DISCUSSION THREAD, September 2019 75-Word Writing Challenge

[Parson]

This was incredibly hard for me. As a rule the most you will get from me when dark humor is tried is a polite chuckle. I know, I'm weird, but for me bad things are bad things and are not funny. Why would someone laugh at someone else's pain. A few years ago someone thought they would entertain a group I was in with some Three Stooges movies. I couldn't laugh!! What's funny about someone getting hit on the head? or poked in the eye? etc. For me if someone gets hurt, or there's a horrible twist of fate. It's sad and most assuredly not funny.

End of rant!

----

A short list of stories that gave me enjoyment:

Prime Directive? ..... @Luiglin .... For a dark trip of my expectations.
Terms of Office ..... @Daysman .... For creating a Fantasy I'd love to experience.
Love at First Sight .... @Peter V. .... For reminding me that some hormones are not desirable.
From our Science Correspondent .... @M. Robert Gibson ..... For making Vegan a meat.
The Muting of Dan McGrew .... @The Judge .... For versification and brilliance.

I voted for the brilliance of The Judge.

 

[StilLearning]

Nothing wrong or weird about empathy Sir.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

This month's is quite a challenge, I'm reading them and thinking. So I'll get round to voting soon.

 

[Luiglin]

This was incredibly hard for me. As a rule the most you will get from me when dark humor is tried is a polite chuckle. I know, I'm weird, but for me bad things are bad things and are not funny. Why would someone laugh at someone else's pain. A few years ago someone thought they would entertain a group I was in with some Three Stooges movies. I couldn't laugh!! What's funny about someone getting hit on the head? or poked in the eye? etc. For me if someone gets hurt, or there's a horrible twist of fate. It's sad and most assuredly not funny.

End of rant!

@Parson, I can see where you're coming from and agree a lot of dark comedy comes as a result of bad things. However, for me the best dark comedy comes as a result of the characters and not necessarily the bad situation. I think British comedy has often provided us more with these unfortunate souls that are the butt of the joke as a result of their own nature rather than American comedy.

For example, Fawlty Towers works so well because at the same time you're laughing at Basil for his own self imposed idiocy you're also in someway agreeing with him.

There are other dark British comedies I love and they're all down to the weird and wonderful characters rather than anything particularly bad going on, League of Gentlemen, The Mighty Boosh and, to a lesser extent, Red Dwarf (apologies if you've not heard of those).

For American comedies the best, in my opinion, was the early few seasons of MASH. Yes, the situation was horrible but the writing showed that the key to surving the darkness is to never loose your humour.

That, to me is dark comedy, and something I didn't really use in my entry (I just couldn't resist the weird mash-up).

Looking forward to reading everyone else's over lunch.

 

[Elckerlyc]

After reading, rereading and re-rereading I have finally made my choice.... My vote is for Reaching Out - @SPoots

 

[scarpelius]

I voted @Luiglin - Prime Directive because was the only one that make me laugh. Nice put together two incompatible universes.

 

[J.C. Scoberg]

I too voted for @Luiglin because there was something Pratchett-like about it that made me smile.

 

[Parson]

There are other dark British comedies I love and they're all down to the weird and wonderful characters rather than anything particularly bad going on, League of Gentlemen, The Mighty Boosh and, to a lesser extent, Red Dwarf (apologies if you've not heard of those).

For American comedies the best, in my opinion, was the early few seasons of MASH. Yes, the situation was horrible but the writing showed that the key to surving the darkness is to never loose your humour.

That, to me is dark comedy, and something I didn't really use in my entry

This was helpful. I've heard of League of Gentlemen but I've never seen it. I've seen snippets of Red Dwarf and it just seemed stupid and not funny. I've never heard of the Mighty Boosh. But if Mash is dark comedy I thoroughly enjoyed that, but (and an important but in the light of what you said) I didn't enjoy it fully until Henry Blake left the show. Kind of like what of seen of Red Dwarf it seemed to be stupidity of a degree that just doesn't ring true with Henry Blake. It seems to me the difference in the MASH that I fully enjoyed was that there was no humor in the ugliness of the war, but only in the escapades of those who were trying to deal with or forget what was going on as best as they could, while still doing their incredibly important job.

