Or alternatively as a human trait we love to see people in pain and it's not much to do with our own mental state at all. Failarmy and you've been framed is the base form. It's safe, they're not going to die, youre not going to die, you could, but you didn't end neither did they. Coming to terms with your mortality.
Do good comedies have to be about losers?
- Thread starter IdleRich
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Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
As a counterfactual, what would a comedy about happy, content people, who - perhaps not always, but at least a significant fraction of the time - succeed in their plans and desires, look like? Would such a thing even be possible?
Now I think about it, is this a reasonable description of Friends? Which is not something I've ever watched much of. It doesn't strike me that Dissensus would be full of massive Friends fans, either.
Now I think about it, is this a reasonable description of Friends? Which is not something I've ever watched much of. It doesn't strike me that Dissensus would be full of massive Friends fans, either.
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Corpsey
bandz ahoy
Friends is sort of a sentimental/schmaltzy version of Seinfeld. There's plenty of failure going on in each episode but ultimately there's going to be a happy ending. As flawed as each of the "Friends" is, they're obviously supposed to be nice people that you would like to be friends with.
Probably the funniest character in Friends is Ross, who starts out as a bit of a loser (his wife left him for a woman) ane becomes a bigger and bigger loser over the years.
Chandler started out as a funny character, because he was a total loser, but then he got coupled up with Monica and became boring.
Joey is another comic archetype, the idiot who (being an idiot) doesn't know he's an idiot, and therefore is a loser, but on the whole doesn't suffer for it - ala Homer Simpson.
Probably the funniest character in Friends is Ross, who starts out as a bit of a loser (his wife left him for a woman) ane becomes a bigger and bigger loser over the years.
Chandler started out as a funny character, because he was a total loser, but then he got coupled up with Monica and became boring.
Joey is another comic archetype, the idiot who (being an idiot) doesn't know he's an idiot, and therefore is a loser, but on the whole doesn't suffer for it - ala Homer Simpson.
Corpsey
bandz ahoy
A lot of the funniest people are/were Americans (with a definite emphasis on Jewish Americans). Conan O'Brien, Larry Sanders, Larry David, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, Chris Rock, Bill Hicks etc. etc.
I wonder if the American and British sense of humour will elide as America continues to decline as a superpower? Not to suggest that the much vaunted (by us) British sense of humour is entirely dictated by our status as a global superpower, but it's obvious to anybody who spends any time with typical British people that we see ourselves as a sort of nation of (loveable) losers.
The preponderance of funny Jews has to have something to do with the Jews' historical status as pariahs, you'd think.
I wonder if the American and British sense of humour will elide as America continues to decline as a superpower? Not to suggest that the much vaunted (by us) British sense of humour is entirely dictated by our status as a global superpower, but it's obvious to anybody who spends any time with typical British people that we see ourselves as a sort of nation of (loveable) losers.
The preponderance of funny Jews has to have something to do with the Jews' historical status as pariahs, you'd think.
IdleRich
IdleRich
I'm not disagreeing that this does indeed seem to be the case, just that it seems slightly counterintuitive.
I think you're wrong about the last seasons of Peep Show though, I think thete is a real sadness - even horror - as they begin to realise and even accept that they are trapped in this death spiral forever.
I mean acceptance means the recognition that hope has gone and can bring a kind of relief but it's hardly positive.
IdleRich
IdleRich
I am sure there are comedies or at least comedy characters like that - Princess Bride was on the other day and the Dread Pirate Roberts is handsome, witty, fantastic with a sword etc I think that kind of character is a staple but I don't know if it's sustainable beyond one film.
IdleRich
IdleRich
I wanted this thread to be more about sit-coms or films I suppose.
'Why are sit-coms about losers?" is a parallel thread to "Why are stand-ups always depressed?" and of course they will overlap (if only cos comedians write and act in sit-coms) but I would like them to be separate threads. I've never really watched stand-up.
'Why are sit-coms about losers?" is a parallel thread to "Why are stand-ups always depressed?" and of course they will overlap (if only cos comedians write and act in sit-coms) but I would like them to be separate threads. I've never really watched stand-up.
IdleRich
IdleRich
A number of girlfriends have compared me to Homer Simpson in that sense.
IdleRich
IdleRich
But try and focus on the question - is that because Jewish comedies tend not to focus on losers, or is it just because you're a racist who thinks that Jews are lizards in disguise or could it be possibly for some other reason?
IdleRich
IdleRich
But the best thing about old Karl was the way he played it so straight, just totally deadpan.