Outline of first topic proposal

· What is the purpose of the argument? What does it hope to achieve?

Carr and Greeves ask the audience:” Does our ability to laugh make humans fitter to survive, and has it helped us to become the number one ape?” Carr and Greeves bring up this argument to support the claim that human laughter makes humans successful species. Laughter must serve some sort of purpose and this is what Carr and Greeves are trying to figure out. They hope to achieve success in their theory by arguing in favor of humans.

· What appeals or techniques does the argument use – emotional, logical, and ethical?

It is emotional in that it provides the visual image of animals laughing which is appealing to the audience.
Logical in that we are provided with the theory that animals have the ability to laugh also, which acts as a contradictory to the argument Carr and Greeves are trying to prove right. The theory that animals laugh, is backed up by examples of research that was done on gorillas and rats. These tests on animals apparently proved that animals do laugh.
Ethical in that human laughter differs from animal laughter due to the different types of humor that each responds to. It is ethical that animals do not have the same sense of humor as humans for humans are better educated and understand more concepts.


· What are the facts used in the argument? What logic (logos)? What evidence? How is evidence arranged and presented?

Facts: Research that gorillas chuckle when tickled, but a chimp’s laugh isn’t the same as a human’s. In a lab rats have been tickled and in effect they chirrup. More sophisticated beasts have a sense of humor that allows them to appreciate simple practical jokes-chimpanzee made the sign for “funny”. Apes may have a sense of humor but cannot compare to human’s sense of humor. The complexity of our jokes would confuse chimps. Humans can claim the ability to make jokes and make others laugh. Although animals may do something funny they can’t actually express it verbally which may make it less comedic. The evidence comes from research and is presented in a manner building up to the conclusion that humans are the number one apes.


· How does the language or style of the argument work to persuade an audience?
Carr and Greeves first present us with the actual argument and then go on to explain possible factors in which humans and animals share the common characteristic of laughter but conclude with the idea that the humor that animals and humans respond to is not comparable and therefore human laughter is much more successful.

Writing Assignment # 2

Throughout the chapters I have read so far in Comedy Writing Secrets, the author emphasizes the most on connecting with the audience in order to be a successful comedian. I found this most intriguing because many aspiring comedians tend to overlook this concept and in effect offend their audience. I was introduced to the MAP method, material, audience and performer, which forms a triangular shape that puts the audience at the top. Focusing primarily on the audience gives any comedian the insight to what type of material to present. For a comedian to be successful he/she must be able to connect with the audience. Not all material is suitable for different audiences. What an audience full of sophisticated lawyers thinks is funny, an audience of teenagers/young adults may find boring. One thing however that will attract any crowd is the use of realistic humor. The extent to which one uses reality however, is where the audience comes into play. Reality is one of the most favored topics by any person because all individuals can relate to it in some way. This is how a comedian connects with his/her audience. To use reality correctly, one must understand what reality is and focus on the type of reality that the audience pertains to. The reality of one type of audience cannot be used successfully for another type. For example, conservatives versus liberals: their views are obviously different. Sexual jokes or poking fun at politics or religion are topics that a comedian must be very careful with.
The reason I chose this concept out of all the others taught throughout these chapters is because as the author said, the connection with the audience is the most important. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on using reality as a base for one’s jokes, but exaggerating them a bit. Learning this gave me new insight to what type of things I should focus on when writing my material. I, however, was left confused on how I could master the technique of talking about reality by expanding on it with exaggeration. One thing the author could have done possibly is give different methods of approach using realism plus exaggeration all in one.
My favorite comedian is Dane Cook. In my eyes he has mastered the technique of connecting with the audience. Dane Cook uses real-life situations in every one of his shows because he knows that this type of humor is most appealing to them. The majority of his audience consists of young to middle age adults. Dane Cook can relate with his audience because he himself is also a young adult and the things he experiences closely relate to the daily lives of his audience. Beside the material, however, his success also comes from the way he presents his shows. Dane Cook is successful because he actively engages in his jokes, mainly by acting out his stories. He knows exactly how and what to present to his fans.

One of Dane Cook’s shows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftznGL-qkzk

Aside from the facts taken from Comedy Writing Secrets and the videos of Dane Cook’s performances, I could further support this claim by doing research on other famous comedians and analyzing their approach on how they please their audiences.

Writing Response #1

In chapter one of Comedy Writing Secrets, we are presented with the idea that anyone can acquire humor. Chapter one gives us several exercises to strengthen our imagination. An easy exercise that gets one’s imagination flowing is simply to ask oneself “What if” and think of all possible answers, no matter if they sound ridiculous. This chapter focuses on the importance of becoming humorous in both speech and writing. Humor is vital to life because it is the easiest way to make a conversation successful. Humor oftentimes acts as the “ice-breaker” for a conversation. People who are viewed as being humorous are said to gain “respectful attention”. From lectures in class to advertisement, using humor gets attention. But it is not only the way that one presents information that is important, but also the type of audience one is trying to persuade. In any type of comedy, either in print or stand-up, if the type of humor used does not match the audience’s interests, the audience may be offended. By using the MAP process: Material, Audience, and Performer, one can become a successful comedian easily.
In Laughing Matters, the author is trying to portray to readers that understanding comedy is the key to becoming a successful humorist. We are introduced to a deeper look at what laughter actually means. When a comedian is applauded by laughter, he/she has successfully gotten through to the audience. Comedy acts as a corrective to social behavior. When the audience responds with laughter to a humorous upbringing of a social problem, they are accepting the problem and becoming better people. However laughter does not like to be in isolation. Laughter rather enjoys company; therefore, an idea will seem more humorous if presented to more than one person. Furthermore, the author presents us with different situations in which he finds humor.
In response to both readings I found myself to understand more clearly what Comedy Writing Secrets had to say. To me Laughing Matters tended to use richer words that were harder to comprehend. Although several points did catch my attention, oftentimes I was confused to what the author was trying to get across to his readers and ended up reading pages several times to try and grasp the basic concept. I liked how in Comedy Writing Secrets, readers were introduced to exercises that encouraged humor. What also kept my attention were the funny quotes throughout the chapter. It is true what this chapter points out: the use of humor in reading or listening captures the audience and gets the point across easily. After reading the chapter I feel more encouraged that I can become a successful comedian, simply by following the steps this chapter presents.

Question: Besides what I picked up from the reading in Laughing Matters, what else was the author trying to tell us?