A GLOSSARY OF TERMS [Some adapted from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition, 2000; other from America's Humor: From Poor Richard to Doonesbury, by Walter Blair ad Hamlin Hill, copyright 1978, Oxford University Press]
All of the following terms are used to describe the various forms of humor. Understanding the distinctions is important, since Satire is our primary focus and it is often confused with the others. Also, these other forms are sometimes used in conjunction with satire.
Alazon In Greek drama, the opposite of the Eiron. Aristotle explained that the alazon was apt to "claim the things that bring glory when he hadn't really done them, or claim more than he had actually done." The term identifies the archetypical boaster. Max Eastman defined the character as "blustering, swanking, cock-and-bull-story-telling lad like Davy Crockett or his biographers...the loudmouth backwoodsman,'gamecock of the wilderness' with his tall tales and preposterous asseverations (claims) of prowess." In modern comedy, the alazon can also be a professional ledant or a show-off physician or scientist. In satire, he is often the blowhard politician depicted in films like Dr. Strangelove, Wag the Dog, Dave, Bulworth, and Bob Roberts.
Blue Collar Comedy A type of comedy named by Jeff Foxworthy who toured with three other comedians (Bill Engvall, Ron White, and Larry the Cable Guy) that centered around Foxworthy's jokes and stories about life as a redneck, Engvall's comedy about stupidity, Larry's one-liners based on southern stereotypes, and White's comedy based on personal experiences underscored by his smoking/drinking Southern persona. They basically present themselves as stereotypical "good ole boys."
Borscht Belt
This term refers to the cluster of resorts in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York which were a popular summer vacation spot for Jews living in New York. Just a few of the comedians (there were too many to mention) Who got their start here include Woody Allen, Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, Lenny Bruce, George Burns, Rodney Dangerfield, Phyllis Diller, Jerry Lewis, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Jonathan Winters, and Henny Youngman. The term is also used to refer to a style of humor that is rapid-fire and self-deprecating with themes which eventually made their weay into the mainstream like bad luck stories, puns, physical complaints, aggravating relatives and nagging wives.
Burlesque A humorous stage show featuring slapstick, skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and scantily clad females. Popular in the early 20th century, by the 1930's it had devolved into what was essentially a striptease show.
Black Humor (aka Black Comedy, Dark Comedy) A shocking yet funny form of humor which involves the use of irony and/or fatalism. (Kenny, from South Park, being repeatedly killed is a good example.) Dr. Strangelove is one of the best examples of a Dark Comedy.
Burlesque An exaggerated imitation of a serious subject done in an undignified style; the term may also refer to a specific type of variety show popular in the 1930’ and 40’s which featured comedians and scantily-dressed dancers (often strippers).
Here's an overview of the burlesque style which included songs, dancers, and skits.
Caricature The representation of a subject through its distinctive features which are deliberately exaggerated to create a comic effect. Though most often used in reference to a drawing, the term is sometimes applied to a perfrmance style.
[Visit this site to see a variety of caricatures of President Bush. Note what they have in common.]
Cartoon Usually a humorous drawing accompanied by a caption, or an animated film or comic strip.
Clown An entertainer dressed in exaggerated costume and make up, performing ludicrous stunts and using slapstick and usually appearing in a circus. [In common terms, the word is used as a metaphor to describe anyone who 'clowns around' (i.e. acts like a clown might, but without the costume and make-up) or is a buffoon.]
Drag A form of humor popular in the gay community; a man dresses as a woman, usually exaggerating some features, for comic effect.
Eiron Opposite of the alazon. This archetype is the character who always makes himself out to be worse off than he was. Max Eastamn calls him the "soft-spoken, poker-faced boy, canny and restrained, who always has something more in mind than what he's telling you.
Folklore This term generally is used to refer to folktales, myths and legends, tall tales, and ghost stories that are passed from generation to generation.
Frontier Humor A kind of humor with roots in the oral traditions of frontier villages, riverboats, mining camps, and around the cowboy campfires. The humor usually consisted of exaggerations and boasts and were generally located in the Southwest and the Pacific Coast. The stories included colorful characters like Mike Fink, a Mississippi riverboat captain; Casey Jones, the brave railroad engineer; John Henry, the steel-driving African-American; Paul Bunyan, the giant logger; Kit Carson, the Indian fighter, and Davy Crockett, the scout. In addition to the stories their tales were often sung about in ballads, written about newspapers, and magazines and occasionally published in book form.
Hoax A deliberate attempt to deceive people into believing that something is real that is not. (In magic the audience is aware it is being deceived; they expect to be tricked.) Famous hoaxes include the Cardiff Giant, Orson Welles' radio broadcast on October 30, 1938 of The War of the Worlds, the Piltown Man, the Hitler Diaries, Crop Circles, and Clifford Irving's biography of Howard Hughes.
Joke A brief narrative with a twist at the end that provokes laughter. These come in various formats, most commonly the one-liner, the jokes that follow a standard format (knock-knock jokes, lightbulb jokes, etc.), and those based on ethnic or character stereotypes (Polish jokes, Blonde jokes, etc.).
