- WEEK ONE: WHAT IS HUMOR?
- The Formal Elements of Humor, or, “How to Make a Joke Unfunny” (Lefcourt, Berger, Craik & Ware)
- || download readings ||
- || download lecture ||
- Handout: Who's On First? || download ||
- Homework: "A Man Walks Into a Bar" Assignment || download ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- Chuck Jones, dir., The Rabbit of Seville (Warner Bros., 1950) || view online ||
- Abbott & Costello, "Who's On First" || view online ||
- Further Resources:
- We did not view this in class, but it is an excellent (and funny) introduction to physical humor (from Rowan Atkinson):
- Laughing Matters, Part I || view online ||; Part II || view online ||; Part III || view online ||; Part IV || view online ||
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- WEEK TWO: WHAT IS "AMERICAN" HUMOR?
- What is “American” About American Humor? (Walker, Nilsen, Crain, Rourke)
- || download readings ||
- || download lecture ||
- Handout: Ian Frazier, "Coyote v. Acme," 1990 || download ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- Chuck Jones, dir., Fast and Furry-ous (Warner Bros., 1949) || view online ||
- Chuck Jones, dir., Beep, Beep (Warner Bros., 1952) || view online ||
- Further Resources:
- Constance Rourke's American Humor: A Study of the National Character || read the original text online ||
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- WEEK THREE: HUCKSTERS AND WISE-CRACKERS
- Hucksters (mostly Twain but also the Marx Brothers)
- || download readings ||
- Howework: Duck Soup as American Humor Assignment || download ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- Leo McCarey, dir., Duck Soup (Paramount, 1933) || view online ||
- The "Crowded Statesroom" Scene in A Night at the Opera (1935): slapstick anarchy || view online ||
- The "Contract" Scene in A Night at the Opera (1935): verbal anarchy || view online ||
- Further Resources:
- Mark Twain's Sketches New and Old || read the original text online ||
- Thomas Edison Mark Twain at Stormfield, 1909 || view online ||
- IMDB's list of memorable quotes from Duck Soup || read online ||
- Leo McCarey, dir., THIS IS WAR...? (Castle Films, 1933) || view online ||
- Harpo Speaks! || view online ||
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- WEEK FOUR: LIARS AND TELLERS OF TALL TALES
- Liars (Tall Tales and Uncle Remus)
- || download readings ||
- || download lecture ||
- Howework: “Mark Twain as American Humor“ Assignment || download ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- Leo McCarey, dir., Duck Soup (Paramount, 1933) || view online ||
- Further Resources:
- IMDB's list of memorable quotes from Duck Soup || read online ||
- Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings || read the original text online ||
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- WEEK FIVE: HICKS AND COWBOYS AND THE FUNNY SONGS THEY LOVE
- Hicks (Cowboys and Backwoodsmen, including Will Rogers; and musical humor)
- || download readings ||
- || download lecture ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- WILL ROGERS
- Will Rogers: The Great Communicator || listen online ||
- Will Rogers, Will Rogers Talks to the Bankers (Victor, 1924) || listen online ||
- Will Rogers on the radio: excerpt from Bacon, Beans & Limosines (October 1931) || listen online ||
- YES WE HAVE NO BANANAS
- Bailey's Lucky Seven, voc. Irving Kaufman, Yes! We Have No Bananas (Gennett, 1923) || view online ||
- The Muppets, Yes! We Have No Bananas (Muppet Show, Season 2/Episode 8, July 1977) || view online ||
- THE MUSICAL MARX BROTHERS: FUNNY SONGS
- Groucho Marx sings "Hello I Must Be Going" and "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" in Animal Crackers (1930) || view online ||
- Groucho Marx sings "Whatever It Is I'm Against It" in Horse Feathers (1932) || view online ||
- Groucho Marx sings "Just Wait Til I Get Through With It" in Duck Soup (1933) || view online (starts at 6:00) ||
