Stereotypes in Humor, Comic Dimension, Human Experience
In the popular television series, the 2 and ½ Men, the issue of differences of humor as a function of the social and economic stature of the person to whom the humor is directed emerges. Walden is a rich man and Allen harper is a parasite who lives off Walden and other people (2 and ½ Men). Humor in the series is a function of Allen's apparent lack of personal dignity and Walden's poor luck with women. In the American society, particularly among the Caucasians, the main difference between the members of the community is a function of the differences in earnings. The exploration of the stereotype of loneliness among the rich and absence of love in relationships between the rich and any girl they meet because of the role of the money in creating barriers is also a major source of social debate in the society. In the Sitcom, these issues are used to generate humor.
There are also gender directed biases and stereotypes in the series. However, his obsession with love results in many internal struggles and women often shun him after sometime. In the case of Allen, he lacks good looks and money (2 and ½ Men). Therefore, he is unlucky in love because women want these aspects in a man. The gender stereotypes here are the preference for money and looks by women on men and the shallowness of men in as far as relationships are concerned. The artistic portray of these situations create humor.
[...] Humor is also used to capture the most important values of a community. For example, the value of friendship, social relations and love are all recurring themes in American comedies. These comical creations show the role of these values in overcoming impossible situations. For example, though there is a stark contrast in the fortunes of Walden and Allen in the series the 2 and Men, they are close friends. All situations in the show show that the stereotypes on the role of money and social influence are irrelevant compared to the value of friendship and love and Men). [...]
[...] The humor is also relevant is easing the struggles of the marginalized group by giving them a way to derive pleasure out of difficult situations. Therefore, stereotypes are a cultural construct and they are a relevant part of a culture because of their evolutionary value and their ability to confront difficult situations. References Berger, Peter L . Redeeming laughter: The Comic Dimension Of Human Experience. New York: Walter de Gruyter Print. Chiaro, Delia. Gender and Humor: Interdisciplinary and International Perspectives. Print. [...]
[...] Not all African Americans are in the habit of taking advantage of the unfortunate past. Therefore, the generalization from the tendency is a stereotype against the group. In the sitcom the 2 and Men, the issue is addressed in season 11 episode 3 where Walden and Allen are looking to hire a cleaner. She uses racial reference to wiggle out of chores she does not like and consequently she does not get the job and Men). Therefore, the series uses humor to show the role of certain aspects of the society in straining relationships between different groups in a non-inflammatory context. [...]
[...] In fact, stereotypes emanate from culture. For example, in the Jewish community in Europe before the World Wars, there was widespread poverty and association of the Jewish communities with large families and poverty (Chiaro 72). The result is the development of humor to ease the burden from these situations in the community. In the African Americans, racist comments form part of the jokes within the community. These jokes force them to confront the realities of their lives and to have some fun in the process. [...]
[...] Types of humor include making fun of a person, exaggerations, improbable claims and contextual jokes. In making fun of a person, the most popular method is using stereotypesagainst the person or a trait present in the subject. Exaggerations also draw on stereotypes to male humor. For example, exaggerating the weather is unlikely to be funny because there is no stereotype against the weather. However exaggerating the fear factor in a woman uses the stereotype that women are timid compared to men. [...]
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