Jokes that seem unlikely but land big

People take long shots all the time, hoping to achieve something big even when the odds are not in their favour. Take the example of betting, which has now become a popular pastime in the digital world. When people sign up for online betting sites and place wagers, they take a long shot. How? Well, they have no control over the games but still hold on to hope that their predictions will be correct and that they will win big. Long shots are everywhere, from career pivots to fashion design, new tech inventions, and everything in between. Comedy is one of the biggest beneficiaries of this approach...

Have you ever watched a scenario that was so ridiculous that it was funny? Well, that is what long shots are all about - this kind of comedy references something that is so unlikely that, when it happens, you cannot help but see the absurdity in it, which makes it funny.

Let's use the example of Mr Bean, the character played by Rowan Atkinson, which has become a favourite around the world. Bean's character is absurd, due to his exaggerated facial expressions and body language. He also makes decisions that other people would consider ridiculous. For example, he decides to paint his flat in the most unconventional way possible - by setting off a paint-filled firecracker. No one would really try that in real life.

Writers of absurd scenes don't just go for what veers off what we consider normal - they go for the most unrealistic possibilities that they can think of. However, that said, they still just about maintain a connection to reality - that is important too.

Take the example of The Office. This series follows colleagues who work in a typical office setting, which is complete with the usual office drama: all realistic. But nothing prepares the audience for the moment when David (Ricky Gervais), the office boss, decides to show off his fun side. In that scene - the one you've definitely seen - he dances in an awkward manner with flailing hand movements, hip thrusts, and uncoordinated twirls that serve to make his colleagues feel uncomfortable. The absurdity, in this case, stems from David's inability to see that his colleagues are embarrassed at watching him and his disconnect from the fact that he has poor dance skills. No real boss would drop into a dance like that, and - if for some reason they did - they've certainly be self-aware enough to quickly realise the reaction and thus stop.

Absurdity can be built on top of absurdity. For example, in Shaun Of The Dead, Shaun (Simon Pegg) is on his way to the shop as the zombie apocalypse takes place behind him. Of course it's already absurd that there are Zombies but what becomes really absurd in that Shaun remains completely unaware of what's happening. The audience can see the chaos unfolding, but Shaun doesn't notice it. A double layer of absurdity right there.