Slapstick Comedy Final Revised 2

7/23/2019 Slapstick Comedy Final Revised 2

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Sullivan 1

Erin Sullivan

Dr. McLaughlin

Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric

18 November 2015

he Women o! Saturday Night Live"# a$e on Sla%#tic$

&Live !rom Ne' (or$) it"# Saturda* Night+ ring# through the hou#e# o! thou#and# o!

,merican# each and ever* 'ee$end. -ir#t airing in ctober o! 1/5) Saturday Night Live #till

remain# a %rominent late night televi#ion #ho' to thi# da*) not onl* %roving it# abilit* to %roduce

great entertainment but al#o it# #ucce##. Mo#t #ho'# di#a%%ear a!ter u#t a !e' #hort #ea#on# and

the luc$* one# ma*be #%an a decade or #o. So) ho' ha# Saturday Night Live managed to maintain

#uch high recognition and rating# !or !our decade# 3nli$e other televi#ion #ho'#) it !ocu#e# on

comed* rooted in the cultural %ractice# and %olitical entitie# rather than develo%ing and

!ollo'ing a #%eci!ic %remi#e. More #%eci!icall*) Saturday Night Live #%eciali4e# in a %articular

!orm o! comed*) #la%#tic$ comed*) 'hich 'a# %rimaril* recogni4ed in the 1/20#. (et) at thi#

time) it 'a# !illed %redominantl* 'ith male actor# becau#e 'omen 'ere &too !ragile) too %reciou#

to #li% on a banana %eel or !all do'n a !light o! #tair#+ 6la*ton 178. hu#) a# it ha# been

modi!ied along the 'a* to embod* a more contem%orar* !orm) it ha# al#o e9tended to include

!emale %er!ormer#. :n %articular) the 'omen o! Saturday Night Live have demon#trated the

evolution o! #la%#tic$ comed*. -rom ;ilda Radner to Ma*a Rudol%h) the 'omen tran#!ormed the

element# o! #la%#tic$ comed* to embod* a ne' !orm 'hich allude# to realit* through character

ada%tation#) %ortra*# character# that are culturall* reected) and cau#e# #u!!ering to the #ource o!

moc$er* rather than each other.



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While #la%#tic$ comed* #eem# to be an ea#il* concocted) #el!< e9%lanator* conce%t) it ha#

dee%er root# dating bac$ to earl* :talian theatre. hi# term #la%#tic$ i# derived !rom &the Engli#h

tran#lation o! =batacchio") or rather the :talian 'ord to de#cribe the 'ooden #tic$ carried b*

,rlecchino in the commedia dell"arte+ >eacoc$ 15. More than #im%l* a 'ooden #tic$) a

#la%#tic$ re#embled a club li$e &#tage %ro% con#tructed o! t'o 'ooden %addle#) oined at one

end) u#ed b* circu# clo'n# to hit each other) thereb* %roducing a #la%%ing #ound+ rahair 7.

6ontrar* to it# %redicted %ur%o#e ba#ed on the %iercing #ound and name it 'a# ca%able o!

%roducing) #la%#tic$# 'ere hardl* ever u#ed to in!lict %ain u%on another character. -or e9am%le)

the %er!ormer# o! commedia dell"arte) theatre characteri4ed b* ma#$ed %er!ormance#) 'ould

ma$e #ure to navigate the #tage in a 'a* that 'ould di#tance them#elve# !ar enough !rom the

#la%#tic$ #o that the* 'ould not !eel it# e!!ect# >eacoc$ 1/. hu#) the#e actor# 'ould #till create

the illu#ion o! %ain 'ithout e9%eriencing it and the audience could %ic$ u% on thi# tric$er*)

en#uring that no harm 'a# done and laughter could a%%ro%riatel* en#ue.

