2. Visit at least 10 peer blogs and offer some feedback regarding their strongest work. Copy and paste your comments as #2 here to aid in accounting for them.
Intermission: If you have headphones, proceed to step 3. If you do not, proceed to step 5 and (hopefully) borrow some headphones toward the end of the period. I do not want audio playing out loud; it's too distracting.
3. If you have headphones, view clips from The Colbert Report (a television show and a favorite of Mr. Grasso). Write a concise paragraph analyzing Colbert's brand of comedy. Describe his brand of satire and the persona he uses to achieve it. What other tools or devices does he use to produce this satire? Cite specific examples.
4. Find the "Lazy Sunday" music video from Saturday Night Live. View it and construct a brief paragraph analyzing its satirical effect. Hint: it appears to satirize at least two different entities. What other tools or devices does he use to produce this satire? Cite specific examples.
5. Click here to read a clever and comedic approach to the college entrance essay. Write a thesis statement for it.
6. I'm a visual learner, and so are many of you. We all know that "pictures are worth a thousand words"; let's prove this hypothesis. Click here and peruse the images. Then construct a 1000 word (just kidding; let's aim for 100-word) analysis of what precisely is so awkward and comedic about your favorite snapshot among these images. Can you actually pinpoint and articulate the precise visual elements that contribute to such awkwardness? Don't get too distracted- this website is addictive.
7. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will revisit and steer our journal-writing in the direction of a 5-minute stand-up comedy routine. You may choose to write this routine and submit it for a quiz grade (wimpy, boring) or perform it for a test grade (awesome). Take some time to browse the web for some tips on constructing such a routine. Note the valuable tips and give credit to the sites.
18 comments:
Kendyl Cutler
2
1. Ali H: I love your idea of how to stop eatting disorders! It's actually really funnny; I love your sarcasm. People should really look into this :P
2. Allie B: You have a good use of vocabulary. You used the adjectives well with the literary devices and it makes a lot of sense (:
3. Amanda M: That's pretty funny, that really happened? That kind of sucks haha.
4. Cassie H: I legit love this idea so much and I love your sense of humor. It's wicked unique. Keep it up (:
5. Kayla L: You literally crack me up Kayla. You're super funny and your humor is awesome. I love this idea and I agree lol.
6. Colin F: This is pretty funny! I love the idea and like how you chose to propose something to fix the war situation. Good job(:
7. Hannah C: This is really good and well thought out. It makes sense and I love your sense of vocabulary.
8. Kevin R: I love the picture it's so funny :P. You did a good job analyzing the piece. It's defiantly unique.
9. Scott C: This is really well thought out and has good use of vocabulary. Great job(:
10. Ian M: Both of your universal ideas are really good and different than everyone else's. You took the obvious idea of the pieces and worded them in different ways. (:
3
In “The Colbert Report” episodes, Colbert uses nonchalant sarcasm, extreme satire, and dry humor in order to display the ridiculousness of the world and issues that are going on today. He emphasizes how ridiculous some people seem if one looks into it more. This is shown when he uses strange hand movements in order to mock another person and how they talk with their hands too much. Some people may seem like they know what they are talking about, but Colbert looks into their ridiculousness and makes them seem less intelligent. Even when something being talked about is not so funny, maybe even boring, Colbert makes it interesting. He does anything he can to make a situation funny. He’s a great comedian.
Samuel Carignan Comic Spirit
part 2: was not able to post because the people must aprove of the comments
part 3: in library so youtube was not available
part 4: again youtube not available
part 5: In the college aplication written by Hugh Gallagher, he proves that taking a risk and being interesting can be an uncertain process but well deserving. Gallagher shows this by demonsrating exaggeration, characterization and well uses acts of convinving to show that he was more exciting than what he actually was.
part 6: The picture labeled “The Look of Love” is the most humorous of all the photos for many reasons. First, the people in the phote give a very wacky sense to the picture. This is due mostly because of how the two children have a strange face and the husband and wife, who are soppose to love eachother, are looking at eachother as if one of them is going to kill the other. Secondly, the background itself also helps to give a feeling of normality to the picture. The house that they are in looks like it could belong to anyones which gives a felling of similiarity between the viewer and the photo. This also provides comedy because most pictures are funnier if you can relate to them. It is this contrast between the people being wacky and the normal background that provide a comic effect to the photograph.
4
In the video “Lazy Sunday”, SNL uses random humor, casual satire, and musical comedy in order to display the odd things that people do on their Sundays when they are not so “popular”. They make fun of the nerdy things some people do with their lives and how much time it takes up. They say how people go crazy over cupcakes. They also make fun of people who spend time watching The Chronicles of Narnia.
