DDD
13,600 / 20,000 (68%)


Samba story
7,926 / 8,000 (99.1%)


S.M. (Book 1)
580 / 10,000 (5.8%)


S.M. (Book 2)
1,010 / 10,000 (10%)


Runes
4,032 / 10,000 (40.5%)


ASPCA Day is April 10

www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called hunks. Make your own badge here.

Template by: © 2006  Thur Broeders

Powered by Blogger

Feed

My Photo
Name:
Location: Puerto Rico

Friday, December 16, 2005

It's funny, isn't it?

In my last post I talked about what is considered a romantic comedy. Now, after re-reading some of the comments left in my BOS entry and reading some of the posts left to my previous entry, I'm pondering anew about what's comedy. I've come to the conclusion that comedy is funny. However, what's considered funny varies from person to person. While some expect to find the hero and heroine in ridiculous situations, others find humor in just the simple facts.

But the concept of comedy is not just a personal thing. I've realized that humor is a cultural thing, varying from one culture to another. What Americans find funny, Latins don't, and viceversa. British humor is different from American. Even within the same culture the concept of humor and comedy changes. An African-American might find something funny, but a Mexican-American might not. Also there's a difference in perception within social classes. Rich people might think something is funny, but poor people don't. There's no such thing as an universal concept of humor.

Come to think of it, writing a romantic comedy is harder than I thought. I might write something that I might consider funny but others might considered absurd or simply not funny. How can you write a humorous situation when not one person might perceived it the same way? How does a romance comedy writer know when the story will appeal and therefore sell? Where to draw the line?

Comments on "It's funny, isn't it?"

 

Blogger Jordan Summers said ... (1:52 PM) : 

People who write comedy for the masses rely on 'universal' appeal to get a laugh. Some things are universal and cross cultural, religious, and economic boundary lines. For example, family. Most people can understand family dynamics, even if their personal experiences vary. There's a book on the market about writing comedy. I can't remember the exact title (something comedy toolbox), but you may want to check it out. When I write something humorous, I'm only concerned about whether I find it funny.

 

Blogger Silma said ... (2:58 PM) : 

Oh thanks for the tip, Jordan! I'm gonna check it on Barnes & Nobles to see if I can find the book.

 

post a comment