Comedy is a genre that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter , especially in theatre , film , stand-up comedy , television , radio , books , or any other entertainment medium. The term originated in ancient Greece : In Athenian democracy , the public opinion of voters was influenced by political satire performed by comic poets in theaters . The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance pitting two groups, ages, genders, or societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old". A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions posing obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth then becomes constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to resort to ruses which engender dramatic irony , which provokes laughter.
60-542: Judge John Hodgman is a weekly, comedic court show podcast hosted by John Hodgman and Jesse Thorn . The show is distributed online by Maximum Fun . The program features host John Hodgman acting as a judge (with Jesse Thorn as bailiff ) adjudicating real-life disputes within a fictional courtroom setting. The cases answer low-stakes questions like, "Should the kitchen sink's built-in dispenser be filled with dish soap or hand soap?" and "Can you stop family members from using your childhood nickname?" "Tonally, there
120-508: A dispute (often over petty or trivial matters) between two people (calling in via Skype or similar program from their home location) in a virtual " courtroom " setting. Hodgman's co-host most episodes is " bailiff " Jesse Thorn , who introduces each episode, interjects humorous questions and observations during cases, and interviews the disputants before and after Hodgman's verdict is announced. Several episodes have also included notable " expert witnesses " who call in and offer their insight into
180-454: A good-humored polysyllabic literacy." Previously signed to Babygrande Records , Jean signed a deal in 2005 with Talib Kweli 's Blacksmith Records . On April 28, 2008, Grae posted a blog entry on MySpace saying goodbye to fans. Jean was disenchanted with the music industry and desired to start a family, but said that work on new material was ongoing. In July 2008, Talib Kweli posted a blog entry explaining Grae's album, mentioning that Grae
240-504: A hip hop group called Natural Resource along with rapper Ocean and disc jockey James "AGGIE" Barrett. In 1996, they released two 12-inch singles on their label, Makin' Records. They appeared on singles by Pumpkinhead and Bad Seed, as well as on the O.B.S. (Original Blunted Soldiers) double 12-inch single . They produced much of the material released under pseudonym "Run Run Shaw". Natural Resource dissolved in 1998, after which Jean changed her stage name from What? What? to Jean Grae,
300-495: A marionette to a hand puppet, and he became, really, a spirit of Britain — a subversive maverick who defies authority, a kind of puppet equivalent to our political cartoons ." In early 19th century England, pantomime acquired its present form which includes slapstick comedy and featured the first mainstream clown Joseph Grimaldi , while comedy routines also featured heavily in British music hall theatre which became popular in
360-610: A reference to the X-Men character Jean Grey . Jean released the LP , Attack of the Attacking Things, on August 6, 2002, and released This Week on September 21, 2004. Jean has recorded with major hip-hop artists such as Atmosphere , The Roots , Phonte , Mr. Len , Pharoahe Monch , The Herbaliser , Masta Ace and Immortal Technique . Grae recorded an album with North Carolina producer 9th Wonder , entitled Jeanius ;
420-473: A result, much of their art was intentionally amusing. A famous example is Marcel Duchamp 's Fountain (1917), an inverted urinal signed "R. Mutt". This became one of the most famous and influential pieces of art in history, and one of the earliest examples of the found object movement. It is also a joke, relying on the inversion of the item's function as expressed by its title as well as its incongruous presence in an art exhibition. The advent of cinema in
480-541: A subversion of audience's expectations, so that amusement is founded on unpredictability , separate from a logical analysis of the situation. The humour derived gets its appeal from the ridiculousness and unlikeliness of the situation. The genre has roots in Surrealism in the arts. Surreal humour is the effect of illogic and absurdity being used for humorous effect. Under such premises, people can identify precursors and early examples of surreal humour at least since
540-464: A sympathetic character. Aristotle divides comedy into three categories or subgenres: farce , romantic comedy , and satire . On the other hand, Plato taught that comedy is a destruction to the self. He believed that it produces an emotion that overrides rational self-control and learning. In The Republic , he says that the guardians of the state should avoid laughter, "for ordinarily when one abandons himself to violent laughter, his condition provokes
