Phillip Response

The mockumentary style that is now very popular in films and television shows has always been something I have found so entertaining over the past years. I think that this style allows characters to be more honest with the audience and break the fourth wall.

One of my favorite parts in the Office is when characters like Jim or Pam look directly at the camera as if asking the audience, “Are you kidding me?” I think this is the perfect example of how the mockumentary style can be beneficial to comedy. Characters are not completely invested in the situations. There are slight moments where these people are taken out of their position and are able to comment in hilarious ways about what is going on.

The characters’ brutal honesty is often the funniest part of a mockumentary. They believe that no one is seeing these tapes so they completely open up about how they feel about someone or something. The best and worst comes out of characters when they are being interviewed. These interview breaks can also be useful to clarify the actions or intentions  of a character.

The only time I have ever found the mockumentary style to be a problem was in The Office when it was discovered that the sound guy from behind the scenes and Pam had some sort of friendly relationship. I found it uninteresting and inappropriate. The crew should stay out of the storyline.

Response to Arnav

I find Family Guy’s cut-aways very funny. The abrupt seconds long scenes are very cleverly written and executed. I appreciate how many comedies would usually just say  “remember that time when…” and then continue on leaving the viewers with a mental image but never the real thing. Family Guy goes one step further providing the audience with a very humorous depiction of “that time when”.

Some may find these cut-aways very superfluous and a part of lazy writing, leaving the viewers with little imagination and food for thought. Critics of the cut-away may also say that these clips stray too far from the plot line and make the TV episode feel hap-hazard.

I think the creators of Family Guy are taking advantage of the freedom that comes with using animation in comedy. Most comedies filmed in real life are not able to make such ridiculous cut-aways. With animation, the sky's the limit. Episodes of Family Guy can include celebrities like Taylor Swift and Julia Roberts and can take place anywhere in the world. The logic of Family Guy is “If you can make it, put it in the show.” Some may call this frivolous but I think it is the important difference between comedy cartoons and comedy with real people. The ability to do anything with animation is something Family Guy takes advantage of especially with its cut-aways.

Laugh Attack

I am ashamed to admit that when I was in elementary and middle school, I watched many hours of Disney channel and Nickelodeon. After watching many an episode of shows like Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Wizards of Waverly place, I noticed that the fake laugh track is filled with the laughter of children. After thinking about those shows, I looked at shows like Full House and The Cosby Show that used to appeal both younger and older audiences. The laughter from the live audiences in these shows is a blend of children and adults, exactly the types of people who watched these shows on TV. Finally, I looked at more adult sitcoms like Friends and The Big Bang Theory. These laugh tracks were all adult.

I find it very interesting and appropriate that the laugh tracks in sitcoms match the ages of the overall viewers of these TV. It could be seen as subliminal messaging telling television audiences at home that certain shows are made for certain age groups. An adult is less likely to watch a show that has only children laughing in the background. And a parent may unconsciously notice that a show only has adults laughing and choose to not watch it with their child.

Response to Thomas

The Whitest Kids You Know uses a formula that often includes a straight man that calls out what is clearly wrong in a situation. It is ironic that the least funny character is the most humorous part of a skit.

A very famous straight man in modern pop culture is Jim Halpert from The Office. He is the straight man to Dwight Schrute who is so entertainingly serious. Jim loves to play pranks on Dwight and get him worked up and angry. Jim’s classic reaction to Dwight’s antics is a glance at the camera hoping someone else is seeing what he is seeing.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4sNxg1Yv0E

This is a perfect example of how Jim, remaining serious, is able to bring out a funny reaction from Dwight. Jim has appeared to have wrapped all of Dwight’s belongings including his desk and chair. Dwight, quite frustrated and clearly done with Jim’s shenanigans, angrily sits down to and empty wrapping paper shaped like a desk and chair. Jim remaining calm and rather serious, is able to bring about something very funny through others.

Another very popular straight man in television is Leonard in Big Bang Theory. He too has a partner, Sheldon,  is very high strung and odd like Dwight in The Office. Leonard will often point out how ridiculous or nerdy his friends are acting but then will get called out by his love interest and fellow straight man Penny for also being quite ridiculous.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guJ71nHlWCk

This is a perfect example of Leonard mocking Sheldon’s odd qualities and making the audience laugh and the both of them. Sheldon’s actions alone are funny, but Leonard’s willingness to mimic him takes the audience right over the edge with laughter.