Dra'ing !rom the Euro%ean theatre# u#e o! #la%#tic$) ,merican# began to incor%orate thi#

conce%t o! #la%#tic$ comed* into their o'n !ilm indu#tr* during the earl* 1/20# at the %ea$ o!

the #ilent !ilm indu#tr*. ,lthough the#e movie# lac$ed the e9tra dimen#ion o! #ound) the* made

u% !or it b* utili4ing #la%#tic$ comed*. Sla%#tic$ %rovided the o%%ortunit* to e9%lore humor

#timulated b* the bod*. -or e9am%le) Mac$ Sennett"# &illie"# >unctured Romance+ %ortra*# t'o

%eo%le 'ho meet through the girl accidentl* hitting the gu* 'ith a bric$ and the#e t*%e# o!

accident# are #u#tained throughout the 'hole !ilm ,ndrin 228. ,lthough thi# !orm o! #la%#tic$

cau#e# great harm to the actor#) it# e9aggeration and con#tant turmoil o! inurie# leave# no time

!or the audience to re#%ond emotionall* and !eel their %ain. Rather) the audience chuc$le# at the

cou%le"# mi#!ortune#. ,# technolog* advanced and the machine age emerged) thi# bod* !ocu#ed



Sullivan ?

#la%#tic$ comed* tran#!ormed into &cra4* machine+ comed*. 6ra4* machine# are more than u#t

a machine) but rather one &that %roduce# nothing other than a %roce## that de#tro*# it#el!+

;unning 1?8. :n the movie Get Out and Get Under, Llo*d tran#!orm# a car into a &cra4*

machine+ a# it !ail# to turn bac$ on until it eventuall* receive# a #hot o! heroin) olting a'a*

'ithout a driver ;unning 178. hi# not onl* #ho'# ho' the car"# !ail# to achieve it# %rimar*

%ur%o#e o! tran#%orting a driver to it# de#ired de#tination) but it al#o allude# to the idea that in the

end) the car 'ill eventuall* de#tro* it#el! a# it race# a'a* 'ith no #ign o! return. hu#) rather

than #la%#tic$ being ba#ed u%on a 'ooden 'ea%on) it #lo'l* *et #urel* have evolved into a

#ource o! comed* that dra'# u%on it# cultural #urrounding# rather than violence to generate

humor.

While Saturda* Night Live doe# embrace it# cultural #urrounding#) one o! the original

element# o! #la%#tic$ comed*) it al#o maintain# the lac$ o! realit* and %h*#ical violence that al#o

characteri4e #la%#tic$ comed* a# e9%re##ed through male character# on the #ho'. :t i# %roven that

&a certain element o! !anta#* and unrealit* 'a# e##ential to achieve comic di#tance+ o! #la%#tic$

comed* Riblet 1?. -or e9am%le) Dan ,*$ro*d embodie# to* com%an* %re#ident :rvin

Main'a* 'ho#e com%an* #ell# %roduct# li$e @ag " ;la## and a tedd* bear 'ith a built< in

chain#a'. While the#e &to*#+ are immediatel* alarming due to their dangerou# nature) the humor

lie# in the !act that no #ane bu#ine## o'ner 'ould create and mar$et #uch to*# that 'ould inure

$id# becau#e it i# inherent that %arent# 'ould never %urcha#e an*thing that could harm their

%reciou# children) a cu#tom dee%l* under#tood in #ociet*. hu#) audience# &a%%ro%riate

#la%#tic$"# comic anarch* to their cultural %re#ent#) 'hether a# a challenge to the dead 'eight o!

tradition or a goad to cultural change+ Aing and >aulu# 7. :n The Dark Side with Nat X, 6hri#

6hri# Roc$ %la*# a 4ealou#) militant tal$ #ho' ho#t 'ho not onl* dra'# on cultural event# o! the



Sullivan 7

time li$e the B Sim%#on"# murder ca#e and Be##e Bac$#on"# democratic cam%aign but al#o

!ocu#e# on the racial ineCualit* through ter#e *et e9%licit comment#. -or e9am%le) he in#inuate#

ho' he can onl* have a to% !ive becau#e the man 'ant# to de%rive him o! ten and ho' i! Mi$e

