This week: More Than Just a Punch Line Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading More Newsletters By This Editor
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Greetings, I'm honored to be your guest host for this week's Writing.Com Comedy Newsletter.
It takes seven muscles to smile and twenty-seven to frown,
and laughter is an aerobic exercise;
by extension, then, comedy is therapeutic
- both for the writer and the reader/listener
If I were invited to a dinner party with my characters,
I wouldn't show up.
~ Dr. Seuss
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I'm not a funny person, I'm told. I often miss a punch line; but I have a knack for making people laugh when I open my mouth, albeit at my expense .* So, I've learned through trial and error to keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut (my pencil ever sharpened .
"Laughter is good medicine!." It's being tested (and perhaps proven) daily in social altruism, family harmony (or lack of overt hostility), and productivity. Medical science is even jumping on the bandwagon, scientifically postulating that humor is good preventive medicine. Recent studies propound that laughter releases beneficent endorphins into the bloodstream. Laughing has even been touted as an easy, age retarding, low impact physical exercise, requiring merely seven muscles to raise a smile , opposed to twenty-some for a line-scoring, drooping frown .
Humor is out there, needing but discerning eye and open mind (which writers, by nature, have). Comedy has quite a variety of forms for expression, from slapstick and physical comedy to the sardonic, wry wit. Comedy is not a casualty of the pandemic. You may not see the kid backpedaling to catch a fly ball only to land in the pool; or the big 'kid' who stumbles backward off the pier yet manages to 'save' his drink. Your gym may not be open, so when you run or walk pre-dawn to beat the heat, pay mind to the deer, raccoons, skunks heading home to bed - some possible close encounters of the comedic kind. What about your neighbor walking her dog, bending to pick up the poop on the tree lawn, only to have playful pooch snatch the mask off her face, and pull loose the leash and go tearing down the sidewalk, mask stuck to his nose, his person racing behind, carrying a little bag of poop. If you're not at least snickering, your funny bone needs medical attention, your funny bone needs medical attention.
You can see we've discovered, in the allegedly mundane world, several types of comedic expression:
{{indent} Observational comedy finds and showcases the humor in everyday life, often by inflating the importance of trivial things or by noting how silly 'normal' can be. Think Jerry Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory.
Physical comedy uses physical movement and gestures ~ yes, someone wrote the comedic antics for Lucille Ball, the Three Stooges, Chevy Chase, Jim Carrey, albeit their delivery made you laugh.
Prop comedy. The name speaks the form, I think the above blue bag, mask .
Word play and witticism. You might think it's topical, but wordplay by subtle manipulation of language (pun included) for a wordsmith (crafting with words) can lead to some memorable images in prose and verse. Consider for us wordsmiths the literary legerdemain of Shakespeare, or if Woody Allen doesn't raise a smile, how about the Simpsons.
Wisecracks ~ okay, that's what many of us think of when we think 'comedy,' the witty remark, perfectly timed. Let's end this exploration of comedic expression on a light note, a smile perchance, as you explore some of the versatile comedic expression of members in our Community. You will certainly find something to read that will crack a smile, if not make you RALF, i mean, ROFL.
Remember, laughter is good for you!
Write On !!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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I invite you to spend a little of your time with some of the writers in our Community and partake of their comedic variety 'show.' I'm sure they will be pleased to hear whether or not you 'get it' and also share your 'funny' story or verse *Wink*
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I hope you've enjoyed this exploration of comedy and found something to tickle or slam your funnybone. I invite you to take just fifteen minutes of a day, look about you, and see it funny, real or imagined. Now, write it down so you can laugh again, and share the mirth. Pass along the the smile; remember, only seven muscles (laugh lines) as opposed to more than twenty (frown creases) -
Stay healthy, seek and find the comedy, and have fun writing it
Until we next meet,
Write On !
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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