600-465: A violent reaction." Plato says comedy should be tightly controlled if one wants to achieve the ideal state. Also in Poetics , Aristotle defined comedy as one of the original four genres of literature . The other three genres are tragedy , epic poetry , and lyric poetry . Literature, in general, is defined by Aristotle as a mimesis , or imitation of life. Comedy is the third form of literature, being
660-666: Is an American former rapper. She rose in the underground hip hop scene in New York City and built an international fanbase. During her career, Grae's unique music and lyrical style earned recognition as a favorite emcee by many rap artists such as Talib Kweli , Jay-Z , and Black Thought of the Roots. Jean Grae was born Tsidi Ibrahim, in Cape Town , South Africa, on November 26, 1976. The child of South African jazz musicians Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim , Jean
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#1732798760020720-454: Is characterized by a form of humor that includes darker aspects of human behavior or human nature. Similarly scatological humor , sexual humor, and race humor create comedy by violating social conventions or taboos in comic ways, which can often be taken as offensive by the subjects of the joke. A comedy of manners typically takes as its subject a particular part of society (usually upper-class society) and uses humor to parody or satirize
780-573: Is fair." —John Hodgman Judge John Hodgman was originally a segment of the Maximum Fun podcast Jordan, Jesse Go! When Hodgman ended his podcast Today In The Past , he began Judge John Hodgman as a full-fledged podcast. The podcast launched in November 2010, and released its 500th episode in January 2021. In each episode, " Judge " John Hodgman hears and renders a judgment on
840-465: Is much laughter, there is also much wisdom. I have found myself laughing uproariously and nodding thoughtfully in the same episode." In 2013, Arizona muralist Joe Pagac created art for Judge John Hodgman entitled "Sexy Justice". "Sexy Justice" has since been made available via online retailer TopatoCo as prints. In 2014, Rolling Stone ranked Judge John Hodgman #15 in their list "The 20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now". Judge John Hodgman won
900-600: Is not available, his role has been filled by "Guest Bailiffs", including Scott Adsit , Elna Baker , Monte Belmonte , Elizabeth Gilbert , Jean Grae , Jordan Morris, Tom Scharpling , and Jake Tapper . " Expert witnesses " calling in to offer their insights into cases have included Kurt Braunohler , Alton Brown , Brother Ali , Jonathan Coulton , Dante, John Darnielle , Jane Espenson , Jonathan Goldstein , Jonathan Miles , Eugene Mirman , David Rees , Mary Roach , John Roderick , Paul F. Tompkins , Morgan Webb , and Jon Wurster . When Judge John Hodgman has been taken on
960-801: Is not only a genius, he is the man who originated slapstick comedy. We in Hollywood owe much to him." American vaudeville emerged in the 1880s and remained popular until the 1930s, and featured comedians such as W. C. Fields , Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers . Surreal humour (also known as 'absurdist humour'), or 'surreal comedy', is a form of humour predicated on deliberate violations of causal reasoning, producing events and behaviours that are obviously illogical . Constructions of surreal humour tend to involve bizarre juxtapositions, incongruity, non-sequiturs , irrational or absurd situations and expressions of nonsense . The humour arises from
1020-425: Is otherwise a serious commentary on the state of foreign relations serves to frame the segment comically, creating a serious tone underlying the comedic agenda presented by Stewart. Comedy may be divided into multiple genres based on the source of humor, the method of delivery, and the context in which it is delivered. The different forms of comedy often overlap, and most comedy can fit into multiple genres. Some of
1080-677: The Australian comedian Paul Hogan , famous for Crocodile Dundee . Other centres of creative comic activity have been the cinema of Hong Kong , Bollywood , and French farce . American television has also been an influential force in world comedy: with American series like M*A*S*H , Seinfeld and The Simpsons achieving large followings around the world. British television comedy also remains influential, with quintessential works including Fawlty Towers , Monty Python , Dad's Army , Blackadder , and The Office . Australian satirist Barry Humphries , whose comic creations include
