“[Humanity] has unquestionably one really effective weapon—laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution—these can lift at a colossal humbug—push it a little—weaken it a little, century by century, but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” — Mark Twain
Comedy is a funny concept in and of itself. We, long ago, adopted an art form that evolves with our culture and is purely for entertainment and laughter. There are several theories of humor, such as: incongruity theory, superiority theory, and release theory. No matter the theory, the concept of comedy as a practiced art form is so interesting and stand-up comedy is truly phenomenal when we break down how it works.
Stand-up comedy requires hours of writing, a deep sense of self, identity, and confidence, a pointed personality, attention to oratory skill and spoken word, timing and delivery, as well as attention to the audience’s energy. These are the many things a comedian has to be good at doing simultaneously; the word impressive would be an understatement. A successful stand-up comedian has to put hours upon hours into their craft. Stand-up is stupendously meticulous and clever. A career in this field cannot be founded upon mere luck.
My all-time favorite comedian is John Mulaney because his humor is self-deprecatory, witty, and extremely well written. He uses the incongruity theory, which I’ve explained below. His personality on stage is also consistently hilarious and engaging.
The incongruity theory of humor is an element of comedy where incongruous elements come together to replace logic, reason, and familiarity. We perceive something as funny when our expectation of what is going to happen gets derailed in an unpredicted way, or if we just have no idea where the story or joke is going. Essentially, it’s based on the element of surprise.
Illustrated in the video clips I have provided, the release theory is present in almost every stand-up bit and in most every-day humor. This theory states that laughter is a homeostatic reaction relieving psychological tension. In other words, comedy allows us to escape or laugh with/at stressors, bothersome issues, and ourselves, instead of becoming defeated by them. Pretty helpful.
Here are some clips of my favorite bits by Mulaney:
There’s a Horse in the Hospital (a commentary on Trump’s presidency).
John Mulaney Fights Back Against Bullies (how Mulaney was bullied for being Asian American and for being a woman, when in reality, he is neither of those identities).
The Time John Mulaney Accidentally Got a Prostate Exam (a story on how Mulaney tried getting a Xanax prescription but having his plan go south very quickly).
There is an element of stand-up that requires, for the most part, good story-telling. The best comedians know how to spin a mundane event into a hilarious bit. This may be a skill or it could just be their natural perspective of the world around them, either way… it’s funny.
Dave Chappelle is another comedian that uses current political issues as the basis for a lot of his jokes. Chappelle uses (in my opinion) the superiority theory for a lot of his humor. The superiority theory goes back to Plato, Aristotle, and Thomas Hobbes, and is essentially laughing at the misfortunes of others or at a “previous you.” For instance, telling a story of something you did that was embarrassing in the past to make a funny story now. As an example, here is a clip of his commentary on Colin Kaepernick kneeling before one of the pre-season games. It is a very relevant bit in light of the events happening this past week:
For another one of my favorite bits, I’ve included Amy Schumer’s monologue for SNL in 2018. She humors us with the concepts of being a married woman vs. single, how women ask for tampons, and raising nice guys at a young age. She is relatable and extremely accurate in describing all of these things by seamlessly transitioning from topic to topic with a casualty that is consistently captivating.
In a short eight-minute TEDx talk, Aiden Kinsella breaks down the two types of comedy: reactive and active. He explores the nuances of everyday humor vs. intentional stand-up “in both types of comedy, the laughter comes from a response to an agreed upon context that subverts the expectations of the audience.”
Another great educational video on how to utilize humor is Andrew Tarvin’s TEDx Talk. He is the world’s first Humor Engineer, meaning he teaches people the value of humor to be more productive and well-received.
Netflix has an amazing array of stand-up specials that are also worth giving a shot. If you’re new to watching stand-up comedy, you can get to know yourself by watching shorter clips on YouTube before committing to an hour-long special. There are different categories within comedy and some categories may not be your favorite! Luckily, Netflix knew that and has the shows categorized. If you’re looking to blow off steam, have a new inside joke with your friends, or just want to appreciate the art: watch and listen to the people who pay attention to everything and get laughing.
Thank you comedians, we love you!
Original Artwork by Krysta Bass
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