves - but rather that, due to his relatability, the audience is laughing with Mulaney because they understand and can empathize with the humor in the awkward situations he discusses.
ReplyDelete