003 Knowing your comedy COMEDY (コメディ)

                                                   " HA!HA! HA! "

     Everyone on this planet enjoys having a good laugh and there's not a single soul who doesn't crack up at the whim of a joke. This week's special highlight in CT studies is none other than getting to know your COMEDY...

    Everytime we watch a comedy show, we end up laughing until tears  fill up our eyes, but have we ever taken the time to ask ourselves, "What exactly is it about the show that's making me laugh? Is it the way the comedy is portrayed? Is it because the one putting on the show has a funny appearance? Or is it the idea of the comedy?”
Just to jock your memory, remember CHARLIE CHAPLIN? Well, he's quite the comedian back in his days you know...

       Well, that’s what we’re gonna find out in this new entry!! First stop, let us get aboard the train to COMEDY CENTRAL...

CHOO! CHOO!

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Whenever I watch comedy shows, I've never known what comedic genres they belonged to and if you’re the same as I, then our lives will be changed forever. =D

 Some of the more famous comedic genres are like:

Blue  Comedy a.k.a. comedy based on sexism, racism & homophobic jokes. I agree that blue comedy can be very entertaining in the sense that it appeals to our negative side and of course, we would laugh at jokes that literally insults the opposite gender/homos and races. One of the most famous blue comedy actor is none other than the man voicing this animal...

Eddie Murphy's famous filmography included THE NUTTY PROFESSOR & DR.DOLITTLE. Here’s a sample of what blue comedy sounds like! =D 

The disadvantage of blue comedy is the fact that it doesn’t bode well with viewers who have experienced the same insults as the show. In other words, it can hurt a person’s feelings or maybe bring back unwanted memories. There are some other blue comedy actors who I’m not familiar myself such as : Jim Davidson, Frankie Boyle & George Lopez.  

NEXT STOP...

Stand Up Comedy a.k.a as comedic style where the comedian performs live in front of his audience. North American stand up comedy are based on popular stereotypes. Of course, the famous king of stand up comedy is none other than Russell Peters

Russell Peters 

Shane & David

..besides him, there are also some like the Australian duos, ‘The Umbilical Brothers’ (Shane & David Collins) & Kumar Drag Queen.

Kumar Drag Queen

Stand Up Comedy can deliver great pressure towards the comedian because the audience expects them to provide a continuous flow of non-stop entertainment that would send them laughing until their stomach muscles hurt. Aren’t you like that as well? Well, here are some of the links to check these awesome comedians! 

Click here for Russell Peters Clip :

Click here for The Umbilical Brothers Clip : 

Click Here For KUMAR DRAG QUEEN video : 

Stand up comedies are interesting but sometimes the sensitive issues they raise may just cause certain viewers to take them in a different/bad light, especially those who are easily offended by the lewd jokes. Although I’m certain that the comedians themselves are aware of this because everything comes with a risk right?

 NEXT STOP...

CharacterComedy a.k.a  stereotype comedy. From what I understand, its humour is derived from a specific persona created by the performer, in other words  their characteristics are non-existent in reality. Character comedy has made many actors famous , for example:

The very famous, there is the one and only MR.BEAN @ Rowan Atkinson, whom I have admired & love since childhood. I can honestly vouch that he makes my day with his hilarious comedic actions everytime I watch his shows, either the movie or the cartoon series whenever I get back from classes during my primary days. In fact, I have an entire collection of Mr.Bean at home! =) Of course we also know he’s the rather clumsy agent English in Johnny English. A rather influential man he is, although comparing to Carrey, he may not be loved by the entire world. Unfortunately, my own grandmother is an anti-Bean...It's too bad he's getting a bit too old to film more 'Bean films' for I would love to watch more after 'Mr.Bean's Holiday'. But, his shows are suitable for family viewing =D

Click here for a preview : 

NEXT STOP...

Physical Comedy a.k.a Slapstick Comedy/Clowning. This genre incorporates silly facial expressions/actions ex: falling on the butt or walking into walls that mimics that of a clown & also word puns. Sitcoms would use this as a comic relief for intimate scenes. I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘THE THREE STOOGES’ & ‘THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW’? Well, these are examples of slapstick comedy series. Actors who are famous for slapstick comedy are those like...this dude here...

JIM CARREY

After landing a comeback role in the sketch comedy “In Living Color”, Jim Carrey caught the eye of the public. Later he participated in bigger movies like “Ace ventura : Pet detective” & “The Grinch”, which happens to be my all time fave! His facial contortions & peculiar attitude really allows you to have a good laugh! He has also starred in movies ‘The Mask’ & ‘Dumb & Dumber’. Although he’s a great actor, there are a handful of people I know who aren’t his fans...like my sister =D But honestly, if someone who just met acts like Carrey...woudn't you be FREAKED OUT as well as some point? For example...him sticking his tongue out regularly when he talks?? 