1140-553: The Middle Ages , the term expanded to include narrative poems with happy endings. It is in this sense that Dante used the term in the title of his poem, La Commedia . As time progressed, the word came more and more to be associated with any sort of performance intended to cause laughter. During the Middle Ages, the term "comedy" became synonymous with satire , and later with humour in general. Aristotle's Poetics
1200-583: The Three Stooges , Abbott and Costello , Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis , Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller during the mid-20th century, to performers like George Carlin , Bill Cosby , Joan Rivers , Robin Williams , and Eddie Murphy toward the end of the century. Hollywood attracted many international talents like the British comics Peter Sellers , Dudley Moore and Sacha Baron Cohen , Canadian comics Dan Aykroyd , Jim Carrey , and Mike Myers , and
1260-461: The "art of reprehension", and made no reference to light and cheerful events, or to the troubling beginnings and happy endings associated with classical Greek comedy. After the Latin translations of the 12th century , the term "comedy" gained a more general meaning in medieval literature . In the late 20th century, many scholars preferred to use the term laughter to refer to the whole gamut of
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#17327987600201320-568: The 1850s. British comedians who honed their skills in music hall sketches include Charlie Chaplin , Stan Laurel and Dan Leno . English music hall comedian and theatre impresario Fred Karno developed a form of sketch comedy without dialogue in the 1890s, and Chaplin and Laurel were among the comedians who worked for his company. Karno was a pioneer of slapstick , and in his biography, Laurel stated, "Fred Karno didn't teach Charlie [Chaplin] and me all we know about comedy. He just taught us most of it". Film producer Hal Roach stated: "Fred Karno
1380-524: The 19th century, such as Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass , which both use illogic and absurdity ( hookah -smoking caterpillars , croquet matches using live flamingos as mallets, etc.) for humorous effect. Many of Edward Lear 's children stories and poems contain nonsense and are basically surreal in approach. For example, The Story of
1440-529: The 2020 Webby Award for Comedy in the category Podcasts. Comedy Satire and political satire use comedy to portray people or social institutions as ridiculous or corrupt, thus alienating their audience from the object of their humor. Parody subverts popular genres and forms, critiquing those forms without necessarily condemning them. Other forms of comedy include screwball comedy , which derives its humor largely from bizarre, surprising (and improbable) situations or characters, and black comedy , which
1500-571: The Four Little Children Who Went Round the World (1871) is filled with contradictory statements and odd images intended to provoke amusement, such as the following: After a time they saw some land at a distance; and when they came to it, they found it was an island made of water quite surrounded by earth. Besides that, it was bordered by evanescent isthmuses with a great Gulf-stream running about all over it, so that it
1560-670: The Neapolitan stock character of Pulcinella . The figure who later became Mr. Punch made his first recorded appearance in England in 1662. Punch and Judy are performed in the spirit of outrageous comedy — often provoking shocked laughter — and are dominated by the anarchic clowning of Mr. Punch. Appearing at a significant period in British history, professor Glyn Edwards states: "[Pulcinella] went down particularly well with Restoration British audiences, fun-starved after years of Puritanism . We soon changed Punch's name, transformed him from
1620-417: The aims. "Comedy", in its Elizabethan usage, had a very different meaning from modern comedy. A Shakespearean comedy is one that has a happy ending, usually involving marriages between the unmarried characters, and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare's other plays. The Punch and Judy show has roots in the 16th-century Italian commedia dell'arte . The figure of Punch derives from
1680-570: The behavior and mannerisms of its members. Romantic comedy is a popular genre that depicts burgeoning romance in humorous terms and focuses on the foibles of those who are falling in love. Dean Rubin says the word "comedy" is derived from the Classical Greek κωμῳδία kōmōidía , which is a compound of κῶμος kômos (revel) and ᾠδή ōidḗ (singing; ode). The adjective "comic" (Greek κωμικός kōmikós), which strictly means that which relates to comedy is, in modern usage, generally confined to
