What is the kind of humour you would be paying for? Here they are asking for suggestions: http://hbr.org/web/slideshows/cartoon/1212/4-slide
2012/11/27 Allan H <[email protected]> > I agree what little comedy I have heard I actually find quite boring > so I never watch it and sure as heck would not pay to see it, > Allan > > On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 1:30 PM, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > I don't laugh much at popular comedy. It doesn't seem to get past > childish > > bathroom humor. But find humor invaluable to life and relationship. Even > > deconstructive humor brings us to the place where we find what is of real > > value. But it isn't cruel. Getting past the barbed humor, or what is > being > > passed as humor but is really meant to insult or injure is simply > passing up > > baloney for filet mignon. Monty Python never fails to amuse, as it shows > the > > timeless human condition in a humorous light. > > > > > > On Monday, November 26, 2012 9:45:36 PM UTC-5, archytas wrote: > >> > >> Not seen Chris or Charles Don. Hicks, a few derivative references > >> apart, could have been a Brit. Our cultures are probably less far > >> apart than such matters as the absence of footpaths in the States. > >> Our serious comedy is mostly political satire from Yes Minister to The > >> Thick of It. What I was wondering was whether any one else feels more > >> general film and literature has gone Tragic and plots and characters > >> less and less comedic in the old Greek sense. Our old sitcoms like > >> Dads' Army, Steptoe and Son and plenty of others had a great element > >> of 'daft people like me and you caught in a plight and muddling > >> through'. Bilko and Top Cat had this too. A fairly recent French > >> fil,m Mario et Jeanette had this. > >> > >> On 27 Nov, 00:40, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > On Sat, Nov 24, 2012 at 6:15 PM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > > At other levels I think we should be ridiculing such matters as the > >> > > absence of disabled people in politically correct newsrooms and > such. > >> > > >> > What about Chris Mathews? budda bump bump > >> > > >> > Charles Krauthammer, in contrast, is a paraplegic but ok from the neck > >> > up. > >> > Most people don't even know about his disability because it's not > >> > relavent. > >> > We like his commentary. > >> > > >> > dj > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > On Saturday, November 24, 2012 6:15:40 PM UTC-6, archytas wrote: > >> > > >> > > The Brits do more nob gags and used to pack theatres to see a guy > play > >> > > the trombone with ass-gas- needless to say a Frenchman. Audience > >> > > milking is central to some humour - this tends to put me off, but > some > >> > > are so good at it I don't notice until afterwards. US comedy films > >> > > are usually dross, but your stand-ups usually great. My recent > >> > > favourite is 'The Pope's Toilet' from Uruguay. The hero rides a > bike > >> > > everywhere and his wife describes him as lacking pump for a bicycle > >> > > man. Why do the French smell? So even the blind can hate them. > Why > >> > > would you find an Irishman in the Alps? Where else would you find a > >> > > downhill lake. Irish jokes are Belgian, Polish and Swedish etc. > >> > > >> > > At other levels I think we should be ridiculing such matters as the > >> > > absence of disabled people in politically correct newsrooms and > such. > >> > > >> > > On 24 Nov, 21:46, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > > > Over here, social workers have taken kids off foster parents > because > >> > > > of their membership of UKIP - a party that shares the desire of > 65% > >> > > > of > >> > > > the population to leave the EU and restrict immigration. You have > >> > > > to > >> > > > laugh - or cry! > >> > > >> > > > On 24 Nov, 21:38, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > > >> > > > > Morecambe and Wise with Mum and Dad at Xmas perhaps. Laurel and > >> > > > > Hardy. Many other popular comedians are more likely to make me > >> > > > > weep. > >> > > > > I never liked Chaplin (actually thinking Hitler more of a > comedian > >> > > > > than 'The Dictator') and we had Cannon and Ball here who hit a > >> > > > > nerve I > >> > > > > don't like. I can laugh with some of the ostensibly more > >> > > > > vicious > >> > > > > types like Bill Hicks and Frankie Boyle. Police and army > culture > >> > > > > reveres tough, sadistic humour with self-depreciation thrown in. > >> > > >> > > > > I'm against speech crime but