Theories of humour: Benign Violation / Relief / Silent Comedy
What is your understanding of the comic form and theories of humour explored this week, with reference to the reading(s), in-class discussion, and/or your own research?
As discussed in class and throughout the required readings, my understanding of relief comedy and benign violation relates to a “physical phenomenon of laughter.” (Morreall, J. (2009). Relief comedy, to my understanding, is described as a release of tension. When there is pent-up excitement or energy in the nerves, people will laugh to release it. Relief comedy is therapeutic and calming- it describes laughter as a form of medicine – relieving tension of suppressed thoughts and feelings. Benign violation rather, is “a psychological state characterized by the positive emotion of amusement and the tendency to laugh.” (Warren, C. & McGraw, A.P. (2015). The benign violation theory is a theory that helps us to understand why particular situations or jokes are perceived as ‘funny’. With both violation and benignity elements, comedy allows people to steer through social boundaries, challenge norms and find humour in harmless but ‘wrong’ scenarios. In class, we watched an episode of Mr Bean after discussing ‘silent comedies’, which were particularly popular in the early ages of film/TV. This viewing in class helped shape my Week 2 sketch.
How does your media artefact (sketch) respond to these constraints and concepts?
My week 2 media sketch responds to the benign violation theory in the silent comedy genre. Sitting at my desk, I begin to feel hot, I walk to my air conditioner remote on the bed-side table and turn it on, as I walk back to my seat, I am suddenly in a complete outfit transformation as if the season in my room had changed. The punchline is harmless, yet challenges ‘right’ social norms.
Framing was an important part of this sketch in making it funny. I ensured I had lots of small cuts, to both ensure the punchline was funny and unsuspecting as well as making it seem repetitive – a technique often used in silent comedies.
(From week 2 onwards:) How have you incorporated peer feedback into your approach to further develop or improve your practice?
My feedback for this week from a friend in class was to get a little more creative with my sketches and seem more open to trying more different things – getting out of my comfort zone. Although it was silent comedy this week, they suggested trying dialogue to enhance the sketches’ humour.
REFERENCES:
Warren, C. & McGraw, A.P. (2015), “Benign Violation TheoryLinks to an external site.” in Attardo, S. (ed), Encyclopedia of Humor Studies, Los Angeles: SAGE Reference.
Palmer, J. (1988/2018), “The Logic of the AbsurdLinks to an external site.” in Marx, N. & Sienkiewicz, M. (eds), The Comedy Studies Reader. Austin: University of Texas Press, pp. 51–54.
Morreall, J. (2009), “No Laughing Matter: The Traditional Rejection of Humor and Traditional Theories of HumorLinks to an external site.” in Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 1–26.