EN 543.01 Humor (Spring 2008-2009: 3)
College . . . the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship
Humor. Its four-month mission to explore . . . wait, what's that? okay,
I get it, drop the Star Trek shtick and get serious. Right, but
can't I at least say that the course will seek out new something or others?
No, all right, I see, settle down. Right then, I'll just say that this is
an experimental course that boldy goes (oh no!) from the study of humor
to its creation. That the first half of the semester will be devoted to
collecting jokes, reviewing theory and research on the forms and functions
of humor, and studying contemporary comedy in entertainment, politics, the
culture wars, and everyday life. To provide a sense of how this will work,
if the course were running now (January 2008 while this description is being
drafted), we would be discussing the effect of the writers strike on late-night
monologues, the role of humor and satire in the ongoing presidential campaign
(Stephen Colbert's brief candidacy, Hillary Clinton's laugh, and Mike Huckabee's
wit), and the astounding on-line popularity of Jeff Dunham's "Dead Terrorist"
act. Questions will include why we laugh or refuse to laugh at particular
topics, whether humor is intrinsically beneficial, how humor is being used
to achieve serious objectives, and whether jokes influence how we think
and act. Once we come up with plausible answers to these and many other
questions that have so far baffled philosophers and social scientists (but,
really, what do they know?), students will set out to write and perform
humorous works of their own. Along the way five short papers and a major
project will be assigned. One final point: students unable or unwilling
to amuse will be turned over to the Spanish Inquisition and forced to sit
in the . . . comfy chair! Wait, no, what's that? I see . . . never mind.
Paul Lewis
Last Updated: 04-FEB-08