5
In the college essay, “The Greatest College Application Ever”, Hugh Gallagher uses casual satire, extreme hyperbole, and strange irony in order to get accepted to a college by using their sense of humor that wasn’t supposed to be taken seriously, but by using great sense of vocabulary and sarcasm.
6
Within Awkward Family Photos, there are many awkward people for sure. What makes them so awkward is the fact that some of the people are so serious about what’s going on in the photo. Some people are dressed up in costumes. It’s awkward because they look like they are so into it and like it’s a school photo and should be taken seriously. Other photos are awkward because the people in front are serious, but there’s something weird happening in the background. Another reason why it’s awkward is because some of the pictures are supposed to be serious wedding pictures and the lovely couple is arguing in them.
2.I like your quotes that you used for examples as well as the different devices that you used to explain what Hayley brings to the comic effect.-Ali H.
Besides the length, this was well written. The quotes chosen back up your thesis and provide humor when being described. Good job! –Peter L.
This is really well written. The quotes you chose about Manny describe his personality perfectly and they provide humor as well. Your word choice helps with the adjectives and you ended your analyis nicely. –Kayla L.
I liked the devices that you used; they matched up with Phil's personality. Your quotes were also well picked and they backed up your devices in the thesis. Good job :)-Cassie H.
I agree with you, Cam is an important part of the show. You described his traits well and your quotes back them up well. –Cassie S.
I like the quotes you used, they helped highlight the traits of Mitchell. Ashley D.
I agree that Phil is an important character. The devices you used were chosen well.- Justin F.
Good job on your proposal! it was very funny to read, but it could be longer –Hannah C.
This was enjoyable to read. It was very funny, good job –Mike R.
This is well written. The devices you used were well done, and the quotes backed up the devices. Good job. –Tyler O.
2. I forgot to copy and paste the comments I wrote on the blogs. You just told me to remind you on here. Thanks
#2
Ali h-I would advise maybe transitioning this quote “Holá Gloria, gracias for coming over”, into the sentence you used better, instead of just using a semi colon. Other than that I think you did a good job!
Amelia -On the count of the fact that you only relate Jay as a foil to Phil, you might want to specifically mention Jay in your thesis for that.
Cassie H-I like how for you topic sentences, you specifically provided an example to what you wrote in your thesis, which isn’t really normal, but totally works well, and I’d say, in your favor.
Cassie S-If you want to describe Cameron in the show, you might want to either put your thesis at the end of the beginning of that paragraph, or think of just putting those descriptions to help you support and prove your thesis
Colleen Burke -I really like your analysis for the character of Gloria, but I would maybe use at least one supporting quote in each paragraph
Hannah C-I like your modest proposal and how you tied in something you really deal with everyday. It was smart!
Kendyl -I like how for your modest proposal you used an issue people have been trying to fix for many years, and still have not really gotten anywhere that really does need to be fixed.
Samantha G-I like how you chose to talk about eating disorders, which is a growing problem in todays society. And I like the humor you did attack it with, but mentioning that the facilities will be ran by mcdonalds, wendys and burger king
Peter Le-So far, I think your character analysis has a good start, and if you finish it I think it will be really good
Connor M-I like how for your swift analysis you ended with a question.
#5
Having a huge imagination that exceeds most young children, senior student Hugh Gallagher employs insightful humor, indefinite risk, and hilarious exaggeration to illustrate how he is in fact the perfect applicant for college, who will never fail at creating new ideas to help expand the college, and even possibly change the world.
Feedback
1. I completely agree with you, Phil makes the show. Well written.
2. I found this to be really funny, I like the Red Forman reference.
3. I strongly agree with you, this is a good idea.
4. I’ve had similar encounters with electric fences, this was really funny.
5. This is very ironic and true, well written.
6. This is really funny and true, very descriptive.
7. This is a good idea to solve those types of eating disorders.
8. This is really funny, I like the “you know I’m going to have to clean that up” part the best.
9. Very funny picture, well written.
10. I like your thesis statement, it is very to the point.
#2
Ashley d. -I like this entry the most, it's fun to read and I totally agree with what you say:)
Cassie H.- I think it's so good. You wrote down your thoughts really detailed and I like that.
Amelia M.- although you sometimes repeated yourself, I like this post the most. You picked a good subject to write about and found a nice Solution :)
Kayla L.- This is really good. It’s obvious that you are great at finding nice words and form beautiful sentences with them.
Sam C.- I think that this is a nice story, although there are somespelling mistakes in it.
Kendyl C.- I really like your Idea of sending everyone living in the woods to save the planet.
