The Multiple Functionality of Comedy in Contemporary Society
What is the function of comedy in our everyday lives? Although comedy is undeniably about pleasure and a release of tension, many fail to acknowledge its numerous functions beyond entertainment. With the never-ending drama and action in our contemporary life, one of comedy’s intentions is to provide an escape from stress by putting the reality of life on the lighter side. This exploration will focus on the utilitarian aspect of comedy as an instrument for entertainment, a method of relatability, and a form of education with the aid of the following examples: Trevor Noah’s Tacos (a standup performance), Modern Family (a television sitcom), and Amy Schumer’s Sketch “The Gun Show” …show more content…
Modern Family is a clear example which recounts the day to day lives of three families: a gay couple with an adopted Vietnamese daughter, a “traditional” married couple with three children, and an older man married to an attractive young Columbian woman with an elder son. According to Jane Harkness, mockumentaries like Modern Family are successful in entertaining audiences with its relatability and reminiscence of one’s life. Instead of focusing on complex plots, it focuses on the social dynamics of a middle class family and their struggles and successes in everyday life (Harkness, 2014). To create relatability to the audience, the producer, Christopher Lloyd uses several comic techniques. First, he uses direct address in the form of asides or personal interviews with the characters within particular episodes by breaking the fourth wall to provide the feeling that the audience is in the same room with the characters. The format provokes laughter because it adds a layer of realism and intimacy to the situation. To illustrate it is flattering when Mitch confesses that “Cameron has it in his head that I don’t listen to him, but I do”, he glances at the camera and gives the audience the impression that he is talking to them directly as his confidants (4:14-4:22). Within this role, not only does comedy function to make the …show more content…
Whether it is used to simply entertain the audience like in Trevor Noah’s Tacos, to induce a feeling of relatability like in Modern Family or to educate oneself as illustrated in Amy Schumer’s Gun Control sketch, it evidently plays a pivotal role in contemporary society. Throughout the past decade, the function of comedy has increasingly become more complex and has evolved from the conventional entertainment function which simply focused on generating laughter to delving into much deeper issues such as addressing injustices, politics, pushing boundaries, and controversies. Thus today, not only can comedy help us to alleviate our pain by achieving a cathartic release of laughter, but due to its educational value, it also has the ability to illuminate the ways in which we view the world socially, economically, and
What is the function of comedy in our everyday lives? Although comedy is undeniably about pleasure and a release of tension, many fail to acknowledge its numerous functions beyond entertainment. With the never-ending drama and action in our contemporary life, one of comedy’s intentions is to provide an escape from stress by putting the reality of life on the lighter side. This exploration will focus on the utilitarian aspect of comedy as an instrument for entertainment, a method of relatability, and a form of education with the aid of the following examples: Trevor Noah’s Tacos (a standup performance), Modern Family (a television sitcom), and Amy Schumer’s Sketch “The Gun Show” …show more content…
Modern Family is a clear example which recounts the day to day lives of three families: a gay couple with an adopted Vietnamese daughter, a “traditional” married couple with three children, and an older man married to an attractive young Columbian woman with an elder son. According to Jane Harkness, mockumentaries like Modern Family are successful in entertaining audiences with its relatability and reminiscence of one’s life. Instead of focusing on complex plots, it focuses on the social dynamics of a middle class family and their struggles and successes in everyday life (Harkness, 2014). To create relatability to the audience, the producer, Christopher Lloyd uses several comic techniques. First, he uses direct address in the form of asides or personal interviews with the characters within particular episodes by breaking the fourth wall to provide the feeling that the audience is in the same room with the characters. The format provokes laughter because it adds a layer of realism and intimacy to the situation. To illustrate it is flattering when Mitch confesses that “Cameron has it in his head that I don’t listen to him, but I do”, he glances at the camera and gives the audience the impression that he is talking to them directly as his confidants (4:14-4:22). Within this role, not only does comedy function to make the …show more content…
Whether it is used to simply entertain the audience like in Trevor Noah’s Tacos, to induce a feeling of relatability like in Modern Family or to educate oneself as illustrated in Amy Schumer’s Gun Control sketch, it evidently plays a pivotal role in contemporary society. Throughout the past decade, the function of comedy has increasingly become more complex and has evolved from the conventional entertainment function which simply focused on generating laughter to delving into much deeper issues such as addressing injustices, politics, pushing boundaries, and controversies. Thus today, not only can comedy help us to alleviate our pain by achieving a cathartic release of laughter, but due to its educational value, it also has the ability to illuminate the ways in which we view the world socially, economically, and