Tom and Jerry are one of the most iconic, recognizable duos in all of cartoon history. The charming, animated, domestic ultraviolence of the age-old cat versus mouse tale has weaved its way into the hearts and minds of the last five generations or so. It relies heavily on simple, slapstick scenarios, often involving the pain of Tom the cat and pleasure of Jerry the mouse. Slapstick humor is defined as “comedy based on deliberately clumsy actions and humorously embarrassing events.” This means that anything from The Three Stooges to Blazing Saddles has indulged in a bit of slapstick every now and then, even if it is considered to be childish and cheap to most critical audiences. However, despite the negative connotation associated with slapstick, Tom and Jerry has managed to not only create a formula that performs remarkably well, but also one that stands the test of time. Tom and Jerry continues to be a relevant series down through generations, constantly getting reboots, reruns, and selling merchandise like nobody’s business. This is due mostly to the comedy being delivered at face-value. The jokes are not at all clever, and in fact do not utilize words at all. The jokes are simply: Cat forms plan to catch mouse, mouse bludgeons cat with kitchen object, cat concedes defeat, mouse laughs from afar. It is ultimately a savage showcasing of good vs. evil, though the ethics of Tom and Jerry is something on which I could write an entire separate paper. The point is that the simple, easily digested humor of Tom and Jerry is exactly why this remains timeless classic of childhood nostalgia. It does not make the audience think, or keep them guessing, or question anything about themselves or their surroundings. Humans simply enjoy watching cartoon characters get bashed in the head with a frying pan, and this is fine.
Ah, yes. The Office . A delightful slice of life comedy that nearly everyone is familiar with, to some extent or another. Centering around the presumed-mundane lives of the workers in a failing paper company, The Office presents such unique yet realistic scenarios and characters that is is nearly impossible not to fall in love with it. Each episode remains so timeless, and given the amount of times that I have viewed the series in its entirety, I do not believe I could get tired of reading about it, as Logsdon claims I may. So let us address his reasoning as to why exactly The Office , as awkward and niche as it would seem to be, manages to appeal to such a widespread audience. Citing the scene in “Stress Relief” in which Dwight sets fire to the workplace was definitely a great choice, in terms of both getting the point of the blog post across as well as simply being a personal favorite of mine. Highlighting the dynamic of the main and supporting characters in the office is defin...
I think you should write that paper! What are the ethics? It's true that there is this weird bluntness to the comedy. I wonder though if it's not just a question of it being silly and pointless. Maybe there's something deeper about it? A kind of existentialist thrill of the pointlessness of violence. Or maybe not. lol.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how such a simple show can go on to survive for generations. They probably still make bank to this day.
ReplyDeleteI loved your mentioning of Blazing Saddles. It's a favorite of mine.
ReplyDelete