*#on touche# a 'hite girl) he could get them all the blac$ men $illed. hu#) thi# not onl*

challenge# the tradition o! 'hite men being #u%erior but it al#o call# !or #ociet* to be 'ell<

in!ormed on their current nation"# event# and recogni4e and amend the ga% bet'een 'hite# and

blac$#. -inall*) original #la%#tic$ embraced the &$noc$about %h*#ical humor) 'hich em%ha#i4ed

$ic$ing) %unching) #tumbling and !lailing+ Aarnic$ and Ben$in# . -or in#tance) 6hri# -arle*

%la*# a motivational #%ea$er b* the name o! Matt -ole* 'ho 'a# invited to tal$ to t'o teenage

$id# in their home a!ter their %arent# di#cover a bag o! %ot in their living room. Li$e ever* good

motivational #%ea$er) he %a##ionatel* deliver# hi# #%eech) utili4ing a variet* o! violent hand

motion# 'hich include %unching the air. ,t one %oint) he become# #o carried a'a* that he

accidentall* !all# and #ma#he# a 'ood table) relating bac$ to the %h*#ical violence a# a #ource o!

humor !or #la%#tic$ comed*. hu#) the men o! SNL 'ere able to e9em%li!* the original element#

o! #la%#tic$.

6ontrar* to the men) the 'omen %er!ormer# began to modi!* the element# o! #la%#tic$ to

!urther it# evolution. While the#e &ne'+ element# ma* #eem more di!!erent than #imilar) the* are

merel* an e9ten#ion that retain the %#*chological nature o! #la%#tic$. :n %articular) the !ir#t

element) central ab#urdit* 'a# adu#ted to allude to relativel* reali#tic commoditie# 'hether it be

ba#ed on the character#" manneri#m# or the cultural undertone# o! the #$etch. -or e9am%le) ina

-e* %ortra*ed Sarah >alin along 'ith her #ide$ic$ ,m* >oehler a# illar* 6linton giving a non<

%arti#an addre##. Not onl* dre##ing the %art and ado%ting Sarah"# ,la#$an dra'l) -e* al#o

%rimar* ba#e# thi# addre## on the i##ue o! #e9i#m and even venture# into addre##ing global



Sullivan 5

'arming brie!l*. hu#) the combination o! the#e element# act# contrar* to one o! the de!ining

original element# o! #la%#tic$) central ab#urdit* 'hich a##ume# a lac$ o! realit* >eacoc$ ?0.

While thi# #cenario i# ab#urd in more than one 'a* including the a##um%tion o! !al#e identitie#

and the #cenario o! >alin and 6linton 'or$ing together) it i# rooted in the illu#ion o! realit*

through the co#tume# a# 'ell a# the ac$no'ledgment o! %rominent %olitical i##ue# in the 'orld.

Similarl*) ,na ;a#te*er act# a# an N>R ho#t named Margaret Bo Mc6ullen b* #%ea$ing in a

monotone voice about her relativel* unintere#ting li!e 'here getting greed* !or 6hri#tma#

include# a#$ing Santa !or a 'ooden bo'l and over#i4ed inde9 card#. While the o$e# Cuic$l*

gro' 'ildl* ab#urd) the manneri#m# o! the character# are maintained and allude to the %ublicl*

acce%ted boring nature o! N>R. hu#) the e9ecution o! thi# #$etch not onl* u%hold# the rather

#omber tone o! N>R radio) but it al#o catche# it# true e##ence b* %ortra*ing it in the light o! ho'

the maorit* o! #ociet* vie'# it# im%act# on the radio indu#tr*. :n both the#e #$etche#) the 'omen

o! Saturday Night Live a!!irmed the tran#!ormation o! earl* #la%#tic$ comed* into a ne' !orm

'here humor lie# in the reali#tic re%re#entation o! certain a#%ect# o! #ociet*.

