The Human Comedy

It challenges entertainers and audiences to question what they notice about the world around them, notice how human behavior can be ironic or interesting, and think about what happens in everyday life that can be shocking or strange. Comedy is brilliant, but it cannot erase “the ever-present power differential afforded Whites by the culture and institutions that make up the system of advantage and continue to reinforce notions…

The Visit is primarily a work of social and personal criticism, and thus Dürrenmatt employs both elements of comedy and tragedy within his play in order to highlight the human flaws of greed and vengeance as they interfere with justice and freedom. The literary devices that he employs serve both as a vehicle for tragedy as well as comedy-- Dürrenmatt has masterfully interwoven these two opposites so that they two play off of each other in a way that skillfully guides the audience to their own…

As I Lay Dying can be considered an incongruous comedy, with irony playing the key role in creating the humor present in the piece. Though the catalyst for the story is the death of a main character, and though the title in itself suggests a morbid theme, there are moments that allow for the reader to laugh throughout the entire novel. The grotesqueness of the central idea and the way in which the Bundren family pursues Addie’s last wish is laughable, at times. In a critical essay, “Schroeder…

For thousands of years, humans have put on a slew of theatrical performances. From the tragedies and festivals of ancient Greece to the neoclassical dramas of France, there is a multitude of productions and genres available from cultures across the world. Plays and musicals are still popular to this day, and the Richard Rodgers Theatre and the Globe Theatre in England being very popular with locals and tourists alike. There are even thousands of programs in schools across the country dedicated…

Allah Made Me Funny is a comedy troupe that focused on breaking down stereotypes, without having to break down others in the process. Instead of focusing on other cultures, the comedians focus on themselves: namely, their struggles and the distorted perceptions that they must contend with as Muslim in post-9/11 America. Rather seeming to complain, they show that the perceptions that they have to deal with are themselves unreasonable and, frankly, absurd. This means allows Americans both to come…

disarming a bomb” (Harris). Jeff Ross said the stories of individual soldiers are what really put one’s life into perspective, these people are engineers, paratroopers, interrogators, accountants, but they are also human beings and laughter is one of the simplest ways to make that human connection (Harris). “Even though he barely knows them, Ross can easily be touched by the stories of servicemen and women (Harris). “Ross released a documentary DVD in 2005 detailing his trips with the USO called…

with his toy soldiers in the attic of his family’s home; he did not know then that one day he would become an American icon. He grew up to become one of the greatest celebrities of our time. In the 1970s, he was credited with leading San Francisco’s comedy renaissance, and became an award-winning comedian, actor, and humanitarian. He was known for his improvisational skills, keeping a vast array of quips and jokes in reserve, which he could retrieve on demand. When he effortlessly used his…

mankind, human beings have expressed humor in the form of laughter; a sense of humor as we perceive it today is a relatively recent construct of modern day social scientists and psychologists (Holland, 1982).However, our sense of humor, as well as our conception of the same is not static but changes with the changing consciousness of the society. As societies become more complex, our understanding of the concept of or sense of humor similarly becomes more complex. In recent times, comedy has…

Peter Griffin: The Not So Typical Family Guy Pedophilia, mental disabilities, and terrorism are not usually the first thoughts that come to mind when a person contemplate comedy. Despite this fact, they are all subjects I have witnessed the well-known television show Family Guy poke fun at. This show represents a father, Peter Griffin, and his family and all of the ridiculous circumstances they put themselves in. While the majority of people do not find these subjects funny, they still find the…

People in today’s society have adopted humor and comedies into their everyday lives, whether it’d be from shows such as Saturday Night Live or from a cartoon column in the newspaper. The success of these humorous selections comes from the entertainment value as well as the sheer value of laughter. Through these positive, light-hearted responses, viewers of humorous programs associate the authors of these comedies with harmless, beneficial motivations. Stephen Colbert relayed his thoughts during…