Hey Max! Re: Humor

[Miss Modular]

Tonight I was watching The Kentucky Fried Movie. I thought the movie had its funny moments, particularly the Henry Gibson Death PSA, and parts of "A Fistful of Yen". The parts that I enjoyed the least were the cruder parts--namely, the "Catholic School Girls in Trouble" sketch. It just seemed like an excuse to show a lot of boobs.

I brought me back to the time I saw Animal House, since both films were made by the same director. I always kept hearing about how hysterical the movie was, but when I saw it, I found myself disappointed by my indifference to the movie.

Do you think crude humor ages well? Or is it timeless, and I'm just getting older? Or would I have to have born at a certain time to enjoy it in the first place?

[mburbank]

I'm a big fan of crude humor, but only if it's done well, and the cruder it is, the harder that is.

The problem I think, is that for a lot of folks, humor is largely about recognition, and people know you laugh when someone farts or curses. Comedians in training rely heavily on cheap laughs, and it's no suprise. It can be awful out there and knowing you can get a laugh by saying "I MEAN, WHAT THE FUCK, HUH?" is a huge relief.

The other thing to take into account is historical context. A lot of the things you're thinking of in Animal house and KFM had never been done before, and now they're almost a requirement. You can't see a comedy movie that doesn't ave fart jokes in it. It's not allowed, it's totally the law. It's the exact opposite of breaking a taboo, which is what made it funny the first time. On the other hand, I can think of a South park where they made a fart joke over and over and over, and to me that was funny because by running it into the ground they're illustrating how required it is. Terrence and Philip is funny to me because someone who doesn't like South park wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I guess what it bils down to, for me, is intention and skill. What did they mean to do with the crude joke, and how well did they execute it.

[Mockery]

This is a very serious thread about humor.

[sspadowsky]

Well, wasn't the 70's sort of the [whatever]-ploitation decade? Wasn't the whole point of the Catholic High.... (as well as Cleopatra Schwartz) bit to mock that genre?

Of course, I must admit, I was 12 when I first saw this, so all I cared about was the tits. Now, I appreciate it for its high artistic value.

And the tits.



EDIT: P.S.- Mod, how could you forget the Zinc Oxide and You educational film?

[AChimp]

I thought Catholic School Girls in Trouble was the best part.

[mburbank]

Honestly, it's been so long since I saw KFM I recall almost nothing beyond Cleopatra.

Mock, I heard Stphen Colbert on Fresh Air being interviewed, and he was saying how serious analysis of comedy kills it, and how he was vaguely uncomfortabl;e talking comedy construction and theory.

I totally get what he was saying and even think he was right, but like a true dork levelk enthusiast, I really like thinking about how comedy works and could talk about it ad nauseum. Not who's funny, and what my favorite bits are, yunerstan, 'cause that's gay as we all realized en mass about three years after we memorized every fucking ine of Monty Python and suddenly wanted to kill anyone who ever quoted any of it including ourselves; but how it works. Oops. I have to stop now, I just accidentally had a huge, wet, stinking bowell movement in my pants, as a result of an ongoing degenerative disease of the lower intestines which will undoubtedly kill me, but not before forcing me to suffer a level of degredation and pain that even now, in it's early stages, I can hardly imagine.

[Spectre X]

The Zinc Oxide and You part almost kills me with laughter every single time I see it.

[kellychaos]

So why IS crude funny. I'm not above it as I laugh at it also, but why? ... common human experience? How did it become inappropriate?

[Jeanette X]

I think crude is funny when its unexpected. If you talk seriously to an audience, bring up something asinine in the news, and then say "WHAT THE FUCK?!" all while remaining perfectly serious beforehand, it can be hilarious, when timed correctly.

I know that was a run-on sentence. Forgive me. :/

[Miss Modular]

Originally Posted by sspadowsky

P.S.- Mod, how could you forget the Zinc Oxide and You educational film?

Damn! That was the other one!

Personally, I don't mind crude humor when it's handled well (i.e. The Farrelly Brothers, Hurwitz & Schlossberg), like Max. But I remember watching Scary Movie, and seeing the "baby dick" gag, and thinking, "Man, this isn't funny." Also, when Christopher Guest and SCTV resort to that sort of gag, I don't mind it, either. Mainly because when they do it, it seems honest.

I watched a special on Bill Hicks not too long ago, and he had a good explanation for using bodily functions in his routines. He explained that he used them because the Greeks used bodily humor to help the audience shed their inhibitions.

[McClain]

I concur. I have an entire stand up routine based solely on the ass region and it's functions. People eat it up. But it has to be done in relative taste.