Comedy

[CAV of Gang Green]

This debate was sparked when me and Trinston were talking in the "Which Creature is better?" topic. And since it was going off topic, I desided to make an acual topic. I will now list things about comedy today:

 

1. Comedy is falling drasticly due to people stealing someone elses material or making pointless references (i.e. Family Guy, Meet the Spartans)

 

2. Stupidity is one of the worst kinds of comedy, and shouldn't even be noticed. (i.e. Spongebob, Flapjack)

 

3. Very few shows do stupidity well, making it funny (i.e. Simpsons, Family Guy, Chowder, Scrubs)

 

4. Stealing someones material isn't funny (i.e. Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans, Superhero Movie, all Scary Movies, Family Guy, many Comidians)

 

5. And we reach the top of the stupid, unfunny shows...Spongbob Squarepants. A show so stupid it isn't funny, isn't remotely enjoyable, and is telling kids that it's alright to act like an idiot in public.

 

As said in the topic:

 

CAV:

 

Nah, I believe the media killed the idea of ghosts a long time ago. Stuff like Cartoons made Ghosts seem like a joke.

 

*coughSpongeBobcough*

 

Trinston:

 

True, but I still believe that people will vote for ghosts.

 

*CoughwatchtheepisodewereSpongeBobhastolivewiththeFlyingDutchmancough*

 

CAV:

 

That and every other spongebob episode sucked, no offence. Derek Drymon killed the show, to the point it's creating theories of homosexuality and political issues and the obvious fact that spongebob is not funny anymore, but instead stupid.

 

Trinston:

 

CAV...THE POINT IS STUPIDITY!

 

CAV:

 

BUT STUPIDITY IS RARELY EVER FUNNY! Seriously, Spongebob is saying that you can be stupid if you want. There's another word for it, but I can't use it here on TDN. It starts with the letter R.

 

The idea of comedy is to make well thought out funny jokes. Not running around like a madman acting like a 3 year old. That is the proublem with many movies and shows. Steal someone elses idea or make pointless unfunny jokes (Disaster Movie, I'm looking in your direction).

 

The only time stupidity is funny is in adult shows (Simpsons, Family Guy, Scrubs, etc.) Spongebob's take on stupidity ISN'T funny, but sad.

 

Trinston:

 

You realise that I'm only 10 therefor stupidity anywhere, anytime is a joy for me.

 

CAV:

 

Yes but I'm 13, and by the time I was 8 I reilized that stupidity is one of the worst kind of comedies.

 

What is your idea on comedy these days?

[-Ryan]

I gotta take CAVs side on this. Spongebob used to be actually kinda funny, but now it, every show on Nickelodeon, ad every show on Cartoon network are either stupid, a fail, flat-out gross, or a bit of all 3...

[Spritzie]

Honestly, I dislike comedy now. I can't stand comedians or most actors in comedy movies. It seems to me now that most of the comedy stuff, is the stupidity type, and that's the kind I don't like at all.

[Tyler.]

I agree that very few shows can do comedy right. I can't stand watching those channels I used o love now (Nick, Cartoon Network) Cause all the good comedy shows they had are no longer on. I used to absolutely love spongebob, but one or two years ago they ruined it. It's still ocassionally good, but not as good as it used to be. So yeah,I'm with CAV and Ryan

[Hoptotheloo]

I find with comedy they use the same kind of things over and over again because they worked for someone else, but it's the same with most things at the moment e.g. music etc.

In general I think it's hard for anyone to be original at the moment because so much has already been done. Of course when something gets it right it ends up being amazing.. :)

[Spritzie]

There's only one comedian I like, and that's Jeff Dunam. I almost regret not going to see him perform when he came to my city, but it wasn't worth considering who invited me. But... I may just be more picky than a lot of others. I don't like bad content, rude jokes.. etc. Actually... there's 2. Jeff, and Robin Williams.

[CAV of Gang Green]

Jeff Dunam, Dane Cook, Chris Rock, and other comidians are good. But there is a number of people that do a bad job at jokes. But T.V. and Movies has the biggest effect on dead comedy.

 

Cartoon Network, Nick, and Disney, I'm looking in your direction...

[Holliepop]

I have to go with CAV. Nothing is funny in cartoons anymore. It's already been done or simply not funny.

I also have to say Spongebob is over played. I don't watch much TV anymore but I remember that Spongebob was on, All. The. Time. It doesn't help that they ride one show until it's buried so deep in the ground it's not only not-funny but people would pay to never see a yellow sponge ever again.