- Groucho Marx sings "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" in At the Circus (1939) || view online ||
- THE MUSICAL MARX BROTHERS: INSTRUMENTAL NUMBERS
- Chico Marx playing "Silver Threads Among the Gold" in Animal Crackers (1930) || view online ||
- Harpo Marx playing "O Sole Mio" in Monkey Business (1931) || view online ||
- Chico Marx playing Delibes's "Pizzicati"/"When I Take My Sugar to Tea" in Monkey Business (1931) || view online ||
- Harpo Marx playing "Everyone Says I Love You" in Horse Feathers (1932) || view online ||
- Chico Marx playing "Collegiate" in Horse Feathers (1932) || view online ||
- Chico Marx playing "All I Do Is Think of You" in A Night at the Opera (1935) || view online ||
- Chico Marx playing Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No.2"/"Chico's Mazurka" in A Day At the Races (1937) || view online ||
- Harpo Marx playing "Blue Moon" in At The Circus (1939) || view online ||
- Chico Marx playing "The Beer Barrel Polka" in At The Circus (1939) || view online ||
- Chico Marx playing "The Woodpecker Song" in Go West (1940) || view online ||
- Chico and Harpo Marx playing "Mama Yo Quiero" in The Big Store (1941) || view online ||
- Harpo Marx playing Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No.2" in A Night in Casablanca (1946) || view online ||
- Chico Marx playing "Gypsy Love Song" in Love Happy (1949) || view online ||
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- WEEK SIX & SEVEN: MIDTERM REVIEW
- Study Guide for First Midterm
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- WEEK EIGHT: MIDTERM EXAM
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- WEEK NINE: SCHMUCKS (AND SCHMOS AND SCHLEMIELS)
- Schmucks
- || download readings ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- Trailer for Blazing Saddles (1974) || view online ||
- Trailer for Young Frankenstein (1974) || view online ||
- Further Resources:
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- WEEK TEN: SUCKERS (THERE'S ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE)
- Suckers
- || download readings ||
- || view selections of Thurber's My Life and Hard Times at Googlebooks ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- Trailer for The Producers (1968)|| view online ||
- Buster Keaton Montage || view online ||
- A section from Buster Keaton's Cops (1922) || view online ||
- Buster Keaton, Cops (1922) || Part One || Part Two || Part Three ||
- Charlie Chaplin boxing in City Lights (1931) || view online ||
- Charlie Chaplin, The Rink (1916) || Part One || Part Two || Part Three ||
- Further Resources:
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- WEEK ELEVEN: MINSTRELS (AND THOSE WHO FIGHT THE POWER)
- Minstrels
- || download readings ||
- || Bamboozled Trailer ||
- || Bamboozled (2000) script ||
- || Bamboozled Blackface Montage ||
- || PBS American Experience on "Blackface Minstrelsy" ||
- Greil Marcus lecture, "Blackface Then and Now," UC-Berkeley (March 14, 2008)|| view online ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- OFFENDERS
- Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat (Universal, 1941) || view online ||
- Jungle Jitters (Warner Brothers, 1938) || view online ||
- Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs (Warner Brothers, 1943) || view online ||
- The Little Rascals/Our Gang, The Kid from Borneo (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1933) || view online ||
- The Little Rascals/Our Gang, Spooky Hooky (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1936) || view online ||
- make your head explode -- do a search on youtube for "blackface" || view online ||
- Amos & Andy, "Check and Double Check" (excerpt)|| view online ||
- RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES
- Jason Carroll on CNN -- Blackface in French Vogue || view online ||