Click the video below for a preview of Living In Color:

20th Mid-Century (ORIGINAL SERIES)

THE THREE STOOGES is also a highly entertaining slapstick comedy series that is apparently very much loved by our lecturer, Mr.Charles and so I'm putting that on my must watch list! (I've always had a love for black & white flicks, doesn't matter the content) Besides the original series, there is  also the 2012 movie adaptation!! If you are unsure which is better, here's a way to compare...check out these clips...( for the 2012 adaption, below for the original black & white series)

LAST STOP...

Sitcom a.k.a as a situation comedy television program that we all love and mostly its recorded in front of a studio audience, that’s when you always hear laughter in the background...In my opinion, sitcoms are dominating the airwaves lately and most of them are very addictive. In fact, Sitcoms are the ones I watch most! Besides, comparing to other types of comedy, sitcoms have an on-going storyline that focuses on love, family, work & relationships. Here’s a list of my favourite sitcoms dating back to:

1960s : I DREAM OF JEANNIE (*****) , THE ADDAMS FAMILY (****), THE JETSONS (animated) (*****)

1980s : THE SIMPSONS (animated)

1990s : THE NANNY (*****)

2000s: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (*****), THE BIG BANG THEORY

Although sitcoms are funny at moments, but it can get a big draggy and in the end bore me out...so I always take a rest from a sitcom I'm watching and later, who knows when I'll continue with the rest of the season...However, I do recommend THE NANNY (Season 1-3 is more interesting as the chemistry between Fran & Maxwell is much more hotter and the humour is a 100 times better than the later seasons). 

THE NANNY (SEASON 1)

I DREAM OF JEANNIE (SEASON 2-)

Do watch I DREAM OF JEANNIE for a good laugh and also the chemistry between Jeannie & Master is subtle but entertaining none the less. The first season is in black & white but the later ones are finally developed in color. Although the series can get dull after awhile, because the plots are almost similar where Jeannie causes trouble for her master but, it's a good show for passing the time, especially during late nights. 

So far, I've only been showing you WESTERN COMEDY CULTURE, so let's get off the train and get onto the Chinese Tricycle for we're going to ASIA CENTRAL....

Some of the Chinese Comedy are such as:

OLD MASTER Q (老夫子)
These comic characters have been growing up with most of us as kids and we're all familiar with 'Lao Fu Zi' himself and 'Big Potato', 'Miss Chin', 'Mr. Chiu' & 'Miss Chan'. The setting is in the the past time period in China. Although I've never personally read it because I can't read Mandarin but, from what I've heard from my mom, it's a funny comic. And no doubt some of us have watched the Hong Kong adaptation of it 'Old Master Q' , starring Cecelia Chun & Nicholas Sze. I would love to give my opinion about this comic but apart from its humour, I can't say much as I've never read it. 

Click here for Mr.Q video : 

Next, I would say that Jackie Chan is also quite the comedian in his own way by using his action stunts. He's also become famous in Hollywood for his stunts and some of his famous filmography includes : Police Story (1985), Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights (2003), Rush Hour 2 (2001), & The Medallion (2003). Although his stunts & comedic expressions are what makes him famous, it's safe to say that his acting isn't A-class. In fact, his face is rather stoic & he sounds monotonous. 

Click Here For Jackie Chan video : (The Fearless Hyena)

Here's One More Video In Tribute of the Man! : (Rush Hour)

Apparently, there’s plenty more comedy where that come from, either western or Asian culture. However, that’s all from me for now! I hope this summarized post of the comedy around you has helped you to realize the many different types of comedy, and like me, perhaps we have learnt how to identify them too! Also, maybe you’ve realized that comedies’ presented to you have their GOOD & BAD sides. I hoped that you have enjoyed all those videos as well, because  I had fun trying to find the perfect video for your entertainment, but maybe some were not up to your expectations because we all have different preferences...

So TA-TA for now! I have to prepare for MY own comedy show that I have to present this Friday. Wish me luck! & also, look forward to the next post about 2-D design!! =D Thanks for keeping up with me! 
*Disclaimer : All videos belong to YouTube.com & all images were from Google Image. I do not own any of them. 

So, Here's My Version of CHARACTER COMEDY : SAMPAT GOES SHOPPING! ENJOY!