Similar to thi# ne'!ound reali#tic a#%ect to #la%#tic$ comed*) i! the 'omen 'ere not

moc$ing celebritie#) the* 'ere %ortra*ing character# that 'ere culturall* reected b* #ociet*)

including Debbie Do'ner and Mar* Aatherine ;allagher) rather than moc$ing #ociet* in order to

incite #ocial change. ,lthough original #la%#tic$ dre' on violence) a# it evolved it develo%ed into

&rec$le## o$e# that #eemed to thro' more !uel on to the !ire o! change+ in #ociet* Aatrib 117.

While #till dra'ing on culture) Saturday Night Live too$ the#e character# in a one #te% !urther

than #im%l* creating character# to tran#!orm #ociet*) the* %ortra*ed character# that 'ere

culturall* reected a# a #ource o! humor. -or e9am%le) Rachel Dratch %la*ed the role o! Debbie

Do'ner 'ho#e interection# into the conver#ation 'ere al'a*# negative. ,t a birthda* %art*)



Sullivan

ever*thing out o! Debbie"# mouth touche# ba#e on either current 'orld'ide cri#i# li$e the cri#i#

in Sudan in 2007 or an ab#urd %er#onal %roblem li$e her doctor #a*ing &i! #he doe#n"t cut do'n

on her con#um%tion o! !i#h) her mercur* level# 'ill reach to9ic %ro%ortion#+. While the#e

comment# call attention to variou# cri#i# and could %rovo$e a change in #ociet*"# re#%on#e to

them) the %rimar* rea#on the#e cultural element# are incor%orated into the #$etch i# to generate

laughter !rom the #heer idea that #o man* negative comment could come out o! a #ingle %er#on"#

mouth) a behavior contrar* to the cultural norm. :n a #imilar manner) Moll* Shannon %ortra*#

Mar* Aatherine ;allagher) 6atholic #chool girl mi#!it) de!*ing the %ure) 'hole#ome #tereot*%e

through her #candalou# inter%retation o! the #chool uni!orm and %rovocative dance move#. More

#o than thi#) Mar* Aatherine demon#trate# #ocial ine%tne## 'hen #he in!orm# the %rie#t running

the talent #ho' audition that 'hen #he get# nervou#) #he #tic$# her hand# under her arm%it# and

#mell# them and %roceed# to do thi#. While Mar* Aatherine"# %romi#cuou# re%re#entation o!

#chool girl# could re#ult in 6atholic #chool admini#tration# hammering do'n on dre## code and

behavior) thi# detail i# rather irrelevant to the overall %ur%o#e o! the #$etch. Mar* Aatherine

could have been a %ublic #chool girl !or all that it matter#Fthe %rimar* !ocu# and humor lie#

'ithin the !act that #he cannot interact normall* 'ith other %eo%le. @ecau#e o! thi#) #he not onl*

ma$e# a !ool o! her#el!) but al#o ma$e# the %rie#t !eel uncom!ortable a# re!lected in hi# a'$'ard

bod* movement# and rather di#tre##ed !acial e9%re##ion#) circum#tance# 'hich add to the humor

o! the #cenario. -rom the#e t'o e9am%le#) it i# a%%arent that thi# ne' #la%#tic$ generate# humor

through %ortra*ing #ociall* unacce%table %eo%le rather than rel*ing on #ocial condition# to

%rovide comical undertone#.

,# #een 'ith Saturday Night Live"# re%re#entation o! culturall* reected individual#) the

#u!!ering in #la%#tic$ i# incurred b* tho#e 'ho are being moc$ed rather than the %er!ormer#



Sullivan

them#elve#. riginall*) #la%#tic$ !ocu#ed on %h*#ical violence 'hich #tem# !rom the obect it#el!

and it evolved into %ain and #u!!ering a# noted in the movie Three Stooges 'hich reverted &bac$

to more brutal #ide o! comed* *et !ocu#ed on %ain and #u!!ering !rom violence rather than

violence it#el!+ ,ndrin 1??. -urthermore) the %er!ormer# on Saturday Night Live e9tend thi#

evolution !urther to the %ain and #u!!ering 'hich the* bring u%on the celebritie# 'ho become the

butt o! their o$e#. -or e9am%le) ;ilda Radner"# im%er#onation o! @arbara Walter# e9aggerate#

her li#% b* %utting the ' #ound in ever* 'ord. While %eo%le are alread* in#ecure about li#%#) the

attention Radner dra'# to it# %rominence could cau#e even more grie!. 6ontinuing on) Radner

allude# to the idea that @arbara Walter# i# ver* #el!< centered becau#e &in#tead o! 'a#ting time

