literary/ film analysis of humor and comedy

[lewelma]

My younger boy is particularly interested in studying humor and comedy in both novels and film.  We have started looking into different types humor - physical, satire, farce, screwball, etc. And we have tried to analyze Gilligan's Island from the point of view of why it is funny, and what each character adds to the humor. I've just given him a Terry Pratchett novel, but I'm at a bit of a loss as I don't really find it funny, and there is no Sparkesnotes I can fall back on.  I feel like we are just wandering in the dark.  

Can you guys recommend a easy book on humor theory to get us up to speed?  Or a book that analyses of a bunch of movies or novels.  I would even take some good websites especially if they actually analyzed novels or film specifically.  We would love a lecture series!

Thanks!
Ruth in NZ 

[Lori D.]

Wow, that's a tough one -- although, I may be missing some obvious resources, I can't seem to come up with any lecture series or books specifically on film and/or literature comedy genres. Most of the books and websites about films that I can think of are more review-oriented than analysis... Hope someone else will have something for you!

Film
Film Site: "Comedy Films" = free longish article on types of film comedy and history of comedy films
Every Frame a Painting: "Buster Keaton: Art of the Gag" = free 8:30 video explaining the visual comedy genius of silent film star Buster Keaton (an aside: every one of the video essays on the website is terrific)

Literature
Tutor Vista website: "What is Comedy" = free article on types of comedy and list of comedy characteristics
Study.com: Comedy genre definition and characteristics = video & article on comedy genre; pay website, but you can register and  try for free for 30 days

ETA:
- The Learning Network: Using the NY Times to Teach: Comedy Across The Curriculum -- some good overview discussion questions about comedy/humor and then links to teaching ideas or specific lesson plans
- "Elephants and Light Humor Fantasy: Humor in Terry Pratchett's Discworld books" analysis article -- scroll past the first paragraph which is in French to the full article lower down that is in English

Edited November 26, 2018 by Lori D.

[lewelma]

Thanks so much, Lori.  I'll start reading what you have found.  The more I read, the more I can guide our conversations.

I have also found some university textbooks on amazon about comedy, but I was hoping for something easier -- like a Comedy for Dummies.  My parents are coming here next week, so I have a couple days left to order something if I want to get it in their suitcase. 🙂

[lewelma]

Here is an example of something that would be great for high end study.  But we are just babes in the woods.....

1) Reader in Comedy: an Anthology of Theory and Criticism by Romanska

“Editors Magda Romanska and Alan Ackerman open their book by admitting the difficulty of their tasks: to historicize a genre so diverse in form and style and to define a genre (and its many subgenres) that itself resists definition. Rising to the challenge, the editors of Reader in Comedy: An Anthology of Theory and Criticism have created a temporally expansive analysis of western comic theory. Romanska and Ackerman’s collection of theoretical texts tells a story of how comedy and comic theory reflect and influence theatrical and performance conventions, social structures, technology, philosophy, and civic life. It is a substantial anthology that interweaves performance studies, drama, literature, and critical theory. Romanska and Ackerman have curated a collection that charts continuity in comic theory without diluting historical specificities. Each introduction to the chapters succinctly contextualizes the comic theory of its time and also links the annotated texts to previous chapters. Consequently, I would recommend this text for a survey course on comedy and comic theory in the United States and Europe, or to any scholar seeking a broad overview of writings on comedy.” – Modern Drama
 

2) The Legacy fo the Wisecrack: Stand-up Comedy as the Great American Literary Form

This one is too specific as it is about the stand-up comedian which we are actually not studying, although it looks good!

 

 

Edited November 26, 2018 by lewelma

[JoJosMom]

Perhaps you could contact a theater or clown school and ask whether they might have recommendations?

[LLucy]

Of course The Great Courses has a series of 24 lectures The Philosophy of Humor, which I think you can preview on their website.  I have not used these so cannot say if they would appeal.  My husband took a course about humor in fiction when he was at Rensselaer, and one of the books used was Comedy: Plays, Theory, and Criticism by Felheim, 1962, which is still available on Amazon, but I'm not seeing any reviews. You are right -- I think the pickings are slim, and I'm not sure why.  This would really have appealed to my oldest DS.

HTH, LLucy

[lewelma]

Oh goodness, I didn't know about that lecture series. The philosophy of Humor is not the same as studying comic elements of film/lit but it would still add a wonderful dimension to this very big project. Thanks!

[mathnerd]

Your post got me curious and I went searching. I found a lot of resources linked at the bottom of this paper in the "References" section which may be of interest to you:

Humor Mechanisms in Film Comedy: Incongruity and Superiority https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/67a4/7519fbb0d26acb4680686e841c75e3c0d8d0.pdf