Comedy as a media tool
Comedy offers many advantages of enriching our lives. As you are already probably aware of, modern science has done extensive research on the health benefits of laughter and humor.
At the same time, comedy is also a very powerful cultural medium. First and foremost, it contributes to our mindset and the lens through which we view and interpret our lived experiences. Further, comedy gives us a familiar venue to critically consider our own intellectual growth and development and that of American society as a whole. Thus, in very substantial and meaningful ways, comedy is often used to clarify cultural norms and values. Most comedy routines, therefore, have a very specific agenda---political, ethical, economic, etc--under the guise of entertainment. Yet, to be sure, this development of comedy is not new to the millennium generation. Thus, this week I want you to watch and evaluate an older comedy routine. I want you to pinpoint the main agenda of the comedian and give your 50-word personal evaluation of his performance. Link here
Due by Sunday 9/28