Eric L.- That's so funny. I really like the way you add secondary details that make the story even better.
Ali H.- You came up with a great solution. I am really impressed how well you developed the different paragraphs, describing the different stages.
Stefen. - I just love your proposal. It's so funny.
Peter L.- I really like it, although it's a little short
#2 comments:
1. Cassie Hynes’ character analysis: Nice incorporation of quotes, solid analysis. Consider adding more to the opening paragraph.
2. Inken’s character analysis: Rework thesis and add a profound thought. Nice examples and analysis overall.
3. Kendyl’s character analysis: Very good points-Mitchell definitely does serve as a foil to Cameron. This is redundant: "He’s somewhat hard to figure out. It takes some thought to figure him out," so just remove one of the sentences.
4. Eric’s “That Awkward Moment”: Your tenses sometimes disagree, but this is a great story. That's fantastic that it was never mentioned by him.
5. Peter’s “That Awkward Moment”: You preserve the dignity of language.
6. Mike’s modest proposal: "Anyone who opposes this idea is most likely a terrorist" -this made me chuckle. (Comment would not post.)
7. Connor’s awkward moment: I feel uncomfortable just reading this, thus, it was a very effective, and hilarious, story.
8. Cassie Scanlan’s character analysis: Nicely done; you captured the essence of Cameron.
9. Ian’s awkward moment: This is beautifully written and made me laugh aloud. I know exactly what the couple that you're referring to.
10. Justin’s awkward moment: That is awkward. At least you aren't an ignorant teenage girl.
#3
Stephen Colbert is a genius satirist. Many of his remarks are sarcastic and bold. He takes on many political issues, bringing comic light to serious topics. An example of one jab at a politician: he “urges you to never give up on President Bush’s bold challenge…to find out if there’s oil in heaven.” With this one sentence, he pokes fun at the president, religious fanatics, and the obsession with oil, including Bush’s war for it. Colbert is a clever, witty individual.
2. Hannah C.- "You have a strong thesis and great quotes! Well argued."
Amelia M.- "The devices you picked are well thought out and appropriate. Also, your topic sentences are good and effective introductions to your paragraphs."
Ali H.- "Great points! You're analysis is on point and very effective. I loved the quotes you added; very funny."
Colleen B.-"You chose a greeat character! Good insight and well written analysis. Very funny."
Sam G.-"I like the subtle humor in this analysis. Strong thesis, you supported it well in your argument."
Mike R.-"This is really funny! I like the relatability, too. Good job."
Eric L.-"Really funny, Eric. I can't believe that really happened and he never even mentioned it! The humor isn't only in the situation, but also established through how you wrote it. Good job."
Tyler O.-"Insightful! Good use of quotes, too."
Inken O.-"Clever though, and well written. I just suggest you add a thesis to combine your paragraphs."
Kevin R.- "Very smart adjective-device pairings."
Peter L.-"Good choice of devices, and paired adjectives."
5. Shifting from fantasy to reality in the college essay, the author combines overstated witticism, clever farce, and effective hyperbole in order to display his true characteristics through exaggeration.
6. Producing a comedic and “funny” image, three blond-haired girls sit together on a sweetheart bench. Because the seat is made for two people, the three girls sitting there seem out of place. The positioning and expressions of girls greatly add to the effect of the photo. The apparently older girl is on the left, posed in a relaxed position with a smirk on her face. The child in the middle is stoic which seems to contrast her position of being arm and arm with the girl to the right of her, who appears nervous, but is smiling. The red and blue background provides a sharp and heavy juxtaposition to the girls’ attire, which is frilly and light. The two small children wear blue dresses in frills; one of the girls, the one in the middle, is holding a small bouquet of daises. The larger girl is dressed in pants and a pink shirt, a variation to the uniform of the other girls. The only uniting factor, other than the girls’ resemblance, seems to be the overwhelmingly poufy hair pieces atop their heads.
1. Check!
2. -Ashley Douglass: I like the devices you used, they really help develop your ideas.
-Cassie Scanlan: The points you made were very true about Cameron. You mentioned that him and Mitchell are complete opposites, but you could have based a paragraph on the fact that they are foils to approach it in a different way.
-Colleen Burke: This is a really good topic.. Something you could have done differently is take on a different persona. You could have pretended to be someone who had certain credentials about the topic in order to add more ethos.
-Hannah Chisholm: Very interesting and funny topic! I think it could have been a little bit longer, but I guess that's not too big of a deal!
-Sam Gaglio: I like that you began the proposal with statistics so that the reader starts off with some knowledge of the topic.