'ith e9traneou# %er#onalitie#Gthe 'hole #ho'"# going to be about one terri!ic %er#on 'ho :

reall* re#%ectFmeH+ With #el!i#hne## a# a naturall* condoned %er#onalit* trait) thi# could

embarra## @arbara and cau#e inner #u!!ering a# all her !la'# are %ic$ed a%art in !ront o! million#.

Li$e'i#e) Ma*a Rudol%h ada%t# Whitne* ou#ton"# accent and %er!orm# her in!amou# dance

move and #a*# &alright+ a!ter ever* #tatement. hi# em%ha#i4e# the obno9iou# nature o!

ou#ton"# habit#) em%ha#i4ing the#e im%er!ection# a# the 'hole %ur%o#e o! thi# #$etch. (et

Rudol%h"# im%er#onation i# relentle## a# #he allude# to ou#ton"# cocaine addiction and recent

divorce. ho#e t'o %er#onal %roblem# combined can be a great #ource o! angui#h !or an* %er#on)

and no' the* have to 'atch their tragic li!e #tor* un!old on national televi#ion. ,rguabl*) both

the#e #cenario# could not be #la%#tic$ #ince it a%%ear# no one #u!!er#) but delving into the

content) one can #ee ho' both the#e in!luential %eo%le are torn to #hred# !or their #hortcoming#.

,n*one in their #hoe# 'ould not !ind humor in the#e o$e#. :n the end) both Radner and Rudol%h

e9%erience no #u!!ering #ince it i# u#t a %art o! their ob in the #la%#tic$ indu#tr*.



Sullivan 8

,ll the#e 'omen in Saturday Night Live are not onl* %roo! o! 'omen"# in!luence in the

evolution o! #la%#tic$) but al#o the evolution o! 'omen in comed* overall. :n 1/ th centur* -rance)

'omen"# humor avoided the male im%ro%riet* and 'a# &re#tricted to a domainFchild rearingF

de!ined a# a 'omen"# #%here+ Bohn#on 78< 7/. hi# not onl* im%lie# an inherent divide

bet'een each gender"# idea o! comed*) but al#o attribute# it# divi#ion due to #ocial role# o! each

gender. Still even into the 20th centur*) ma#culine comed* &in#i#tentl* re<e#tabli#hed dominance

over #ome other) mo#t %articularl* the !eminine+ @urn# 15?. hu#) 'omen"# role in #ociet*

changed little over the cour#e o! a centur* and their %rominent role a# hou#e'ive# %la*ed a maor

%art into their humor. @ut a# 'omen gained their right# in the later 20

th

centur* and #lo'l* began

their climb to'ard# gender eCualit*) the humor o! men and 'omen ha# begun to mor%h into a

#ingle !orm o! humor. @ecau#e o! thi#) it ha# been ea#ier !or 'omen to integrate them#elve# into

the comed* indu#tr* 'hich ha# led to better re%re#entation o! 'omen a# humorou# individual#

%articularl* on Saturday Night Live. hu#) the integration o! 'omen into comed* 'a# another

!actor that rai#ed Saturday Night Live"# rating# and aided the evolution o! #la%#tic$ comed*. ,#

the evolution o! 'omen in comed* and #la%#tic$ ha%%ened #ide b* #ide) the 'omen o! Saturday

Night Live 'ere able to leave their mar$ on #la%#tic$ comed* b* attributing it 'ith a greater

#en#e o! realit*) a greater em%ha#i# on culturall* reected individual# and a greater !ocu# on the

#u!!ering o! the target o! their im%er#onation.