1740-420: The case. Though Hodgman has no formal legal training or experience (often describing himself as dispensing "fake internet justice"), and much of the content is played for laughs and entertainment, the disputants in each episode do verbally agree to abide by Hodgman's ruling before their case is heard. The NPR show All Things Considered reported, "The show is a vehicle for comedy, but Hodgman and Thorn both say
1800-462: The charitable attitude towards people that is required for purposes of persuasion and co-operation, but at the same time maintains our shrewdness concerning the simplicities of 'cashing in. ' " The purpose of the comic frame is to satirize a given circumstance and promote change by doing so. The comic frame makes fun of situations and people, while simultaneously provoking thought. The comic frame does not aim to vilify in its analysis, but rather, rebuke
1860-868: The circus clown also continued, with such as Bozo the Clown in the United States and Oleg Popov in Russia. Radio provided new possibilities — with Britain producing the influential surreal humour of the Goon Show after the Second World War. The Goons' influence spread to the American radio and recording troupe the Firesign Theatre . American cinema has produced a great number of globally renowned comedy artists, from Laurel and Hardy ,
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1920-487: The civilization of a country ... I take to be the flourishing of the Comic idea and Comedy, and the test of true Comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter." Laughter is said to be the cure for being sick. Studies show that people who laugh more often get sick less. American literary theorist Kenneth Burke writes that the "comic frame" in rhetoric is "neither wholly euphemistic, nor wholly debunking—hence it provides
1980-495: The comic, in order to avoid the use of ambiguous and problematically defined genres such as the grotesque , irony , and satire . Starting from 425 BCE, Aristophanes , a comic play and satirical author of the Ancient Greek Theater , wrote 40 comedies, 11 of which survive. Aristophanes developed his type of comedy from the earlier satyr plays , which were often highly obscene . The only surviving examples of
2040-555: The current evidency to incorporate all instances of the comic in the analysis, while the classification in genres and fields such as grotesque, humour and even irony or satire always poses problems. The terms humour and laughter are therefore pragmatically used in recent historiography to cover the entire spectrum. That Comedy sprang up and took shape in connection with Dionysiac or Phallic ritual has never been doubted. Jean Grae Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known professionally as Jean Grae (formerly What? What? ),
2100-418: The housewife and "gigastar" Dame Edna Everage , for his delivery of Dadaist and absurdist humour to millions, was described by biographer Anne Pender in 2010 as not only "the most significant theatrical figure of our time ... [but] the most significant comedian to emerge since Charlie Chaplin ". By 200 BC, in ancient Sanskrit drama , Bharata Muni 's Natya Shastra defined humour ( hāsyam ) as one of
2160-413: The late 19th century, and later radio and television in the 20th century broadened the access of comedians to the general public. Charlie Chaplin , through silent film, became one of the best-known faces on Earth. The silent tradition lived on well into the late 20th century through mime artists like Marcel Marceau , and the slapstick comedy of artists like Rowan Atkinson (as Mr. Bean ). The tradition of
2220-562: The media, from outlets including Rolling Stone, NPR's All Things Considered, HuffPost, Vox, Splendry, BoingBoing and Boston Magazine. In November 2010, Boing Boing ' s Mark Frauenfelder wrote "Only three episodes of the Judge John Hodgman podcast have been produced, but I know that it's going to be one of my favorites." Boston 's Thomas Lewis called Judge John Hodgman a "hilarious podcast". A 2017 review on Splendry wrote, "Yes, these are silly disputes. And while there
2280-400: The most divorced from a true mimesis. Tragedy is the truest mimesis, followed by epic poetry, comedy, and lyric poetry. The genre of comedy is defined by a certain pattern according to Aristotle's definition. Comedies begin with low or base characters seeking insignificant aims and end with some accomplishment of the aims which either lightens the initial baseness or reveals the insignificance of
2340-441: The nine nava rasas , or principle rasas (emotional responses), which can be inspired in the audience by bhavas , the imitations of emotions that the actors perform. Each rasa was associated with a specific bhavas portrayed on stage. In the case of humour, it was associated with mirth ( hasya ). The phenomena connected with laughter and that which provokes it have been carefully investigated by psychologists. They agree