[Nyssa]

I think comedy is lame altogether. I mean.. it's usually so pretend funny. And most comedy is about sex anyway, which I don't like at all.

 

One of the worst things is that canned-laugh-sound. You know? When something 'funny' happens and you hear this fake laughing audience.

[Secre]

Some comedy can still be very funny - but it tends to have to be the under-stated, ironic, sarcastic or dark comedy which you rarely find in cartoons (and even if it is in cartoons it's seldom done well).

 

The Simpsons used to be very funny but that was because they had a proper plot line, instead of the more modern ones which are just gag reels with very little point in them, although the Simpsons does appear to be going back to proper plots. Family Guy can be funny, but it's a bit hit and miss.

 

Comedians will always be hit and miss, that is the nature of people who think that they are funny. However there are still some excellent comedians out there, like Ed Burns and Russel Howard and several others. But there will always be some who are just idiots.

 

And I agree on the Spongebob Squarepants issue - it isn't funny, never has been and never will be. What on earth is it still doing on our TVs???

[Nyssa]

It's just a matter of taste, I guess. Sometimes Spongebob CAN be entertaining -- even if it's just a little bit. And smaller children just seem to love it.

 

I have to add that in the TV series 'House M.D', I do love the humor. And most of the times I find South Park pretty funny as well, as for That Seventies Show. (Yet, I don't like sex related humor... I'm contradicting myself once again)

[Unstream]

1. Comedy is falling drasticly due to people stealing someone elses material or making pointless references (i.e. Family Guy, Meet the Spartans)

Not exactly. The point of those things is basically to ridicule other people's material. Family Guy, for example, makes fun of other material and is filled with a lot of satire.

 

2. Stupidity is one of the worst kinds of comedy, and shouldn't even be noticed. (i.e. Spongebob, Flapjack)

 

 

3. Very few shows do stupidity well, making it funny (i.e. Simpsons, Family Guy, Chowder, Scrubs)

Never watched Flapjack, so I can't comment on it.

However, I can say that Spongebob has quite a few jokes that most people won't catch until their older. I used to watch Spongebob, and it was funny because of the stupidity, but watch it again and you'll realize that (at least in the older ones) there's a lot of clever jokes hidden in the show. You have to be sharp to pick them up ;)

 

And Spongebob may also have symbolic meanings to them too. You know the major vices? Lust, wrath, pride, greed, and gluttony? Well Spongebob represents lust (in the way that he "loves" everything...weak, but the others are good), Plankton is wrath, Sandy is pride, Mr. Krabs is greed, and Patrick is gluttony. There might be one for envy too, but it's been a while since I saw the thing.

 

And what might seem as stupidity might be once again, clever satire. They overexaggerate things to point out the flaws in them and make it somewhat humorous.

 

 

And well, numbers 4 and 5 were basically repetitions of what you already said, so I'm not going to bother repeating myself.

 

One of the worst things is that canned-laugh-sound. You know? When something 'funny' happens and you hear this fake laughing audience.

Well I'd like to point out that a lot of times that's simply there to set a mood. It's not really supposed to be when you laugh, not all the time at least.

[livvy]

I enjoy wit. That includes puns and jokes that you actually have to think/know something about. For example:

Fellow 1: If I hear one more reference to a Michael Jackson song, I'm going to...

Fellow 2: *interrupting* Beat it?

 

(from a conversation I overheard at a military base)

I would reference Shakespearean wit, but his wit is generally crude, which I dislike. However, it is still witty.

 

I have a fairly low tolerance for stupidity. Will may be right in saying that there are underlying bits of humor in Spongebob, but I can't force myself to watch enough to get past the stupidity. Satire is a good form of humor, in my opinion, and I understand that things must often be exaggerate to demonstrate the point. (This is called 'caricature' in drama.) But this can only go so far before the point is totally obscured.

[ΩCCΩ]

I loved the 'House M.D' too. Even if the show is basically drama, Dr. House's sarcasm turns almost completely into a comedy XD.

[CAV of Gang Green]

I have to go with CAV. Nothing is funny in cartoons anymore. It's already been done or simply not funny.

I also have to say Spongebob is over played. I don't watch much TV anymore but I remember that Spongebob was on, All. The. Time. It doesn't help that they ride one show until it's buried so deep in the ground it's not only not-funny but people would pay to never see a yellow sponge ever again.

 

Exactly. Spongebob is shown the entire time that other shows die with acual potental die out. And his face is EVERYWHERE. At least Cartoon Network is balenced.