 

[Luiglin]

This was helpful. I've heard of League of Gentlemen but I've never seen it. I've seen snippets of Red Dwarf and it just seemed stupid and not funny. I've never heard of the Mighty Boosh. But if Mash is dark comedy I thoroughly enjoyed that, but (and an important but in the light of what you said) I didn't enjoy it fully until Henry Blake left the show. Kind of like what of seen of Red Dwarf it seemed to be stupidity of a degree that just doesn't ring true with Henry Blake. It seems to me the difference in the MASH that I fully enjoyed was that there was no humor in the ugliness of the war, but only in the escapades of those who were trying to deal with or forget what was going on as best as they could, while still doing their incredibly important job.

Some of the early Red Dwarf, while daft, was equally poignant. They emphasised the point of Lister being the last human alive.

As to MASH, I loved the show until Radar left, although I still watched it after. The original film and the book upon which it is based is, in my opinion, a perfect example of a dark comedy. As you said, the humour comes from the characters and how they deal with the ugliness of the war around them. I'd advise anyone to watch or read both

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Why would someone laugh at someone else's pain.

I totally agree. I cannot watch those 'funny' clip shows where viewers send in clips of their friends and family falling over, falling off things, crashing etc etc. It's shows like that that encourage people to stand around filming accidents rather than helping.
grrr
rant over

I'm off to read the entries.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Well, there sure were a lot of food related entries

Shortlist
Dinner Guests - @Cathbad
Prime Directive? - @Luiglin
You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company! - @Dr_R_Dizzle
Protocols of Preparation - @Vince W
The Importance of Comic Timing - @Ursa major
The Muting of Dan McGrew - @The Judge

Vote
The Problem with Space Travel - @nixie

PS
I think a combination of Dinner Guests and Protocols of Preparation would result in some sort of a wild feeding frenzy.

 

[nixie]

Two votes, thank you @LittleStar and @M. Robert Gibson

 

[johnnyjet]

And so, my Short List and *** Favorite ***:

An Alien Walks into a Bar… - mosaix
Love at First Sight - Peter V
You're Gonna Have to Answer to the Coca-Cola Company - Dr_R_Dizzle
The Liberators - Victoria Silverwolf
Prime Real Estate – Culhwch
*** The Problem with Space Travel – nixie ***
REGARDING EARTH - Jo Zebedee
Snake Oil – LittleStar
From Our Science Correspondent - M. Robert Gibson
The Sound of One Flipper Clapping – Hugh
A Few Thousand Cycles, Give or Take – Garfunkel
The Importance of Comic Timing - Ursa major

Well done, all! Lots of interesting variations on a theme.

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

I think a large part of the definition of dark humor for me is that even through the entertainment, there is actually a serious and resonant point made. Something meaningful illustrated through the humor. The more serious the point, the darker and grimmer the humor. Much of Yes, Minister qualified as dark humor, not because it's funny that government is basically insane, but because it is technically serious and a problem, and to show it up through dark humor is an effective way to make that serious point without being quite so available for roasting by people with the other viewpoint.

The concept we're talking about here, I think, is mockery. Some people consider mockery to be never appropriate. I believe some things, though, dangerous things, actually do need it, simply to make people pay attention to their absurdity before it's too late. In any case, I think we can all agree that whether done lightly or hamhandedly, mockery is a powerful weapon and appropriate to use only in the last resort on very serious subjects, when showing the absurdity of the idea you're lampooning is important. Just because a lot of people constantly throw mockery around for any petty reason doesn't mean mockery itself isn't good in the right sort of context.

In my opinion, dark humor is extremely useful. And all the more important to know how to do well because of its controversial nature.

Terry Pratchett's works are an excellent example of dark humor used well.

 

[nixie]

Thank you @johnnyjet

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

So what happens in the event of a tie? Do the winners have to do a writing face-off of some kind?

 

[nixie]

We have a tie breaker poll.

 

[Luiglin]

So what happens in the event of a tie? Do the winners have to do a writing face-off of some kind?

Sharpened pencils at dawn

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

Pencils can really be formidable weapons!

Thanks for the info. Does anybody remember the last time a tie happened? And...are there ever three- or four-way ties?

...Which naturally leads to the question, has there ever been a tie on the tie-breaker poll?

 

[mosaix]

Pencils can really be formidable weapons!

Thanks for the info. Does anybody remember the last time a tie happened? And...are there ever three- or four-way ties?

...Which naturally leads to the question, has there ever been a tie on the tie-breaker poll?

I think there was.