Morality of comedy/farces

[JackVk]

When I look at a modern comedy or farce, be it a movie, TV show, etc, not everything (or, hardly anything) the characters do is moral. I know there is a difference between a comedy and a farce, comedy being wit and pathos while farce is idiocy and “sophomoric” if you will. There are certain shows, like Two and a Half Men, which are very immoral in theri content. But, when you think about it, what’s so funny abot doing the right thing? I’m not trying to say that we should all be sinners because it’s funny, but where’s the humor in morality? If doing the right thing suddenly becomes comedic fodder, then the morality of our society really needs an overhaul.

Any comments?

 

[Newbie2]

Yep.

I bristle at that particular show, for a couple reasons. First, IMHO it just isn’t funny. Second, the moral content is absent.

However, when we consider farcical comedy, I can think of no better example than Monte Python. Now I’ll be the first to admit that when they branched out from the TV show into movies, their moral compass went south. Songs like “Every sperm is sacred” in The meaning of Life just went too far…but most of the rest of the movie was just silliness…and funny silliness at that.

I have to admit a certain amount of discomfort when watching “The LIfe of Brian”. To me, anyway, the lighthearted silliness of the movie skirted closely, very closely, to going over the line for me. For others, it went WAY over, and I respect that POV.

On one hand, the storyline verges on blasphemy (again, many consider it blatent blasphemy and I will not take issue with that)…but parts were just plain silly…and funny…like the roman guard taking Brian to task for not knowing his latin…the Jews “What have the Romans ever given us?” sketch…and I may do time in purgatory for this…Brian pleading that he is not the Messiah and a woman saying “Only the Messiah would not claim he is the Messiah”…and Brian, thinking he’s getting out of it by saying, “OK, (then) I am the Messiah” and the crowd all going wild and following him.

But I digress…

IMHO we can get roped in by something that’s “partly good”, particularly if they strike a funny bone. Look at all the gay characters on TV and in the movies now. How did they start out? Make a TV show with a funny gay character, and everybody will accept his lifestyle. Now we’re getting dramas that are trying to make us feel empathy for the gay character when his or her lifestyle is being challenged…more politics than drama methinks.

But again, I digress…

Bottom line, methinks, is that comedy can be used as a lighthearted way to get us to accept or at the very least minimize our objections to the lack of moral character of the TV characters. How can we object to something when it strikes our funny bone?

Satan works very cleverly through Hollywood.

 

[fons_vitae]

I’m surprised no one’s brought up satire yet. If you think about it, that’s an entire genre of comedy built around correcting human flaws and foibles.

Also, Two and Half Men isn’t funny.

 

[larkin31]

I’m surprised no one’s brought up satire yet. If you think about it, that’s an entire genre of comedy built around correcting human flaws and foibles.

Indeed. Traditional satire MUST have a moral to it by the end.

Comedy is very often built upon the idiosyncrasies and flaws of recognizable character types in a culture. Comedy does not always turn its message into a criticism of these idiosyncrasies (satire does this), but usually we are well are of the moral shortcomings of the characters, and we understand that we are suspending moral censure in order to simply have fun with the wit, repartee, punning, slapstick, etc. Comedy runs beneath moral concerns, not counter to them. If a viewer does not know that Charlie (2.5 men) is a man-whore and that Jake is a spoiled brat and that Allan is cheapskate, then that view must be a child. These shortcomings are a given, they are obviously wrong, and then we move on to the comedy (whether you think it is good or not).

Satire is more complex, more sophisticated, usually with more ridicule and greater thematic purpose. Traditional satire actually always offers a corrective, or solution, by the end, even if the characters do not invoke the changes.

Shakespearean comedies, actually (and many modern romantic comedies) are very traditional in basic morality. Sexually they are more permissive, but only slightly more, and the comedies/satires by the Greeks were very sexually bawdy–even while having a clear moral position.

There is plenty of morality in comedy–both yesterday and today.

 

[JackVk]

However, if any of you watch King of the Hill, there is much Christian morality in it. On the surface, it doesn’t seem funny, but that’s just because it’s not mindless, sophomoric humor like Family Guy. the humor is very, very dry. In the end of every episode, Hank ends up doing or convincing another character to do the right thing. I guess KotH is in a league of its own.

 

[edwest2]

Forget about the Greeks.

Today’s comedy is not about funny “ha ha” but pure politics and indoctrination.

Whoopi Goldberg treated her audience to an explanation of Leviticus during her act.

Cedric the Entertainer decided to pause during his “act” to put in a good word about gay marriage.

Jay and Silent Bob, those lovable, profanity spewing dope dealers want us to laugh along so we forget what the word shame actually means.

To suggest for a microsecond that Chris Rock going on and on about graphic sexual activity is funny is just wrong.

Louis Black. Now there’s a guy who needs to explain the Old Testament to us. The first topic I think about when I think about comedy.

Two and a Half Men? That leering, even my mom is a pervert, excuse for a fornication fantasy?

God bless,
Ed

 

[Newbie2]

However, if any of you watch King of the Hill, there is much Christian morality in it. On the surface, it doesn’t seem funny, but that’s just because it’s not mindless, sophomoric humor like Family Guy. the humor is very, very dry. In the end of every episode, Hank ends up doing or convincing another character to do the right thing. I guess KotH is in a league of its own.

I haven’t seen it in a while, but I agree.

Seems to me that most of those involved in Comedy today are lazy or stupid. They use profanity or immorality as a crutch. Come to think of it, maybe most of society is lazy or stupid. We, as a whole, do not demand higher quality entertainment by voting with our entertainment dollars.