by Victor Mushimbami - Tuesday, 13 September 2022, 6:26 PM

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WHAT COMEDY IS TO ME?

Like in the words of Greek philosopher, Aristotle, “The secret to humor is surprise.” (Aristotle, n.d.). Comedy is something that we don’t expect to happen, such as a frog doing disco dance, that takes us by surprise! For instance, in this video by Cheri Steinkellner, she explains how to make your writing funnier by using specific details, incongruities, and k-words. (Steinkellner, 2016, “How to make your writing funnier”, 1).

Frog disco pose. Google-Photo 

   More on what comedy is to me:

   Comedy shifts from observation to imagination. It moves from "what is" to "what if". One example of this is the question posed by Cheri Steinkellner, an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer, in her TED talk: "What if the nun, all of a sudden, starts doing disco dance with a cat?" (Steinkellner, 2016, "How to make your writing funnier". This scenario is funny because it is unexpected and absurd.

   I just finished reading a short story by Fernando Sorrentino that also uses the "what if" technique to create humor. It is called "There's a Man in the Habit of Hitting Me on the Head with an Umbrella" (Sorrentino, 2018, "There's a Man in the Habit of Hitting Me on the Head with an Umbrella". It really took me by surprise. Imagine, a man hitting your head with an umbrella for five years. You knock him down with a punch, but to your surprise, he gets up and continues hitting you with the umbrella. This situation is hilarious because it is exaggerated and ridiculous.

   I loved the part where the man ran as fast as he could to avoid the man with the umbrella, but to his shock, the man kept up with him, albeit with great struggle. I can't imagine that happening to me. It is funny because it is happening to somebody else. I agree with the following quote by Will Rogers, an American humorist: "Everything is funny as long as it happens to somebody else." (Rogers, n.d.).

   Comedy adds a little humor to our lives. We shouldn't take life so seriously. When we look around, there are a lot of funny things we could get from everyday activities. For example, we could laugh at the silly mistakes we make, the awkward situations we encounter, or the ironic coincidences we experience. Don't be too serious with your life. Watch comedy and laugh at those hard situations. Joke with your family and friends and just make sure you have fun!

Reference

Sorrentino, F. (2018). There’s a Man in the Habit of Hitting Me on the Head with an Umbrella. http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/TherMan.shtml

Steinkellner, C. (2016). How to make your writing funnier. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/zNTxSBgDNp4


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