Relaxing the Rules of Reason by Robin Hemley makes excellent points about how humour is a matter of perspective, which I will discuss in my first paper.
The questions that I will be answering are:
1. What is the purpose of the argument? What does it hope to achieve?
2. What claims are advanced in the argument? What logic? What evidence? How is the evidence arranged and presented?
3. What shape does the argument take? How is the argument presented or arranged? What media does the argument use?
4. How does it try to make the writer or creator seem trustworthy?
The reason I picked these questions is because I hope their answers will provide a clearer understanding of how humour is a matter of perspective and that humour differs from person to person. My earlier blog summarized most of the points above which I will delve into further.
29 January 2009
27 January 2009
Writing Response 2
Relaxing the Rules of Reason by Robin Hemley in the Laughing Matters book points out many different things regarding humour; a sense of humour is determined by things such as age, socioeconomic background and culture; writing humour is a matter of perspective; and, also, don’t be afraid to write something stupid.
One of the main points I’d like to focus on is not to be afraid to write something stupid. There are always things that some people think are funny and some don’t. No two people have the exact same sense of humour, and trying to appease everyone with your specific brand of humour will never work.
Some people prefer cynical jokes while others might prefer a lighter brand of comedy. There are so many different variables to factor in when considering a sense of humour – everyone has their own likes, dislikes, opinions about certain topics that make them more susceptible to laughter or opinions that will have a joke go flat, or even be construed as rude.
If you’re writing something and the reception your joke gets is less than desired, you can always go back and edit; writing something uninhibited is the main goal, even if you think your writing might be thought of as dumb. Some may think it’s the best joke they’ve ever heard while others may think it’s dumber than a pet rock. It’s all a matter of perspective.
The video below is of the comedian Ralphie May - some may think he’s incredibly offensive with his tearing down of the blank-American label, while others may think his joke has merit and they laugh.
Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9mytOPDeeE
One of the main points I’d like to focus on is not to be afraid to write something stupid. There are always things that some people think are funny and some don’t. No two people have the exact same sense of humour, and trying to appease everyone with your specific brand of humour will never work.
Some people prefer cynical jokes while others might prefer a lighter brand of comedy. There are so many different variables to factor in when considering a sense of humour – everyone has their own likes, dislikes, opinions about certain topics that make them more susceptible to laughter or opinions that will have a joke go flat, or even be construed as rude.
If you’re writing something and the reception your joke gets is less than desired, you can always go back and edit; writing something uninhibited is the main goal, even if you think your writing might be thought of as dumb. Some may think it’s the best joke they’ve ever heard while others may think it’s dumber than a pet rock. It’s all a matter of perspective.
The video below is of the comedian Ralphie May - some may think he’s incredibly offensive with his tearing down of the blank-American label, while others may think his joke has merit and they laugh.
Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9mytOPDeeE
26 January 2009
Writing Response 1
Chapter one of the Comedy Writing Secrets was a nice introductory explanation of what is going to be covered in the following chapters. Mostly the chapter talked about the importance of humour writing and stressing the point that anyone can write humour. A big rule to note is not to be inhibited when writing; you can always edit later. This chapter introduced the concept of MAP – Material, Audience and Performer, and further explained what each letter signified.
I liked this chapter because of its brevity and introduction to the workings of writing humourously. The quotes incorporated throughout provide a nice cut in the readings so the chapters don’t seem dull or heavy-handed. It was an easy read without being boring; it kept my attention.
The ‘What if?’ section seemed like a great tool to utilize when writing humourously – anything could be looked at in a different, and comical, light. Some of the examples that the chapter used were a great starting point and really helped me think differently about everyday objects.
The ‘Showtimes’ at the end of the chapter looked like they could be useful exercises to employ to become more familiar with writing comically, especially the exercise about explaining why you thought the jokes you picked were funny.
One of the questions that could generate class discussion is: Do you think it would be difficult to be fully uninhibited while writing and/or structuring your jokes?
I liked this chapter because of its brevity and introduction to the workings of writing humourously. The quotes incorporated throughout provide a nice cut in the readings so the chapters don’t seem dull or heavy-handed. It was an easy read without being boring; it kept my attention.
The ‘What if?’ section seemed like a great tool to utilize when writing humourously – anything could be looked at in a different, and comical, light. Some of the examples that the chapter used were a great starting point and really helped me think differently about everyday objects.
The ‘Showtimes’ at the end of the chapter looked like they could be useful exercises to employ to become more familiar with writing comically, especially the exercise about explaining why you thought the jokes you picked were funny.
One of the questions that could generate class discussion is: Do you think it would be difficult to be fully uninhibited while writing and/or structuring your jokes?
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