- The Daily Show -- Larry Wilmore on "Is Black Face OK?" || view online ||
- DEFENDERS
- Bill Cosby Speaks about his early days as a performer (1963) || view online ||
- Bill Cosby, "Noah" || view online ||
- Bill Cosby, "The Chicken Heart" from Wonderfulness || Part One || Part Two ||
- Bill Cosby, "Go Karts" from Wonderfulness || view online ||
- Richard Pryor, Kraft Music Hall special, 1964 || view online ||
- Flip Wilson as Geraldine on the Flip Wilson Show || view online ||
- Richard Pryor and Flip Wilson on the Flip Wilson Show || view online ||
- Series of Richard Pryor Clips || view online ||
- Richard Pryor deals with Hecklers || view online ||
- Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase on SNL: "Word Association" (1:7, 1975) || view online ||
- Eddie Murphy, "White Like Me" on SNL (10:9, 1985) || view online ||
- Eddie Murphy on Bill Cosby & Richard Pryor (Raw) || view online ||
- The Chris Rock Show -- "Nigga Please" Cereal Ad|| view online ||
- Dave Chapelle Show -- Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood stories: Rick James || Part One || Part Two ||
- Dave Chapelle Show -- The Black White Supremacist || view online ||
- Comments on the Power of a Word || Richard Pryor || Chris Rock || Larry Wilmore ||
- WEEKs TWELVE/THIRTEEN: FAKES (AND WHY AMERICANS LOVE DRAG AND CLOSETS) || DAMES (AND OTHER SORTS OF FUNNY WOMEN)
- Surprise/Subversion; Imitation/Appropriation; Assimilation/Inclusion
- || download notes ||
- Some Like It Hot trailer || view online ||
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- Links to materials used in class, when available online:
- SURREAL HUMOR
- Ernie Kovacs, "The Kitchen Symphony" || view online ||
- Ernie Kovacs, "Musical Office" || view online ||
- DRAG
- "Mississippi Gary & Kathie with a K" from The Kids in the Hall || view online ||
- Some Like It Hot trailer || view online ||
- The boys in drag, from Some Like It Hot || view online ||
- Osgood falls in love, from Some Like It Hot || view online ||
- The love story is set, from Some Like It Hot || view online ||
- "The Tango Scene," from Some Like It Hot || view online ||
- "Nobody's Perfect," from Some Like It Hot || view online ||
- GAY HUMOR & WOMEN'S HUMOR
- Jack Benny and Groucho Marx, on The Jack Benny Program (April 3, 1955) || view online ||
- Ernie Kovacs as Percy Dovetonsils || view online ||
- "Running Faggot, Running Free," from The Kids in the Hall || view online ||
- Buddy Cole, "I'm Canadian," from The Kids in the Hall || view online ||
- Margaret Cho on "Lesbian Cruises and Are You Gay?" from I'm the One That I Want || view online ||
- Margaret Cho, "Mommy's Gay Story About Daddy" || view online ||
- Margaret Cho, "Mommy on Gay Porn" from I'm the One That I Want || view online ||
- Phyllis Diller, "Fashion || view online ||
- Joan Rivers, "Heidi Abramowitz's Wedding and the Joy of Sex" || view online ||
- Lily Tomlin, "World's Oldest Beauty Expert" || view online ||
- Lily Tomlin, "Lucille W., Rubber Freak" || view online ||
- Kathy Najimy & Mo Gaffney, "Period Skit" from "The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives" || view online ||
- Wanda Sykes, "Why Women Snap," from Sick and Tired || view online ||
- Wanda Sykes, "Detachable" from Sick and Tired || view online ||
- Wanda Sykes, "Out & Black," from I'ma Be Me || view online ||
- "ETHNIC" HUMORS
- Chris Rock on "Black People versus Niggaz" || view online ||
- George Lopez on "Trying to Be White" || view online ||
- George Lopez on "Spanglish" || view online ||
- George Lopez: "Hiring a Contractor" from Why You Crying? || view online ||
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- WEEK FOURTEEN: FINAL REVIEW
- Information for the Final Exam (takehome)
- turnitin.com
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- WEEK FIFTEEN: FINAL EXAM
- Due via Turnitin.com by 12/16/2009 at 11:59 pm EST
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