1. MisterOz_GatorLover

    MisterOz_GatorLover New Member

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    Is there a name for this kind of comedy?

    Discussion in 'Research' started by MisterOz_GatorLover, Mar 12, 2011.

    The kind of comedy where a character plans something to hurt his rival and damage him but watches those plans backfire. Kind of like many Looney Tunes cartoons (Sylvester vs. Tweety, Roadrunner vs. Wile E Coyote, Elmer Fudd vs. Bugs).
     
  2. joelpatterson

    joelpatterson New Member

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    There must be... it's such a universal, recognizable theme that somebody somewhere along the line must have given it a proper title...
     
  3. Irontrousers

    Irontrousers New Member

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    I'd call that irony. It's not so much a type of comedy as it is just one of many elements of comedy.
     
  4. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    most often called 'black humor'...
     
  5. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    Probably a combination of schadenfreude and slapstick, although not sure the former is a comedy term.
     
    1 person likes this.
  6. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    slapstick is the silly sort of things comedians do in film or on the stage... involving pratfalls, pies in the face and so on... has nothing to do with 'dark'...
     
  7. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    Which is why I included the schadenfreude which is taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. Slapstick is exaggerated violence or deliberatly embarrasing events. Someone who is placing a banana skin in the way of another is planning harm to another for the amusement of others.

    Tom and Jerry, Laurel and Hardy etc use elements of slapstick but it has a schadenfraude element to it.

    I am not sure Looney Tunes are exactly dark humour either.
     
  8. Ion

    Ion New Member

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    It depends on whether or not we empathize with the protagonist.

    Black humor is dark comedy based on serious subjects like war or death. It has nothing to do with what you described.
     
  9. KillianRussell

    KillianRussell New Member

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    Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others, from the German meaning "harm joy."
     
  10. joelpatterson

    joelpatterson New Member

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    Well then, the American term would be "unintended consequences that rebound to the detriment of the perpetrator of a tricky little evil plot."

    I keep telling the folks at thesaurus.com that some kind of amalgamated "search" where you could groups words together and find an appropriate synonym that would synthesize a few strains of thought would be great... and here is another argument for it!
     
  11. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    I went into TV Tropes to find out what they call this, but I got sidetracked.
     
  12. spklvr

    spklvr Contributor Contributor

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    After quite a bit of looking around, as I got curious myself, it seems to be referred to as "Road Runner Vs Coyote" humor.
    Also found the funniest trope name ever. Author Existence Failure - meaning the author died.
     

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