-Sam Carignan: You should try to work on you topic sentences that lead into the paragraphs. Instead of just saying that the device was used, describe a situation in which the device was used.
-Amelia Maloney: I really like the devices you used, they really help describe the character and his effect! Good job!
-Peter Le: Your thesis is a little long winded. You might want to work on being a little bit more concise.
-Justin Falke: I like the devices you used, but I think you would be able to support yourself more if you were to use quotes.
-Kayla Lantos: I like that you chose Manny as your character because he has a small part, but a lot of his lines are hilarious. The devices you used really helped to develop the essay.
5. In his 1990 college application essay, Hugh Gallagher utilizes extreme exaggeration, and humorous sarcasm in order to emphasize to New York University that he is worthy of attending their school for the next four years.
4. "Lazy Sunday" is the short satirical skit that launched Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell to stardom. It satirizes modern adolescents, poking fun at those teenagers who believe they are badass because of minor rebellious acts. They allude to Yahoo maps, MapQuest, and Google maps as the two try to decide which will be best in helping them find the movie theater. This is a testament to how lame they truly are: without technology they can't even make it to their local movie theater. Word play is put to use as they say, "Pass that chronic-what-cles of Narnia." They're referring to the movie they are going to see... and also to their drug of choice which they seem to think makes them superior. Or perhaps its sneaking snacks into the theater that gives them their confidence. Either way, the message is clear and the comedy is prominent.
5. Briefly describing all of his amazing accomplishments in a college essay, Hugh Gallagher bases the essay on blatant, hyperbolic lies in order to encourage New York University to let him do the one thing he has yet to accomplish: go to college.
6. My favorite "awkward family photo" is an image of a freshly christened infant, her parents and godmother outside of the church. It is comical due to the juxtaposition of other members of the family in the background. The grandmother is in the process of pulling her other granddaughter's hair while her grandson holds his face, recovering from a slap. Welcome to the family!
7. From taltopia.com:Callback Jokes - A callback joke is when you refer back to a joke earlier in your act. You do not repeat the original joke, you change it up and make it fit a new situation. Audiences typically love callback jokes, especially when the original joke was a hit.
First of all I LOVE the Colbert Report. Too bad its only on from monday till thursday at 11:31pm. He uses his smart phone, smart board, and his ipad in his shows. He mostly talks about important things tweeted and found on local tv stations. He loves to mock his bagel business partner johnathon stewart. And he's also famous for his Super PAC.He also has private connections to both Fox and abc 6 news. He has issues with Jimmy Fallon. Even though they used to be friends. I hate his guests during the last 20 minutes of his show.
As for my stand-up: I always have people from lawn companies driving by my house, and telling me i have the greenest lawn in the neighborhood. How do you do it? I always say idk its magic I guess. And I made up the green grass rap song.
When the grass is dry as a bone
try to water before the hot spots form
But neva try to seed while the pest killa is on. Don't water at night or the seeds get a fright and burn when its hot in the summer. Dead spots are a drag, when u try to cut, you hit a snag. and no matter how much u water it'll neva grow back. However bald spots on the other hand are just deep holy patches that weren't blessed by the pope. So spread some more seeds but watch out for weeds. only seed in the spring and summer neva in the winter. seed in the winter and watch it take even longer.
3. Stephen Colbert creates a political satire through adopting a radical and caricatural persona. Through his imitation of far-right news shows, Colbert mocks political agenda as well as governmental influence. By exaggerating and parodying the conservative All-American, Colbert actually pokes fun at and highlights the flaws of extremists. Frequently incorporating wordplay, such as relating Rick Santourum to cheese, he establishes a lighthearted approach to politically, racially and often religiously charged issues.
4. A satirical effect is established through the use of film allusion and emphasized wordplay. The references to romance movies aim to emphasize the feelings the two men have for cupcakes, among other things. Their respect for "The Chronicles of Narnia" is accented through their adamant references to it, as well as their attention to the title. The list of website which offer directions seems to poke fun at the modern reliance on technology, and the business aspect of recreation is referenced in the "theater" being "overpriced", resulting in the two men stopping at the deli to get snacks.
3.(I don't know how to include the picture in this, but it's a recent photo of a woman in a purplle dress and a man with no shirt on)
The awkwardness of this engagement photo is quite extreme. First of all, the woman is in a formal dress, with the right amount of hair, makeup and accessories to match, but the man is wearing a pair of jeans—and that’s it. Maybe if her were wearing black dress pants, it would decrease the awkwardness. Not only does the man have a bad farmers tan, he is wearing a cross necklace. It can be insinuated by the necklace that he is a religious man, and this type of picture is not indicative of that type of man. The last thing I see that makes this a very awkward engagement photo is the placement of the woman’s hands. Her right hand is placed as if she wants to be protective of the man, and her left hand is just randomly placed on his stomach. In other words she is holding him like a guy would a girl in a prom picture.
