Last year I was chuffed to attend Tim Fergusons Cheeky Monkey Comedy Writing Course at the Byron Bay Writers Festival. An all day interactive workshop based on his book of the same name, we gang of 20 learnt many, many things, but one particular learning keeps haunting me.
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| thanks to joanneteh_32 |
Regular readers will know of my passion for Byron (the Bay, not the author, I’m utterly clueless when it comes to famous authors), and won’t be surprised to hear that I decided to hide out in the Bay for the week leading up to the Festival. Dare I say it … a little piece of Me Time (apologies for blatant product placement).
During that week I marvelled at the beaches, the food, and met some fantastic people, including some incredibility cool, patient,caring hospital staff (a story I can only relay to you if we meet in person, and only then after much arm twisting).
After two days my city-life adrenaline fuelled pulse, gained a more customary equilibrium (part of the reason for the 24 hour hospital sojourn), but I digress.
On the fourth day I attended Tims course where he dissected the many forms of comedy and what makes us laugh, including the interesting physiological phenomenon of curling into the foetal position when being tickled or bashed. However the aspect that haunts me most was when we analysed the success behind various comedy shows, from The Golden Girls to Sex And The City.
In the months since then I’ve seen A Few Good Men, Bridesmaids, Hangover I … and II, in fairly quick succession. Each time I’m reminded about the role of the four characters – the innocent, the parent, etc. I won’t tell you them all incase you’d prefer to enjoy your comedy sans knowledge, besides if you want to know you really should buy Tim’s book.
It was when I saw Hangover II that the epiphany came …
Ever since then whenever I venture out with friends and there’s a lull in the conversation I sometimes glance around the table pondering …. am I the weird one? … the one everyone things a tad strange … the idiot … the innocent … the one meandering along in life blissfully unaware … I’ve certainly been on the road less travelled for many kilometres now.
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| thanks to Eraupoc |
More importantly I ponder …
If I am, or if you think you are …
Would you want to have this pointed out to you, or would you rather just carry on being you?
Thank goodness Hollywood seems to have moved on from their four friends fascination for the moment. Surely we wont see the same ponderous combination in the upcoming toga swishing 300 movie sequel. Although looking at a scene from the original movie we could be in trouble … four characters again … if you count the dude just hanging about at the back.
3 Comments
I’d rather just keep plodding along. Great piece.
Totally agree Chris. Was finishing off this post when your email came in so ta for injecting that image into my ponderous brain. Keep writing Chris
My pleasure and will do.