it's also clear not everything > goes. > >> > > > > I > >> > > > > don't agree with the Greek split - it's from Stanford EP - > >> > > > > suspecting > >> > > > > humour is closely linked with breakthrough thinking (though not > >> > > > > the > >> > > > > same) and unseating the biological trance of hierarchy (The Name > >> > > > > of > >> > > > > the Rose). > >> > > >> > > > > The SEP article concludes: > >> > > >> > > > > Along with the idealism of tragedy goes elitism. The people who > >> > > > > matter > >> > > > > in tragedy are kings, queens, and generals. In comedy there are > >> > > > > more > >> > > > > characters and more kinds of characters, women are more > prominent, > >> > > > > and > >> > > > > many protagonists come from lower classes. Everybody counts for > >> > > > > one. > >> > > > > That shows in the language of comedy, which, unlike the elevated > >> > > > > language of tragedy, is common speech. The basic unit in tragedy > >> > > > > is > >> > > > > the individual, in comedy it is the family, group of friends, or > >> > > > > bunch > >> > > > > of co-workers. > >> > > >> > > > > While tragic heroes are emotionally engaged with their problems, > >> > > > > comic > >> > > > > protagonists show emotional disengagement. They think, rather > than > >> > > > > feel, their way through difficulties. By presenting such > >> > > > > characters as > >> > > > > role models, comedy has implicitly valorized the benefits of > humor > >> > > > > that are now being empirically verified, such as that it is > >> > > > > psychologically and physically healthy, it fosters mental > >> > > > > flexibility, > >> > > > > and it serves as a social lubricant. With a few exceptions like > >> > > > > Aquinas, philosophers have ignored these benefits. > >> > > >> > > > > If philosophers wanted to undo the traditional prejudices > against > >> > > > > humor, they might consider the affinities between one > contemporary > >> > > > > genre of comedy—standup comedy—and philosophy itself. There are > at > >> > > > > least seven. First, standup comedy and philosophy are > >> > > > > conversational: > >> > > > > like the dialogue format that started with Plato, standup > routines > >> > > > > are > >> > > > > interactive. Second, both reflect on familiar experiences, > >> > > > > especially > >> > > > > puzzling ones. We wake from a vivid dream, for example, not sure > >> > > > > what > >> > > > > has happened and what is happening. Third, like philosophers, > >> > > > > standup > >> > > > > comics often approach puzzling experiences with questions. “If I > >> > > > > thought that dream was real, how do I know that I'm not dreaming > >> > > > > right > >> > > > > now?” The most basic starting point in both philosophy and > standup > >> > > > > comedy is “X—what's up with that?” Fourth, as they think about > >> > > > > familiar experiences, both philosophers and comics step back > >> > > > > emotionally from them. Henri Bergson (1911 [1900]) spoke of the > >> > > > > “momentary anaesthesia of the heart” in laughter. Emotional > >> > > > > disengagement long ago became a meaning of > >> > > > > “philosophical”—“rational, > >> > > > > sensibly composed, calm, as in a difficult situation.” Fifth, > >> > > > > philosophers and standup comics think critically. They ask > whether > >> > > > > familiar ideas make sense, and they refuse to defer to authority > >> > > > > and > >> > > > > tradition. It was for his critical thinking that Socrates was > >> > > > > executed. So were cabaret comics in Germany who mocked the Third > >> > > > > Reich. Sixth, in thinking critically, philosophers and standup > >> > > > > comics > >> > > > > pay careful attention to language. Attacking sloppy and > illogical > >> > > > > uses > >> > > > > of words is standard in both, and so is finding exactly the > right > >> > > > > words to express an idea. Seventh, the pleasure of standup > comedy > >> > > > > is > >> > > > > often like the pleasure of doing philosophy. In both we relish > new > >> > > > > ways of looking at things and delight in surprising thoughts. > >> > > > > William > >> > > > > James (1979 [1911], 11) said that philosophy “sees the familiar > as > >> > > > > if > >> > > > > it were strange, and the strange as if it were familiar.” The > same > >> > > > > is > >> > > > > true of standup comedy. Simon Critchley has written that both > ask > >> > > > > us > >> > > > > to “look at things as if you had just landed from another > >> > > > > planet” (2002, 1). > >> > > >> > > > > One recent philosopher attuned to the affinity between comedy > and > >> > > > > philosophy was Bertrand Russell. “The point of philosophy,” he > >> > > > > said, > >> > > > > “is to start with something so simple as not to seem worth > >> > > > > stating, > >> > > > > and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will > believe > >> > > > > it” (1918, 53). In the middle of an argument, he once observed, > >> > > > > “This > >> > > > > seems plainly absurd: but whoever wishes to become a philosopher > >> > > > > must > >> > > > > learn not to be frightened by absurdities” (2008 [1912], 17). > >> > > >> > > > > I laughed a lot more reading Lyotard's 'Libidinal Economy' - > >> > > > > rather as > >> > > > > I might chuckle along with a Tom Sharpe farce. I'm not sure > what > >> > > > > makes me laugh until it does. The ideologies through which > people > >> > > > > live lives often does, but this is without joy. > >> > > >> > > > > On 24 Nov, 19:40, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > > >> > > > > > I have seen it used recently as an ineffective cover for a > badly > >> > > > > > positioned provocative argument. "I was only kidding, she > >> > > > > > doesn't > >> > > > > > understand my humor..." not hard to see through and not > >> > > > > > inspiring > >> > > > > > confidence. The dance of the fool. > >> > > >> > > > > > Kind humor, irony, absurd, surprise are more my style than > >> > > > > > sarcasm > >> > > or > >> > > > > > more aggressive humor that derides or shames. > >> > > >> > > > > > There is no denying the biochemical rush that comes with > >> > > > > > laughing > >> > > > > > oneself to tears, and the joy that comes with sharing such a > >> > > > > > moment. > >> > > >> > > > > > On Nov 24, 1:51 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > > >> > > > > > > While there is only speculation about how humor developed in > >> > > > > > > early > >> > > > > > > humans, we know that by the 6th century BCE the Greeks had > >> > > > > > > institutionalized it in the ritual known as comedy, and that > >> > > > > > > it > >> > > was > >> > > > > > > performed with a contrasting dramatic form known as tragedy. > >> > > > > > > Both > >> > > were > >> > > > > > > based on the violation of mental patterns and expectations, > >> > > > > > > and in > >> > > > > > > both the world is a tangle of conflicting systems where > humans > >> > > live in > >> > > > > > > the shadow of failure, folly, and death. Like tragedy, > comedy > >> > > > > > > represents life as full of tension, danger, and struggle, > with > >> > > success > >> > > > > > > or failure often depending on chance factors. Where they > >> > > > > > > differ is > >> > > in > >> > > > > > > the responses of the lead characters to life's > incongruities. > >> > > > > > > Identifying with these characters, audiences at comedies and > >> > > tragedies > >> > > > > > > have contrasting responses to events in the dramas. And > >> > > > > > > because > >> > > these > >> > > > > > > responses carry over to similar situations in life, comedy > and > >> > > tragedy > >> > > > > > > embody contrasting responses to the incongruities in life. > >> > > >> > > > > > > Tragedy valorizes serious, emotional engagement with life's > >> > > problems, > >> > > > > > > even struggle to the death. Along with epic, it is part of > the > >> > > Western > >> > > > > > > heroic tradition that extols ideals, the willingness to > fight > >> > > > > > > for > >> > > > > > > them, and honor. The tragic ethos is linked to patriarchy > and > >> > > > > > > militarism—many of its heroes are kings and conquerors—and > it > >> > > > > > > valorizes what Conrad Hyers (1996) calls Warrior > Virtues—blind > >> > > > > > > obedience, the willingness to kill or die on command, > >> > > unquestioning > >> > > > > > > loyalty, single-mindedness, resoluteness of purpose, and > >> > > > > > > pride. > >> > > >> > > > > > > Comedy, by contrast, embodies an anti-heroic, pragmatic > >> > > > > > > attitude > >> > > > > > > toward life's incongruities. From Aristophanes' Lysistrata > to > >> > > Charlie > >> > > > > > > Chaplin's The Great Dictator to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit > >> > > > > > > 9/11, > >> > > > > > > comedy has mocked the irrationality of militarism and blind > >> > > respect > >> > > > > > > for authority. Its own methods of handling > >> > > >> > ... > >> > > >> > read more » > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > -- > ( > ) > |_D Allan > > Life is for moral, ethical and truthful living. > > > I am a Natural Airgunner - > > Full of Hot Air & Ready To Expel It Quickly. > > -- > > > > --