4.
• stick with the formula: the set up that explains the joke and the punch line that delivers the funny, making people laugh.
• play off of your embarrassing moments
• List jokes, like "Top Ten Lists" or "Top Ten Reasons Why," are a fairly simple and easy way to beef up your act.
• observation jokes: simply point out absurd things that happen in everyday life.
• mimic a celebrity or someone else well known
• Stories can work great in your act if you tell them well. Do not drag your stories out too long or you will run the risk of losing your audience. When writing a story for your act, get to the punch line of the joke as soon as possible, using the least number of words. Paint a vivid picture for the audience when telling your story and make it relatable to them. The more you can get the audience to picture your story actually happening, the bigger the payoff in laughter at the end.
^^ http://www.taltopia.com/articles/25001/Stand-up-Comedy-Top-Ten-Tips-for-Writing-Jokes-for-Your-Own-Act
• Understand that a joke occurs at the intersection of two ideas.
• Connect ideas that go together or are wildly opposite.
• Manipulate your audience. Take them down a particular road and then surprise them with something else.
^^ http://www.ehow.com/how_8540_write-comedy.html
• Use tags: Usually a quick one-liner, or a second or third punchline, the tag keeps the momentum of the joke going and builds on the humor of the original punchline.
^^ http://archive.suite101.com/article.cfm/stand_up_comedian/114446
5.
Applying to the NYU, Hugh Gallagher uses serious exaggeration, proud humor, and self-referred sarcasm, in order to explain that he did many things in life, but “not yet gone to college”.
Both parts 3 and 4 won’t load on my computer when I find videos for them!
6. In the photo “The Look of Love”, the facial expression between the parents looks nothing like love, unless the look of love is the look of a deer stuck in headlights, based on the mother’s reaction. Not only is that incredibly awkward of the picture, but the fathers face looks like one in which he is telling a story and the wife’s only reaction is to be semi-mortified. While the daughter looks semi-scared and just staring at something off the screen, most likely another relative doing something weird, and far more entertaining than a “family portrait”. The most awkward part of this picture would have to be the son’s facial expression and how he is looking up at the ceiling with a blank face, where someone can barely even see his pupils. Talk about an awkward family photo.
7.
http://www.realfirststeps.com/1142/standup-comedy-material-written/
1. marked/identify each minute of your stand-up comedy routine on paper
2. have an average of 4-6+ punch lines for each minute of your routine
3. punch lines should be structured for maximum use of the element of surprise and laughter impact
4. your stand-up comedy material should be written like you plan on delivering it
http://www.standupcomedytips.net/
3. Stephen Colbert uses different techniques in order to show his brand of comedy. In one episode, he is named one of “Time's 2012 Top 100 Most Influential” people. He uses excitement in order to show the comic effect while also referencing the other people in the top 100. Colbert is sometimes serious in the episodes, but that is what makes the subjects funny and entertaining. In another episode, “Stephen Sondheim” he ends with his alternative lyrics to “Send in the Clowns,” this is funny because of Colbert’s different ideas to add to something to make it more entertaining. These are just examples of what Colbert uses in order to convey a comic effect during all of his show episodes.
4. In the video “Lazy Sunday” two Saturday Night Live members are going through their actions on a Sunday afternoon. They are trying to go see a showing of The Chronicles of Narnia while rapping about low key ideas. Eating cupcakes and searching Google maps are just some of the things they use to produce satire. The whole song is focused on a lazy Sunday and the different things that go on during that type of day.
5. In “The greatest college application ever,” the author uses detailed exaggeration, helpful imagery, and useful satire in order to stretch his accomplishments that he thinks are going to help him get into college.
6. In the awkward photo “Joyful Noise, “there are a few things that make this awkward. The family members are all displaying odd faces while holding the instruments and some of them are holding the instruments in a strange way. The most awkward part of the picture is that all of the family members are holding an instrument, while the boy in the bottom right corner has a tap shoe over his shoulder. Nobody is looking at him, which makes it more awkward. It seems as though everyone went to get an instrument besides him, but that’s the funny part.
7. It will be your confidence in your first 5 minutes of stand-up comedy material that will lead to the development of new stand-up comedy material. It will be during the development of this first 5 minutes that you will find your “stage voice” — that comfort zone that allows you to be who you really are on stage and not doing your “impression” of what you think a comedian should be.
http://www.realfirststeps.com/599/5-minutes-standup-comedy-material/
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