The Clyde Fitch Report: The comic(?) tactic is so old, it’s a wonder that those employing it aren’t looking to find some new way to be creative—or vulgar, or shocking. Maybe they don’t bother because they’ve noticed they don’t have to do any more than they’re already doing. You can be lazy and still get ahead, perhaps even faster. Vulgarity, obscenity is the easy ticket in a society that’s learned you don’t have to try harder in order to succeed.
6 comments:
When the article started whipping off insults about vulgar humor, I was a little bit peeved. Sure, filthy jokes are base and tasteless, but by god if they aren't hilarious. Dirty jokes are the great equalizer of society, because everyone from the lower class to the middle class to the filthy rich like have a good laugh about sex. Trying to discount a culture as lacking wit for the sole reason that it includes distasteful subjects is puritanical and close minded.
That said, like any medium, it can be done well and done poorly. A casully inserted 'Fuck' (pardon) does not a great comedian make. I'll use Louis C.K. as an example of a comedian who tells jokes that would make aabsolutely anyone blush, but does so in a smart, well thought out and yes, "witty," way. This Bridget Everett sounds like a hoot, from the review seems to tread that line of good vulgar humor. I wish I could have seen the performance!
This is one hell of an article, and the writer does not come across to me as someone I should actually listen to for recommendations. That being said I agree with the first part of the article. As someone who does appreciate vulgarity in humor I do think it is used as a way of not coming up with funnier material. It is used to a flaw with too many comedians because they just fall back on sexual themes and cursing. I have a friend who does stand up and he is excellent in always having original material and uses cursing carefully and when a story does not require a slew of “shit” and “fuck” he doesn’t provide them. I have lost a lot of respect for people like Sarah Silverman who just are not funny anymore, but gross and self-deprecating. It is nice to read a review of someone who has been able to find a good balance.
When I first started to read this article I began to think of the author as not fully understanding at least a decent amount of the vulgar humor out there, and so I was surprised when they turned around their attitude in this particular case. Yes, there is way too much vulgar humor out there. Yes, it is perhaps way too easy to be a comedian when you mouth off all the time. But that does not disqualify vulgarity as a tool that can be used in conjunction with wit. The true beauty of vulgarity comes out when it has a purpose. A good example would be that the average guy or gal swears occasionally. If a comedian does their job right, they can use that swear to easily connect people with the wit of their joke through vulgarity. It seems to me that Bridget Everett is on the right track with this style of humor, so I applaud her.
I have to say, after reading this article, I went on Youtube and watched a few of her songs. They are actually really funny despite the vulgarity. I don't think that the vulgarity is a main point of her comedy; she uses it as an outlet for jokes. She probably could think of some really funny jokes/routines that don't involve vulgarity at all, but as the article said, people have come to expect sex related jokes from female stand-up comedians. Bridget goes to the edge of uncomfortable and then takes one step over the line, but not really any further. The new generations coming up find vulgarity amusing because that is what the media has conditioned us to think. It isn't just the comedians training their fans; the whole media system is doing it. Look at the music. Look at the shows. There isn't any issue anymore about getting a little down and dirty with the humor. Bridget goes there, but with good judgement.
Personally, I am not a huge fan of excessive vulgarity. I would never claim that it isn't funny, because a lot of the time it really is, but I absolutely believe that it is entirely possible to be funny without resorting to swear words. I agree with a lot of what the author writes about the use of vulgarity, especially how it is best wielded as an accent to already humorous content, not as a crutch because you don't have anything better to say. From the author's description of Bridget Everett, it seems like she is a decent performer, and I would certainly consider seeing her show, but I was not a huge fan of the thigh-instant whip trick -- it seems far to much like a gimmick and an attempt at being as outrageous as possible just to get a response. Granted, that kind of humor has its time and its audience, just not with me.
I spy a snooty writer! Yes, vulgarity shouldn't be the main material in producing comedy. If that was the case, literally anyone with a potty mouth could go onstage and make money. The trick to using vulgarity in the right places and with the right comedic timing comes from having wit, not the absence of it. Knowing when and how to place your curse words takes a level of skill that separates the performer from the average potty mouth. I also think that her tactic of "making friends" with the people that she got closer to later in the show is smart, because if she did that to an unsuspecting patron, they may have reacted more negatively. This also reminds me of how people react to Miley Cyrus performances: half with disgust, half with admiration.
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