Quote: Leevil @ May 27 2008, 3:40 PM BSTScore!! \o/
I take off my robe and wizard hat...
Embarrassment factor Page 2
Are we cybering? I'm scared! And a little turned on.
I watch, through my fingers...
Ummm... I've been thinking about this for a while now. My (shakey) conclusion is that I laugh at things like Lead Balloon, The Office, Pulling, Alan Partridge etc out of relief. e.g. "phew! at least that's not me".
Quote: Leevil @ May 26 2008, 11:39 PM BSTPersonally, I don't think it's to do with feeling embarrassed for the characters any more, we've seen it too many times and have become desensitised, if that's the right word? I think now it has become a 'What's the most shocking thing you can say, in the most inappropriate situation' contest.
Swearing, rude words and general naughty behaviour can be funny, the reason it's used in these "embarrassing situations" is so people can identify with it a lot quicker than any other.
I agree, I think we have become desensitised to characters embarrassing themselves, and now shows have to top themselves with ways to embarrass and humiliate the central character.
Why? Has it not become somewhat of a comedy cliché? Pretty much every sitcom in the past few years seems to be based on embarrassing the characters to generate laughs. Has it not got old by now?
Yes. That's why NGO, The IT Crowd have been so welcome.
Quote: Aaron @ May 28 2008, 11:22 AM BSTWhy? Has it not become somewhat of a comedy cliché? Pretty much every sitcom in the past few years seems to be based on embarrassing the characters to generate laughs. Has it not got old by now?
Well clearly sexual innuendo and slapstick haven't died yet, so there's plenty of life left in embarrassing characters yet.
Good point. Is there not a little more variety in those forms though?
Is there a limit to how much and how many different ways a person can be embarrassed?
6 million ways to cringe... choose one.
One of my first memories - someone points out that I have gone red in face and the other kids laugh. I thought that was cruel they thought it was funny. Extrapolate the figures and, bingo, you have a worldwide comedy audience!
Quote: Aaron @ May 29 2008, 12:34 AM BSTGood point. Is there not a little more variety in those forms though?
Embarrassment is universal, the variety comes with the personality of the person embarrassed. In my time I have squirmed for Tony Hancock, Capt. Mainwaring, Harold Steptoe, Rigsby, Frank Spencer, Basil Fawlty, Gordon Brittas, David Brent, Rick Spleen and countless others.
In fact add Malvolio to that list and you can see how established this tradition of comedy is. After 400 years we are not going to suddenly outgrow it.
Quote: jeej @ May 29 2008, 12:48 AM BSTIs there a limit to how much and how many different ways a person can be embarrassed?
In my experience, no.
Quote: jeej @ May 29 2008, 12:48 AM BSTIs there a limit to how much and how many different ways a person can be embarrassed?
So far my personal experience would suggest not 
Exactly. And revelling in the misfortune of others is a human past time.
I mean, there are varying levels, I'm not about to start pissing myself because your family died when their car caught fire.
Although it makes me feel quite dirty, I do tend to agree with Aaron. Although the comedy of embarrassment has a long and honourable tradition, I do think that it recent years it has been overused and become somewhat tiresome. So much so you do tend to think, "Ho hum, Andy Millman/Rick Spleen is humiliating themselves again. I haven't seen that before."
And as Leevil said earlier, that's why big daft shows like The IT Crowd seem like a breath of fresh air.
I think it will avoid becoming tiresome as long as the means to the embarrassing situation aren't all the same. A lack of self-awareness, an over-inflated opinion of oneself, a dim-witted friend, they've been done, but there are innumerable ways to get there.
The less dim-witted friends the better.