Sullivan /

Wor$# 6ited

,ndrin) Muriel. &@ac$ to the =Sla%"I Sla%#tic$"# *%erbolic ;e#ture and the Rhetoric o!

Jiolence+. Sla%#tic$ 6omed*. Ed. om >aulu# and Rob Aing. Ne' (or$I a*lor K

-ranci#) 2010. 22< 2?5. >rint.

@urn#) 6hri#t* L. &>arod* and >o#tmodern Se9I umor in homa# >*nchon and ama

Bano'it4+. >er!orming ;ender and 6omed*I heorie#) e9t# and 6onte9t#. Ed. Shannon

engen. ntarioI ver#ea# >ubli#her# ,##ociation) 1//8. 17/< 1. >rint

Debbie Downer at a Birthday Party. Dir. Mi$e alterman. >er!. Rachel Dratch and @en ,!!lec$.

NBC . N@6 3niver#al. Web.

Gida !adner SNL. >er!. ;ilda Radner. "ahoo# Web.

;unning) om. &he Mechani#m# o! LaughterI the Device# o! Sla%#tic$.+ Sla%#tic$ 6omed*. Ed.

om >aulu# and Rob Aing. Ne' (or$I a*lor K -ranci#) 2010. 1?< 151. >rint.

Bohn#on) Warren. &he Jeiled LaughI Women) the @od*) and the 6omic in Nineteenth< 6entur*

-rance.+ >er!orming ;ender and 6omed*I heorie#) e9t# and 6onte9t#. Ed. Shannon

engen. ntarioI ver#ea# >ubli#her# ,##ociation) 1//8. 7< 58. >rint.

Aarnic$) Ar#tine @runov#$a Aarnic$) and enr* Ben$in#. &:ntroductionI -unn* Storie#+.

6la##ical oll*'ood 6omed*. Ed. Ari#tine @runov#$a Aarnic$ and enr* Ben$in#. Ne'

(or$I ,merican -ilm :n#titute) 1//5. 18< 18/. >rint.

Aatrib) Ruba. R,NS::N ;,;S. ,rt :n ,merica 10?. 2015I 117<21. Web.



Sullivan 10

Aing) Rob) and om >aulu#. &:ntroductionI Re#toring Sla%#tic$ to the i#toriogra%h* o!

,merican -ilm+. Sla%#tic$ 6omed*. Ed. om >aulu# and Rob Aing. Ne' (or$I a*lor K

-ranci#) 2010. 1< 1/. >rint.

NP!s Dei$ious Dish S$hweddy Bas. >er!. ,na ;a#te*er) Moll* Shannon) and ,lec @ald'in.

%uu. N@6 Studio#) :nc. Web.

Pain&%iary O'en. Dir. Seth Me*er#. >er!. ina -e* and ,m* >oehler. %uu. N@6 Studio#) :nc

Web.

>eacoc$) Loui#e. Sla%#tic$ and 6omic >er!ormanceI 6omed* and >ain. 2017. >rint.

Riblet) Doug. &he Ae*#tone -ilm 6om%an* and the i#toriogra%h* o! Earl* Sla%#tic$+.

6la##ical oll*'ood 6omed*. Ed. Ari#tine @runov#$a Aarnic$ and enr* Ben$in#. Ne'

(or$I ,merican -ilm :n#titute) 1//5. 18< 18/. >rint.

St( )oni$as Taent *uditions. >er!. Moll* Shannon and Will -errell and ;abriel @*rne. %uu.

N@6 Studio#) :nc. Web.

rahair) Li#a. he 6omed* o! >hilo#o%h* Sen#e and Non#en#e in Earl* 6inematic Sla%#tic$.

,lban*I State 3 o! Ne' (or$) 200. S3N( Ser.) :n#inuation#. Web.

+eekend U'date +hitney %ouston on %er Su--er Pans. >er!. Ma*a Rudol%h and ,m*

>oehler. NBC . N@6 3niver#al. Web.

Documents

Slapstick Comedy Final Revised 2