There are also "insecurities" when giving definitions! Satire is definitely within the genre of comedy. I was trying to stress the merry side of humor- funny, as ancient comedy derived from phallus rites (Dionysus) and related drunken revels. My first real term paper was on "Lysistrata" (Aristophanes) but I was only 17 so probably missed most of the gags to the relief of the nun! :-) Maybe it's life that is cruel at times- we're all in a "nice mess".
On Feb 3, 11:29 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Perhaps only in the way we all have insecurities rigsy - I find I want > to work as though there is some purpose but can broadly cope with the > parochialism of it all with something of a laugh at 'mice and men'. > Part of the trick is to do with recognising statements like 'the > freedom of the individual' are structured under wider practice like > secular democracy and playing the hand you get. > I spent some time years ago doing evaluation research (usually into > management development). It's generally useless stuff any scientist > would junk pretty quickly - whatever one focuses on soon loses its > meaning in wider society and tends to have been defined itself in our > habits and Idols. If education works at all it has to be defined in > terms of what we are, and general society and its junk are very > depressing. We have clearly not produced a widely rational Demos! > Humour is a bit of a way in to some of this, yet is also a means to > ignore it and reinforce xenophobia. > There should be insecurity in thinking - for many of the great social > ideas have been utterly flawed. The question is less to do with > incredulity towards the grand-narratives (the current worst obviously > being unbridled wealth creation) and more with recognising what we > have become and how this needs to change without promises of > salvation. I find this hard enough to bear to need a few 'larfs'! > > On Feb 3, 12:08 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Out of the foggy memory- yes, I think Aristotle's treatment of comedy > > was lost...might have burned in the fire at the Alexandrian library > > (?)- heaven only knows what was lost in that sad event- the cure for > > the common cold?//The Papacy set a bad example but doesn't democracy/ > > free enterprise do the same?// You don't seem insecure to me. > > > On Feb 2, 7:49 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > "Four Lions" is a brilliant piece mocking Islamic terrorism from all > > > sides. I rather like teasing humour and farce. I might almost be > > > your mocking friend - I'm insecure enough at times! Umbero Eco (Name > > > of the Rose) had the very existence of an Aristotle text on humour as > > > a threat to the Church. Our current religion is in need to mockery. > > > A system that encourages a vastly wealthy class hardly sounds like a > > > starting point for reasonable equality of opportunity! Etc. > > > > On Feb 2, 12:11 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Satire is meant to bite- so it's not truly comedy, i.e. scorn versus > > > > merriement. Yes- I heard ethnic, racial, sexist jokes growing up but > > > > they were not mean-spirited then political correctness pounced though > > > > now the style in political and social humor is mockery>distain/ > > > > contempt. I do like slapstick- another great was Sid Ceasar- also Mel > > > > Brooks maybe Jewish humor derives from their tragic history, in part. > > > > As for Kierkegaard, I might have smiled if I could wade through his > > > > style- maybe I was not fair with K. One friend still reminds me of > > > > doing the right thing and is grateful that when a mutual "friend" > > > > thought the behavior of the "ex" in a messy divorce was hysterically > > > > funny I said this is her life and it is not funny at all- there is a > > > > lot of cruelty found in the "nicest" places sometimes. Another ex- > > > > friend is a great mocker- takes on accents and puts on a little show > > > > to illustrate her superiority over others and I don't doubt I am > > > > another on her list. But these type are just cruel and insecure. > > > > > On Feb 1, 8:42 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > My child hood was littered with jokes. How do you keep an Irishman > > > > > busy all day - put him in a barrel and tell him to micturate in the > > > > > corner. The Germans bombed our chip shop and had no sense of humour. > > > > > In France, the Belgians are the butt or "Irish" jokes; elsewhere the > > > > > Poles. Jokes often rely on 'taking the Micky' - ridiculing someone > > > > > else. In Englishmen, Scotsmen and Irishmen jokes it was common for > > > > > the English and Scots to be the suckers to a sharp and cunning > > > > > Irishman. Even the holocaust has been subject to joking - often by > > > > > the victims. > > > > > > I have taught Kierkegaard as an example of dark, lengthy Danish humour > > > > > (and can point to books on same). There is an affinity in his work > > > > > with the Monty Python poverty joke in which each in turn recalls a > > > > > childhoods in greater poverty than the last. Eventually, just as one > > > > > thinks the guy claiming to have lived in a shoebox on the central > > > > > reservation of the M6 has 'won' the game another bloke says, > > > > > "Shoebox? You had a shoebox. Luxury!" Kierkegaard does this with > > > > > Christianity. > > > > > > My own humour is dark, but it's rare I mean anyone harm. I used to > > > > > think that satire offered some hope of change, but in recent years > > > > > have come to see it as merely part of the problems we have. It is of > > > > > the Establishment and feigns resistance. > > > > > > I think humour might be part of a way out of chronic illusion; but it > > > > > is often merely cruel and parochial.- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
