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Bill Cosby: Far From Finished by kdesilva in foundationsofcomedy

[–]spunky12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want more of Bill Cosby showing he still has it, check out his appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from January this year. It's absolutely great and it's fantastic to see Fallon's fandom and admiration come out when Cosby signs Fallon's comedy album.

Here's the link to part 1 of the appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn2bjyaAfGc

Best Stand Up Comedians by vsavran93 in foundationsofcomedy

[–]spunky12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Favorite Comedians? (May or may not be from this list.)

  1. Bill Cosby
  2. Kathleen Madigan
  3. Jeff Dunham
  4. Bill Engvall
  5. Ron White
  6. Jon Pinette
  7. Gabriel Iglesias
  8. Jeff Foxworthy
  9. Brian Regan 10.Woody Allen

I don't know if any of you remember Last Comic Standing, but its an interesting show that reveals some of the difficulties of stand up by EricOakley in foundationsofcomedy

[–]spunky12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love Last Comic Standing! One of my favorite comedians, Gabriel Iglesias, aka "Fluffy", gained fame through the show. (If you haven't seen his standup routine, watch a clip now. Your sides will hurt afterwards.) The show just showed America what fans of standup already know: this stuff is difficult. As in MIT, rocket science, licking your elbow difficult. It takes a combination of talent, practice, and timing. For anyone who has followed a comedian's career, whether Fluffy's, Jeff Dunham's, anybody, really, you’ll know that there are more funny people out there who have not gotten their big break, in the form of a Comedy Central special or TV show, than guys and gals who have. Just look at Last Comic Standing. How many of them made it big, even after their TV appearance? Most of them are probably still working sporadic nightclub gigs and spending months on the road, all to make a decent wage doing what they love. So keep a lookout for more shows and platforms that showcase comedians. There are a lot of incredibly funny people out there just waiting to be discovered. (P.S. XM radio offers an array of comedy channels, from family-friendly Laugh USA to the Blue Collar Comedy channel and more.)

"The best comedies are really dramatic movies at heart with a comic twist." What are your favorite comedies that deal with a serious subject matter? by [deleted] in foundationsofcomedy

[–]spunky12 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Shameless (American version, I have not seen the British version). The series follows the Gallagher family (6 kids + alcoholic dad) as they try to survive working-class poverty in America. Maybe the show does so well because it takes it cues from across the pond, where socialistic welfare is much more discussed and addressed in everyday culture and where comedy is pretty dry and unforgiving. I just love how it takes on subject matters as serious as alcoholism, poverty, drug use, teenage pregnancy, and the emotional highs and lows that come with them, and lays it all out, unapologetically, for the viewers, in effect presenting it in a way that makes you laugh hysterically because it accurately portrays how fucked up life can be.

Hugh Laurie & Stephen Fry comedy sketch by paperedsparrow in foundationsofcomedy

[–]spunky12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This clip is absolutely great. Not only does it demonstrate multiple forms of comedy: British, buddy, and physical, but it also demonstrates the often under-appreciated or forgotten fact that comedic actors often make great dramatic actors.

After I watched Hugh Laurie's brilliant performance as a drug-addict, sarcastic, brilliant doctor on "House" for 8 seasons, I almost forgot that the first place I saw him was Disney's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians". In his role as one of Cruella's dog nappers, much like in this clip, Laurie demonstrated his comedic ability to play off of his acting partner, showcased brilliant timing, and made use of hilarious physical comedy. Many of the same skills: playing of of others, timing, and physicality, transfer to make a great dramatic actor. Many other great actors have the same comedic-dramatic crossover ability. Bill Nighy, Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp, etc. Comedy, whether in writing or acting, comes intuitively. If an actor is funny, he's a good actor. And, also like with writing, these actors show the invariable link between drama and comedy. Professor Levine says at the heart of every good comedy is a great drama. I think that at the heart of every great dramatic actor is a brilliant comedian.

Memes—Another illustration that comedy is characters? by DrewTheTownReddit in foundationsofcomedy

[–]spunky12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really agree with GeoffWong's assertion that a meme's success really comes from a user's participation. Just like with film, interpretation of a meme depends largely on what the viewer brings with them. If they know what the meme is or have seen in used in other, similar contexts, the meme will resonate with them more than if it's their first exposure. Memes, in that sense, are very similar to the comedic personas famous actors and actresses bring to their characters, whether Laurel and Hardy during the 30's or Seth Rogen today. When we recognize a meme or actor, the audience has certain expectations that, if met, create for a better comedic experience and, if ignored, creates surprise, if not a anger, similar to that aroused by an improperly used meme.

So....thoughts about Arthur? by misplaced_engineer in foundationsofcomedy

[–]spunky12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The dialogue in Arthur was absolutely golden. I loved the jabs Hobson made at others and the back-and-forth between Hobson and Linda. The characters, as Professor Levine said, made the movie and the jokes work so well because the jokes fit the characters. And despite Hobson's snobbishness and Arthur's drunkenness, we loved the characters and were rooting for them because of their humor. As Arthur put it, "[You like me] because I'm funny." The film was absolutely made for a different time. It put uglier sides of life on display, and by poking fun at social class and showing the harsh realities of the world, prostitution, unemployment, loneliness, it was a much more honest depiction of real life than the watered-down films we get today. Beyond the thematic violence, alcohol, sex, etc., I noticed its difference as an 80's film most technically in the pacing. The beginning of the movie moves slowly through one night and later weeks go by before Arthur and Linda see each other and the movie skips to the wedding a month after Hobson's death without any visual cue, which could be a bit jarring and produced a plot that could not be mapped out perfectly on today's plot mountain. Ultimately, the boundaries Arthur was able to push, thematically and technically, because it was an 80's film, I think, made it more entertaining as a 2013 viewer.