KimLuster at 5:16AM, April 16, 2017

I love all things Pythonesque!!

bravo1102 at 11:30AM, April 15, 2017

Probably the most famous users of incongruity was Monty Python. In fact a new word was coined "pythonesque" to describe their at times surrealist incongruity. Like good old John Cleese anywhere behind a desk saying "And now for something completely different..."

PaulEberhardt at 9:59AM, April 15, 2017

Even small incongruities can become dead funny, if it's done right. For instance I remember an old sketch where a typical tourist family in beachwear wander around a shabby 1960s high-rise quarter, looking for a beach that clearly isn't anywhere near, while a narrator reads passages from an ad for an idyllic holiday resort, that strangely seem to fit the pictures in a way, even if they patently shouldn't. Ok, so it doesn't sound all that funny when I describe me, but trust me: it is. My point is, even ordinary people and an ordinary setting can make for great comedy, providing they don't match.

bravo1102 at 6:14AM, April 14, 2017

Think of any joke. It always begins with a premise. "Horse walks into a bar..." There's the premise and it's ridiculous. A horse in a bar? "A rabbi, a pastor and a Catholic priest are talking..." Premise. Three clerics are talking. The simplest stuff can be the hardest to understand because it's taken for granted as opposed to being broken down for you. And that's what's glorious about Banes. He breaks it down.

cdmalcolm1 at 4:47PM, April 13, 2017

Comedy can be added to anything, (i believe). I'm not a big comedy writer BUT i do find myself adding bits of comedy in the scripts or passages I write due to the MOMENT of the character. I do agree with Banes combos because I used them for situations or spur of the moment reaction. Love the article, Bane.

Tantz_Aerine at 12:16PM, April 13, 2017

Good article! Comedy is one of the things that I just don't feel able to do on demand or on purpose. I'm told I make people laugh when in the spur of the moment but I just can't get in that head space to make comedy as an art. Good tips though! Looking forward to the next installment.

Ozoneocean at 8:04AM, April 13, 2017

Nice!

bravo1102 at 6:21AM, April 13, 2017

Doing anything --------- with an aggressively eccentric millionaire describes dozens of "Lucy" shows as well as any "Gilligan's Island" episode with Mr. Howell. Many of the Dean Martin roasts with Don Rickles are on YouTube. He was magnificent.

KimLuster at 6:15AM, April 13, 2017

Good stuff again! According to what I've read, laughter is a biological response when you realize you're okay/safe after being shocked/frightened!! Supposedly, all comedy, on some level, is disturbing because we're, as you say, facing something that isn't part of our normal, safe world. Laughter is the rush of facing danger and then realizing you're... not in danger! Think Peak-a-boo with babies - the sudden appearance of a face and a loud 'PEAK-A-BOO!' scares them a bit, but then they realize they're safe and they cackle with glee!!

Gunwallace at 1:03AM, April 13, 2017

Legally Blind ——————> but refuses to admit it : I always did like Mister Magoo.