Examples:
One-Liner
"My wife dresses to kill; she cooks the same way." [Henny Youngman]
Lightbulb Joke:
Q: How many Waiters does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None, even a burned out bulb can't catch a waiters eye.
Knock-Knock Joke:
Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Element.
Element who?
Element to tell you that she can't see you today.
Joke
Once upon a time, a woman had a faithful cat. And one day, a guy ran over the cat with his horse drawn carriage. So, the man went to the old woman and said."I'm terribly sorry about your cat. I'd like to replace him."
"That so nice of you!" said the old woman, deeply touched. "So how good are you at catching mice?"
Late Night (Television) An historic staple of American Comedy which began in the q950's with Jerry Lester's Broadway Open House, continued with The Tonight Show with Steve Allen, then Jack Paar, Johnny Caron, and Jay Leno. The clip below is from an exchange between Johnny Carson and Ed McNahon, his longtime 'sidekick.'
Parody An imitation of a usually serious literary or musical work. The 'Scary Movie' series of films are parodies of other well-known films, as are the classic film 'Airplane" and 'Spaceballs.'
Here's a parody of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" done by Madtv.
Pathos Pathos applies to any work that arouses the emotions of pity or sorrow. Charlie Chaplin's tramp was best known for bringing pathos into comedy. Although we're laughing at the character, we simultaneously feel sorry for him. A classic scene shows him as a homeless, starving man who, with nothing left, must eat his shoe. He plays out the scene pretending he is in an elegant restaurant, with the shoe's laces as spagheti and the tongue as a slice of beef. It's comical and sad at the same time.
Here'the first half of Chaplin's classic "The Tramp":
Phunny Phellows A term applied to humorists from 1870 to the turn of the century. Their focus was on the movement toward a national identity (as opposed to a focus on individual states or regions.) Among them was Artemus Ward (real name: Charles Farrar Browne) who wrote for a humor magazine called The Carpet Bag. Vanity Fair, another humor magazine, achieved popularity during this time. Other humorists of the period included Henry Wheeler (creator of the character Josh Billings), David Ross Locke (creator of the character Petroleum Vessuvius Nasby), and Charles Henry Smith (creator of the character Bill Arp).
Purple Cow School Derived from the poem by Gelett Burgess:
I never saw a Purple Cow
I never Hope to See One;
But I can Tell you, Anyhow
I'd rather See than Be One
These humorists were the precursors to the modern day writers of Mad Magazine and National Lampoon, producing zany humor often described as flippant, unconventional, curious, quaint, and preposterous. Some of the more famous writers of the 20th century got their start with the little magazines published during this period (The Lark, The Phillistine, and The Chap Book
Roast A performance event at which comedic insults, outlandish stories, and other offesnive remarks are made about a person (usually a comedian) who is thus 'honored' by his or her fellow comics. They were started in the 1920's by the Friars Club (an organization founded in 1904, composed of comedians and a few other celebrities). They were usually held in private, but in the 1960's, Dean Martin began having them as a segment on his TV show. (Of course, they were toned down for television.) Most recently, Comedy Central has begun airing them.
Sarcasm A remark usually made with the intention of belittling, hurting or ridiculing someone. Example: "She had lost the art of conversation, but not, unfortunately, the power of speech." — George Barnard Shaw
Here's a short video called "Sarcasm for Dummies" and see if you get it. :-)
Satire The use of irony, derision, or wit to attack a social institution; satire reveals flaws and intends to move the reader/viewer/listener to action. Here's an example of satire from the pen of Mark Twain Running for Governor.
Situation Comedy (sometimes called a sitcom)
A series of radio or television shows showing a regular cast of characters in comic situations, such as misunderstandings or embarrassing coincidences. Examples:I Love Lucy; Cheers; Friends; Fraser.
Watch this classic segment from "I Love Lucy." In this "situation" Lucy and Ethel take jobs in a candy factory.
Skit A short comic "play" most often with two characters; one is the 'straight man' and the other is the comic.
Here's a clip of George Burns and Gracie Allen. As always, George is the straight man. Notice how he sets up the jokes for Gracie
Slapstick A form of comedy marked by chases, crashes, crude practical jokes, and pratfalls. The Three Stooges represent the most basic form of slapstick.
Watch this demonstration by Dick Van Dyke (from his TV Show) of slapstick.
Tall Tale A type of storytelling with origins in the bragging contests that occurred when men gathered on the American frontier. The story often explains the reason for some natural phenomenon or illustrates the skill, intelligence, or power of the subject of the tale. Usually, these were the tales of legendary figures like Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan. [See The Big bear of Arkansas for a classic example.]
Vaudeville A show consisting of a mixture of acts, including singers, dancers, comedians (often in short skits), and sometimes other performers.
Watch this example of a classic vaudeville skit.
Wit A clever remark or comeback demanding some intellectual consideration for their appreciation. Mark twain said "Wit is the sudden marriage of ideas which, before their union, were not perceived to have any relation." [For more on wit and writers considered wits read the late Molly Ivins article The Science of Comedy].
