The Language of Comedy - for iPod/iPhone: Recent Episodes
The Open University
How do we use language in comedy? What is the social importance of comedy? What are the techniques used with language to create different types of humour? This series looks at how entertainers manipulate language to generate humour, and what this reveals about the nature of comedy and its function in society. Featuring Henning Wehn, on cross cultural humour, Isy Suttie, on crafting a joke and Graham Fellows on creating his character John Shuttleworth.
Transcript -- In what ways do comedians exploit regional variety in the creation of comedy?
How is social class used as a topic for comedy, and what part do social dialects play in the generation of humour?
Transcript -- How is social class used as a topic for comedy, and what part do social dialects play in the generation of humour?
How comedians exploit the ambiguities of language in the production of innuendo and similar forms of language play.
Transcript -- How comedians exploit the ambiguities of language in the production of innuendo and similar forms of language play.
Charlie Higson discusses Steve Martin's catchphrases and introduces clip from Fast Show's Downton Abbey spoof
Transcript -- Charlie Higson discusses Steve Martin's catchphrases and introduces clip from Fast Show's Downton Abbey spoof
This video focuses on the structure of one-liners, and the properties of language that comedians play with in the creation of jokes.
Transcript -- This video focuses on the structure of one-liners, and the properties of language that comedians play with in the creation of jokes.