Why undermining, degrading and put downs so funny?

I'm trying to analyse Black Adder II. I don't understand why I laugh so much at his utter contempt for everyone around him. Take this sequence for instance:

[In the house of Edmund Blackadder. Baldrick holds a dartboard over his head, while Edmund practises the bow]
B: Ah, very good shot, my lord.
E: Thank you, Baldrick.
[Percy walks in]
S: Sorry I'm late.
E: No, don't bother apologizing. I'm sorry you're alive.
S: Oh good, I see the target is ready. [Picks up the bow]
I'd like to see the Spaniard who could make his way past me.
E: Well, go to Spain. There're millions of them.

Is it just because it would be socially unacceptable to be this cruel?

I think it's the basic comedy rule of tumbling someone from their lofty position. In this instance, we all know that Percy is a drip, but here he is elevating himself to some masterful fighter. Blackadder punctures this and brings him back down to his rightful position.

Comedy is violence redirected

Quote: sootyj @ 17th November 2013, 10:10 AM GMT

Comedy is violence redirected

View original

So much anger...

Ah so you're saying that rather than laughing at Bauldrick, I'm laughing at some other pleb I can't stand. And rather than laughing at Percy I'm laughing at some twat I probably work for. Makes sense.

PS I only learnt the word 'pleb' from plebgate, and now it's my favourite word. you guys have a rich abusive language which you should cherish. It must be quite hostile up there!

Quote: Tursiops @ 17th November 2013, 10:50 AM GMT

So much anger...

View original

Ironic c**t.

In the example you've given, it's Percy's pomposity that makes it work.

In the same way, the digs that Blackadder aims at George, Melchett and Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth work, but if he did the same to Bob it wouldn't as Bob is meant to be a likeable character whereas the other three are oafs.

Quote: T.W. @ 18th November 2013, 12:10 AM GMT

Iconic c**t.

View original

That he is. that he is.

Quote: Chop In A Toaster @ 17th November 2013, 8:03 PM GMT

Ah so you're saying that rather than laughing at Bauldrick, I'm laughing at some other pleb I can't stand. And rather than laughing at Percy I'm laughing at some twat I probably work for. Makes sense.

PS I only learnt the word 'pleb' from plebgate, and now it's my favourite word. you guys have a rich abusive language which you should cherish. It must be quite hostile up there!

View original

It's probably the weather

Quote: AndyGilder @ 18th November 2013, 1:11 PM GMT

In the example you've given, it's Percy's pomposity that makes it work.

In the same way, the digs that Blackadder aims at George, Melchett and Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth work, but if he did the same to Bob it wouldn't as Bob is meant to be a likeable character whereas the other three are oafs.

View original

Though you're ignoring the fact that he verbally and physically abuses Baldrick, who is a likable underdog.

I think sadism is funny because it's socially inappropriate but part of our makeup as humans. The two factors of social justice and social inappropriateness are opposed but can both result in comedy.

Man falling down the stairs - funny (because patriarchy. It's social justice)
Woman falling down the stairs - not funny.
Blind grandmother falling down the stairs - funny because it's so wrong.

I like family guy where they're really mean to Meg. I think with that it's partly because it's slightly shocking and also because of the old school yard bullying thing - as in, phew, it's happening to someone else and not me

Quote: Lawrence Diamond @ 6th August 2014, 4:33 AM BST

Woman falling down the stairs - not funny.

View original

Its why Miranda failed.

Quote: sootyj @ 17th November 2013, 10:10 AM GMT

Comedy is violence redirected

View original

"Nice love" is also violence reidrected, so where does that leave us? Doing crosswords, in my case...

It's a classic battle of wits. We naturally admire someone who appears to have a greater command of language, who can use it to effortlessly defeat another person. When we don't admire this is usually when we are trying to prove ourselves to be superior, which is why people start to fling insults at one another when reason and logic start to fail.

I've had numerous cases in real life where social etiquette took a back seat to my need to dominate them for nothing more than my own gratification. For example, there was this woman who came to the shelter where I lived for the community meals. If you made the mistake of breathing in her direction, would talk about herself non stop for a solid hour. She had absolutely no concept of conversation and if you tried to get a word in edgewise, it was like trying to stop the Thames using a dam made of one toothpick and two gumdrops.

Once, I had the misfortune of sitting a the same table as her when she had ensnared someone else in her ceaseless babbling and she was talking about relationships. Her exact words were:

"If someone is going to be in a relationship with me, they have to understand commitment."

To which I replied, "I agree that any one who willingly has a relationship with you should be committed."

Needless to say, I was not very popular at that shelter.

Woman falling down stairs is funny, why wouldn't it be, they are falling down the stairs.....

Patsy and Edina often fell over, I can't remember if stairs were specifically involved but probably they were in there somewhere.

Priscilla Presley fell down the stairs brilliantly in one of the Naked Gun films. At the top, soft focus, lush orchestral music, all eyes on her. Crash, bang wallop! At the bottom, hair all over the place, dishevelled. How is that not funny?