2400-756: The online sitcom Life with Jeanie . In 2013, Jean had a supporting role in indie film Big Words and in 2015 appeared on the And The Crime Ring episode of CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls . On October 2, 2016, Jean hosted the Golden Probes. On September 9, 2018, Grae and Quelle Chris released their 15 track joint album Everything's Fine , rated by Rolling Stone as the 22nd best Hip Hop Album of 2018. In recent years, Grae has distanced herself from her former hip-hop career. On December 3, 2017, Grae got engaged to fellow rapper and producer Quelle Chris . On August 5, 2018, they were married at
2460-418: The origins of comedy are obscure because it was not treated seriously from its inception. However, comedy had its own Muse : Thalia . Aristotle taught that comedy was generally positive for society, since it brings forth happiness, which for Aristotle was the ideal state, the final goal in any activity. For Aristotle, a comedy did not need to involve sexual humor. A comedy is about the fortunate rise of
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2520-414: The podcast has an earnest side, too. Jokes aside, they say, Hodgman really does take the job of fake internet judge seriously. 'The best Judge John Hodgman cases,' Thorn says, 'are always about the relationship between the litigants.'" There are also separate episodes in which Hodgman and Thorn "clear the docket ", discussing and ruling on cases which were not selected for a full hearing. When Jesse Thorn
2580-605: The podcast released its 500th episode. In January 2011, two cases involving participants on the Jonathan Coulton Cruise Crazy were adjudicated by Judge John Hodgman and posted on YouTube . Since October 2015, Judge John Hodgman has appeared as a newspaper column in The New York Times Magazine every Sunday, in which Hodgman settles disputes in a similar fashion. Topics range from appropriate household toilet paper quotas to
2640-497: The predominant characteristics are incongruity or contrast in the object and shock or emotional seizure on the part of the subject. It has also been held that the feeling of superiority is an essential factor: thus Thomas Hobbes speaks of laughter as a "sudden glory". Modern investigators have paid much attention to the origin both of laughter and of smiling, as well as the development of the "play instinct" and its emotional expression. George Meredith said that "One excellent test of
2700-675: The proper way to wear a wedding band. Judge John Hodgman has held live recordings on numerous occasions in Canada, the US and UK. In the U.S. the show has been held in venues ranging from 1000-1400 seats, including Boston's Wilbur Theatre, San Francisco's Castro Theatre, Seattle's Neptune Theatre and Brooklyn's Murmrr Theatre. In September 2017 two shows were held live at the London Podcast Festival at Kings Place , London , England . Judge John Hodgman has received critical praise in
2760-447: The road and performed in front of a live audience, one or more musical guests have been invited to perform after or in between cases. These performers include John Darnielle , Jonathan Coulton , Jean Grae , Mr. Len , John Vanderslice , and MeLa Machinko. On occasions that Hodgman was not available to record an episode, Jesse Thorn has acted as judge, with Jordan Morris of Jordan, Jesse, Go! filling in as bailiff. In January 2021,
2820-428: The same role. Self-deprecation is a technique of comedy used by many comedians who focus on their misfortunes and foibles in order to entertain. Stand-up comedy is a mode of comic performance in which the performer addresses the audience directly, usually speaking in their own person rather than as a dramatic character . The deliberate use by Menard of the term 'le rire' rather than 'l'humour' reflects accurately
2880-441: The satyr plays are by Euripides , which are much later examples and not representative of the genre. In ancient Greece, comedy originated in bawdy and ribald songs or recitations apropos of phallic processions and fertility festivals or gatherings. Around 335 BCE, Aristotle , in his work Poetics , stated that comedy originated in phallic processions and the light treatment of the otherwise base and ugly. He also adds that
2940-453: The sense of "laughter-provoking". Of this, the word came into modern usage through the Latin comoedia and Italian commedia and has, over time, passed through various shades of meaning. The Greeks and Romans confined their use of the word "comedy" to descriptions of stage-plays with happy endings. Aristotle defined comedy as an imitation of men worse than the average (where tragedy
