guthrie
Posts: 696
Joined: Jan. 2006
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Not that I have undertaken a large study of comedy methods, but one thing that Monty Python and Family guy have in common is that they have an "off the wall" kind of rewriting reality kind of humour. Take an ordinary situation and people, then magnify some things beyond any sensible bounds, to the extent that it is parody.
I recall for example a FAmily guy episode where their local pub gets taken over as an English pub, and the brave americans try and get it back to their usual sports bar. Or look at how you have a talking dog, something of an outsider yet people get on with him as if he's a real human.
Its all about building up expectations in one direction, then fooling you, the watcher, with a quick switch.
Like the reference above, to "What is your favourite colour?"
TO set the scene- the knights of ARthur ar looking for teh HOly grail. Several of them come to a gorge, with a bridge guarded by a horrible old man, who asks questions and you can only cross if you answer the question correctly.
The question that was asked was, "What is the unladen weight of an African Swallow".
The Knight of whom it was asked ummmed, and ahhed, and said "I dont know" and was promptly catapulted to his doom.
So, next person goes up, to brave near certain death in his search for the grail, and is asked "What is your favourite colour?"
Oddly enough, he gets this right.
This could be seen as a kind of redirection of our expectations, a release of tension.
THen the 3rd one goes up, and is asked the question of the Swallow, whereupon he asks the questioner exactly which kind of African swallow. The questioner said "I dont know" and was catapulted ot his doom.
Again, a switch in expectations and outcome.
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