When I saw previews of Funny People on TV, the advertising made me believe that it was going to be a comedy. This was the use of genre film. Most people expected it to be a comedy because of the previews, the title, the actors, and the history of Judd Apatow movies. However, after actually seeing the movie, I didn’t think it was a comedy so much. With George Simmons health issue and his personal life with his ex lover, him not being a good family man, and him falling off as a comedian, I thought it was more of a serious film with funny parts added to it.
It could be amusing to the audience as it highlights the absurdity of the situation. Also, in the same scene, Frank does not get Rita’s joke about him being named after the quality who is Frank Ness, Eliot’s brother who was the famous ‘Chicago copper’ who caught Al Capone. Frank thought Rita meant T.S Eliot. The audience may feel superior to Frank, as they may understand the joke so this would be amusing to them. Professor Dan Rebellato states that: “we laugh at something because we feel superior to it”.
When he talks about the original sin, he says that he used it as an excuse to sin, and that he would take great delight in it. This shows that he was not mentally strong enough at this point in his life to be able to take responsibility for his actions; instead he just blames God for them. He explains this by saying that the original sin of Eve makes people into the sinners that they are and how they naturally come by it. Later in his life, Augustine resorts to some
We are taught to understand themes like sight and blindness, and foolishness through the fool’s character. The Fool also helps to involve the audience more, as his speeches reflect a narration, which naturally give the audience more information about the nature of the plot. Before I researched this theme, I predicted that yes the fool does help King Lear to see clearly. The Fool is Lear's own stand-up comedian, but more interestingly, he's the only person that Lear allows to criticize him. The Fool is actually really smart and the only person who tells it like it is, showing that he puts Lear into line when needed.
"Modern comedy is cruel and cynical” Barry Cryer. To what extent do you agree that cruelty and cynicism are at the heart of the comedy in ‘Educating Rita’? Cruelty and cynicism play a vital role in creating comedy in ‘Educating Rita’. Both of the characters have aspects of their lives that the audience can laugh at, however for a majority, it can be perceived as cruel due to the fact that most of the circumstances we laugh at negatively impact the lives of the characters. Willy Russell uses superiority theory to engage the audience by creating comedy through the misfortune of others.
Seeing that Keawe did not have enough to buy the house, the old man suggested he buy the one thing that granted him the house; the bottle containing an imp. After discussing the consequences of possessing such a magical bottle, Keawe began to doubt the old man. Willing to test to the old man’s trust, Keawe was conned into buying the bottle by giving up his only monetary possessions and wishing it back. In this case, the bottle had a negative effect on their relationship. Keawe felt as if he could trust the man but ended up being the ridicule of foolery.
Brecht consistently uses comedy throughout his play to make a darker point. However, Gold strays from this approach and instead heightens and adds comical elements in an attempt to amuse his audience further. One must remember that Brecht’s original play – even though an entertaining play – was essentially used as a didactic tool and that people chose wether or not they wished to come and view the performance. Gold’s adaptation of the play was made in 1972 and therefore targeted a very different audience – television viewers. It is for this reason that Gold has twisted (and even added to) Bretch’s wry, black humour into high comedy – in a bid to appease and
Rushdie states the negative elements of religion, through examples such as: the crusades and jihads in the Middle Ages, the conflict-ridden Islamic world, and the smaller disputes between religious fundamentalists and the more progressive types (431-432). Although these few problems originated from religion, Rushdie fails to mention the numerous positive aspects faith has brought to the world. In doing so, he has provided neither a real nor a valid argument but a simple-minded bashing of all religious belief. While religion has caused some tragedies it has also brought about much of the good in the world. The Middle Age religious conflicts were truly a terrible time for all major religions.
Perhaps my own personal opinion on the matter is why I fell in love with the show Curb Your Enthusiasm. In the show, Larry David (starring as himself), finds himself in several awkward situations because he follows a certain code of ethics and principles and challenges anyone who defies them. Larry may act stubbornly to prove his point, which causes the people he is confronting to react in an angry way, but his social codes are generally accepted by the show’s viewers as people tend to find that they could easily relate to them. For me, and several other fanatics of the show, Larry is brave for standing up for his beliefs. People wish they could be more like him, fearless to challenge those they feel act wrongly.
Movies and TV shows have been portraying Christians as judgmental, mindless, know-it-alls for years. Cartoons like Family Guy, The Simpsons, and South Park, have depicted Christians as ignorant and condemning. Our culture recognizes wisdom and love as virtuous, but in view of the media’s portrayal of Christians, it is safe to assume that believers are not up to par on either of these things. Believers need to reexamine what it means to love God with all their mind and in doing so love others. Believers practicing loving God with all their mind would be a witness to this world and even a way of reaching out in compassion and gentleness we have left behind by burying our arguments in our Bibles and not engaging the questions raised by the lost.