3000-664: The stupidity and foolery of those involved in the circumstances. For example, on The Daily Show , Jon Stewart uses the "comic frame" to intervene in political arguments, often offering crude humor in sudden contrast to serious news. In a segment on President Obama 's trip to China, Stewart remarks on America's debt to the Chinese government while also having a weak relationship with the country. After depicting this dismal situation, Stewart shifts to speak directly to President Obama, calling upon him to "shine that turd up." For Stewart and his audience, introducing coarse language into what
3060-529: The subgenres of comedy are farce , comedy of manners , burlesque , and satire . Some comedy apes certain cultural forms: for instance, parody and satire often imitate the conventions of the genre they are parodying or satirizing. For example, in the United States, parodies of newspapers and television news include The Onion , and The Colbert Report ; in Australia, shows such as Kath & Kim , Utopia , and Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell perform
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#17327987600203120-413: The unfinished recording was leaked online, and work stopped. However, at a release party for 9th Wonder's Dream Merchant Volume 2, Jean stated that Jeanius was still going to be released. It was released on June 24, 2008 on Zune Live Marketplace, then on disc on July 8, 2008. Jean's rapping was described by Robert Christgau as "remarkable for its rapidity, clarity and idiomatic cadence. The writing has
3180-445: The way you guys are allowed to be involved, since it IS the digital age." Since then, Jean's music has been self-released through the artist's website and Bandcamp . On June 25, 2011, Grae released a free mixtape entitled Cookies or Comas , which features guest appearances from Styles P , Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch; it also includes "Assassins" from Monch's W.A.R. album and "Uh Oh" From Talib Kweli's Gutter Rainbows . This
3240-459: Was an imitation of men better than the average). However, the characters portrayed in comedies were not worse than average in every way, only insofar as they are Ridiculous, which is a species of the Ugly. The Ridiculous may be defined as a mistake or deformity not productive of pain or harm to others; the mask, for instance, that excites laughter is something ugly and distorted without causing pain. In
3300-543: Was followed by the 10-track Dust Ruffle on January 2, 2013, featuring unreleased songs from 2004 to 2010. Between October and November 2013, Grae released EPs titled Gotham Down Cycle 1: Love in Infinity (Lo-Fi) , Gotham Down Cycle II: Leviathan , Gotham Down Cycle 3: The Artemis Epoch . In December 2013, Jean combined them into Gotham Down Deluxe . Grae branched out from music, releasing audiobook The State of Eh in January 2014, and writing, directing and starring in
3360-402: Was no discussion; I just don't know any other way to do it. I don't want to make people feel bad, and I don't want to make their problems into a joke. I do love telling people when they're right and wrong, but for the most part, it was always going to be about real fights where people have a real difference of opinion and a real dispute. I want to make jokes, but I also want to make a decision that
3420-401: Was not retiring. He encouraged fans to purchase the album, referring to Grae as "one of the last true MCs left." Grae returned to doing live performances later that year. On September 18, 2008, Grae posted a Craigslist ad offering creative services for $ 800/16 bars. On a blog, Jean stated, "I don't wanna complain anymore, I just wanna change some things about the way artists are treated and
3480-441: Was perfectly beautiful, and contained only a single tree, 503 feet high. In the early 20th century, several avant-garde movements, including the dadaists , surrealists , and futurists , began to argue for an art that was random, jarring and illogical. The goals of these movements were in some sense serious, and they were committed to undermining the solemnity and self-satisfaction of the contemporary artistic establishment . As
3540-651: Was raised in New York City, where the family moved after Jean's birth. Grae studied Vocal Performance at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School , before studying a Major in Music Business at New York University ; dropping out after three weeks of class. In 1995, Jean was discovered by George Rithm Martinez when he recruited the artist for a five-song demo in his group Ground Zero. The demo earned "Unsigned Hype" honors in The Source in March 1996. Jean later joined
3600-409: Was translated into Arabic in the medieval Islamic world , where it was elaborated upon by Arabic writers and Islamic philosophers , such as Abu Bishr , and his pupils Al-Farabi , Avicenna , and Averroes . They disassociated comedy from Greek dramatic representation and instead identified it with Arabic poetic themes and forms, such as hija (satirical poetry). They viewed comedy as simply
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