clara's blog: Funny business: The genre of Comedy

Comedy is one of the most popular genres in modern-day TV. People like to forget about their problems and lose themselves in laughing and comedy. In a playful and amusing style, this genre frequently tackles many aspects of human nature, relationships, and social follies. Comedies' relevant and universal themes make them appealing to a wide audience.

Modern comedies, such as those directed by Judd Apatow, frequently explore the difficulties of growing up, managing relationships, and coping with the funny parts of life's ups and downs.

“Bridesmaids”, for example, is an ideal instance of a successful modern comedy film. This picture, with its keen humor and likable protagonists, made approximately $288 million, demonstrating that comedy has enduring appeal and can cater to a wide range of audiences.

Typical target audience of the genre:

Comedy films have an expansive appeal and are often aimed at a diverse group of people, such as families, teens and young adults, and grownups. Some comedies, on the contrary, are more expressly aimed at specific groups, such as college students, urbanized millennials, or parents.

Genre conventions – content:

Comedy films often include a range of elements of comedy, such as wordplay, irony, and satire.
Although often times addressing important subjects, comedy films frequently have a cheerful tone.
Comedy films frequently feature happy endings in which the main character surpasses obstacles and accomplishes their objectives.

Genre conventions – production techniques:

Fast-paced editing is frequently used in comedy films to generate an atmosphere of enthusiasm and vibrancy.
Music and sound effects are frequently used in comedy films to further develop the humor and generate tension and amazement.

Institutional conventions - narrative image, marketing, etc.:

Comedy films are frequently advertised as fun and light movies that are bound to make viewers smile. They might be advertised to families, young adults, or individuals seeking a chuckle, for example, "The Hangover" was promoted through a series of enigmatic teasers and TV advertisements that alluded to the film's dark and comic tone, while the movie "Bridesmaids" was promoted through a series of amusing and sympathetic advertising trailers, as well as a social media campaign in which fans were urged to contribute their unique bridesmaid tales of terror.

Film sample #1: The Princess Bride (1987)

The piece follows many of the standards of the genre. The movie has a wide range of comedic elements, such as slapstick, wordplay, and sarcasm. Despite the fact that the narrative features a princess being abducted and a farm worker attempting to save her, it has a cheerful tone. The film concludes with the princess and farmer marrying and living happily ever after.

Film sample #2: Grown ups (2010)

Viewers say that the cast's compatibility is one of the factors that makes Grown Ups so entertaining. Sandler, James, Rock, Spade, and Schneider have all been close friends for a long time, and their friendship shines through the film. The five performers complement each other brilliantly, and their lines are delivered with hilarious timing. Slapstick humor, crass gags, and over-the-top set pieces abound in the film are classic examples of comedy traits.

List of 5-7 other film examples within the genre (with links or images of these examples):

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)