 

But Nick, CN, and Disney are all to blame because of the switch to live action...Which is even worse with the "canned laugh" and the fact that all of these shows have to do with pop stars (i.e. Hanna Montana, Jonas, every other show on disney, and Big Time Rush).

[Nyssa]

I guess there are no more decent shows for younger people.

 

I remember watching Cartoon Network when I was younger, with shows like Two Stupid Dogs (amazingly funny), Cow and Chicken etc. I don't know how it is in America, but in the Netherlands they don't have those shows anymore.

 

I really wonder what my kid is gonna watch in a few years (well, maybe a decade. I have no immediate plans to have children just yet since I'm only 18 :P). But I do worry. If my kid decides he/she likes Spongebob (if that still exists by then), that's fine (as long as he/she won't copy the moronic behaviour). But the fact that I have to watch it WITH him/her x_x

[englandnz]

I certainly wouldn't say that comedy is dead, it's just that the good ones are often spaced between the many duds. I also much prefer British comedy to most of the American shows. The IT Crowd and Black Books come to mind as recent success stories.

On the whole, spoof or parody movies are generally terrible, but there's often at least one fantastic moment in each one, and some are actually pretty good in general (Shaun of the Dead)

I don't think you can discount an entire genre, simply because a few shows are terrible, and some of the older ones are going down hill fast.

[CAV of Gang Green]

I used to watch Spongebob, and it was funny because of the stupidity, but watch it again and you'll realize that (at least in the older ones) there's a lot of clever jokes hidden in the show. You have to be sharp to pick them up ;)

 

To note on this, the old Spongebobs are acually good, but note, that was when Stephon Hillinberg was the creator. After the movie (which I also enjoyed), Derek Drymon took ownership, and since then the show has drasticlly fallen in clever jokes. Which is what I mean.

[Phil]

Spongebob did use to be a good type of humor, but now, like everyone else says, it's kinda ruined. Although the graphics and animation is better, that just came from a progressive timeline.

 

I also find that some shows today do have good comedy, but they are never found on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel although those channels used to have good shows.

 

Although, I find that the Cosby Show, even though it does have that "canned laughter" there are some really good bits in there. It's one of those older shows that I mentioned the category of earlier. Oh wait, no I didn't. :P Well, I meant to.

[CAV of Gang Green]

The Cosby Show is an example of the few good shows with canned laugh. Others include Geroge Lopez and Family Matters.

[karmacow]

I certainly wouldn't say that comedy is dead, it's just that the good ones are often spaced between the many duds. I also much prefer British comedy to most of the American shows. The IT Crowd and Black Books come to mind as recent success stories.

 

Yes! The British are brilliant at satire! I find The IT Crowd and especially Little Britain to be hysterical :D

As for the canned laughter, I barely even notice it anymore but what a ridiculous idea that was to begin with... I only notice it in those supremely bad sitcoms that won't even make me smile just a little.

Another British comedy gem is Stand up Live at the Apollo - of course the quality varies depending on who's performing but over all... I just love British humour :D

I'm also quite fond of that American stand up competition, I can't remember what it's called... It's hosted by Jay Mohr and it's run like a reality show where someone gets voted out every week. Some of them are funny and some aren't but there are some really good acts there.

[Awesome_Paul]

I think the british are just generally better with comedy. Comedians here haven't got any boundaries here, people joke about the news (Have I got news for you) etc.

 

Amercans think too much, they don't joke with the right things. I mean terrorists, any type of terror alert, people worry about it too much, In the uk, they just joke about them. I don't think the comedians or shows are getting worse, its the public. Due to all the crisis in the world, they care too much about that and then lose part of their sense of humour (so they see things and say, "they ca't joke about that")

[Tyler.]

honestly, I have witnessed bad comedy. My dad watches a lot of stand up comedians. And the whole show is a series of beeping noises. How is that even funny? Oh and spongebob, which I haven't watched in a while, I watched today. It wasn't too bad. I actually found enjoyment. So it hasn't been completely ruined imho.

[CAV of Gang Green]

Oh and spongebob, which I haven't watched in a while, I watched today. It wasn't too bad.

 

Was it an old episode, if so, then of corse it is. But if it was one of the newer ones, then I don't know what you found in it.

 

I've never been able to tell British comedy and American comedy apart, so I wouldn't know, someone give me a couple of British comedies, and I'll look up episodes to see the difference.

[englandnz]

I've never been able to tell British comedy and American comedy apart, so I wouldn't know, someone give me a couple of British comedies, and I'll look up episodes to see the difference.

 

Try Black Books or the IT Crowd for examples of good British humour. Also look up Michael Mcintyre on youtube; most of his stuff is amazing.