An Investigation on How Language Used in Comedy Affects the Public Opinion of the Comedian - Essay Example

AN INVESTIGATION ON HOW LANGUAGE USED IN COMEDY AFFECTS THE PUBLIC OPINION OF THE COMEDIAN (KELVIN BRIDGE FRANKIE BOYLE) Accordingto the Oxford Dictionary, comedy is a play or other literary composition, which is mainly compiled with an aim of amusing its audience by appealing to a sense of superiority over the depicted characters. It continues to say that a comedy will normally be closer to the representation of everyday life while its ending will usually be happy for the leading characters if compared to tragedy. However, the observation by experts that comedy, in most cases, gets a bad press compared to the loftier and nobler genre of tragedy and other literally genres such as epic poetry, and lyric,” leads to the investigation on how the language used in comedy affects the public opinion of the comedian. Another important point to note is that comedy, in most cases, utilizes the attributes of the actors allegorically to represent the physical world (Robinson, 2008 p7). Comedians Kelvin Bridge and Frankie Boyle both leading comedians but each unique in their own style will be analyzed to show on how language used in comedy affects the public opinion of the comedian. Frankie Boyle is a Scottish comedian commonly known for his pessimistic and controversial sense of humor. On the other hand, Kelvin Bridge uses more culturally correct humor. In October 2008, Frankie Boyle made a joke about the Queen about her age and part of her body, which led to the Conservative MP David Davies, saying that the joke was “disgracefully foul comment.” Frankie Boyle was on it again in his 2010 tour when he made a joke about people with Down syndrome offending a member of the audience whose daughter had Down syndrome. Frankie Boyle refused to apologize and his comments were considered downright bullying. Frankie Boyle made a joke about Prices heavily disabled son Harvey during Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights. Boyle made a joke that was sexual and derogatory, leading both Katie Price and Peter Andre condemning Frankie Boyle’s line of jokes. Frankie Boyle also made a joke on Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington that was considered offensive. In the joke, Boyle says that Rebecca Adlington looks like someone who is looking at herself in the back of a spoon. In addition, made sexual comments about the gold medalists’ love life, saying Adlington’s boyfriend looked like a male model continuing to say that from he had deduced is that Adlington is very dirty. On April 2010, the BBC was forced to apologize for a joke made by Boyle on a Radio 4 panel show. The made jokes on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. He likened Palestine to a cake being punched to pieces by one of the angry Jews. He also made another joke where he said that he had been studying Army Martial Arts of the Israelis. He said he knew the 16 ways of kicking a Palestinian woman in the back. Mr. and Mrs. Smith whose child has Down’s syndrome and were in a comedy show where Boyle made jokes on children with Down syndrome. Mrs. Smith said that throughout his shows he made fun of people with disabilities. When given an opening he decided to launch into a childish, puerile, as well as ignorant attack on the people who suffered from the Down’s syndrome. However, when given an opening he decided to launch into a puerile, childish, as well as an ignorant attack on people who suffered from Down’s syndrome. Mr. Smith, on the other hand, said that Boyle’s jokes were borne out of ignorance and were always stereotypic, in nature. He goes ahead to describe Boyles as a dry and cutting comedian, though he earlier on thought that he was an intelligent and clever individual. This kind of jokes Frankie Boyle have made has led him to be labeled foul mouthed since he has in many times broken the general accepted standards both in TV and his stand up comedies. His choice of words has many times been offensive to his audience and the public. Looking at his compatriot Kevin Bridge there is a contrast in choice of words in his stand up comedies and the public opinion about him. Kevin Bridge is a Scottish comedian who began performing when he was 17 years. He started doing stand up comedies in Glasgow before moving throughout the UK. Kevin was brought to the limelight at age 18 when he reached the final of Channel 5s ‘So You Think you’re Funny competition’ at the Edinburgh Fringe. Moreover, in 2010 he took part in Channel 4s Comedy Gala a show held to help aid of Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital. Kevin Bridge in an interview with the BBC he says how he sometimes feels overwhelming sympathy for people and in return makes up stories about such people. He gives an example that if he sees an old person in a pub and he is sitting on his own with a bowl of soup. He tends to think of all the trouble the person goes through and makes a story line joke on the same. This kind of sympathy portrayed by Kevin Bridge is the great difference between him and Frankie Boyle who is quite unsympathetic in his comedies. In his is new BBC1 series ‘What’s the Story’, Kevin Bridge allows the camera to explores his roots by showing his parents and his friends. One of his jokes include him visiting a therapist, prompted by on-stage musings on psychology and though the tone of the series is intended to be gently humorous it comes across as anxious and panicky afraid to confront himself. Kevin Bridges who is now 25 years had his major big break was in 2009 when he made an appearance on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road show and since then his career has been on an upward rise. This is evident by his recent sell of 45,000 tickets for forthcoming stand-up dates showing his popularity. However, with all that popularity he has been able to maintain a stature of humility, which really puts him apart with his compatriot Frankie Boyle. Another example of the types comedies Kevin Bridge plays is the joke that centers on the on the rebranding of Glasgow as “Scotland with style.” He asks people why none of those who were on billboards produced with an aim of underscoring Glasglow’s stylish status appeared like some of the representations and he suggested that they would have featured someone who is more authentic. Kevin Bridges emphasizes that his comedy is heavily influenced by average west of Scotland upbringing but he also uses observations of the world around him. This includes observations from the street he grew up on, encounters at bus stops to family gatherings and other everyday Scottish experiences. It is important to take into consideration on Kevin upbringing because it has influenced his comedy career. The fact that he did not grow up in a nice area or an affluent suburb has made him to be appreciative because he always has the opportunity to meet real people. To show a typical example of the influence Kevin Bridge has a comedy show to explore his background giving fans the chance to view and analyze the inner workings and contents of his comedy, as well as, his personality. To use the show as an inspiration to not go so much behind the jokes but be an autobiography see his life. This another good example of the difference between Kevin Bridge choice of language and theme compared to Frankie Boyle whose choice of words has led many to consider him fouled mouthed, downright arrogant and with no regard of respecting the social culture. The difference in public opinion of the two comedians Frankie Boyle and Kevin Bridge comes down to the choice of language in the comedy shows. While Kevin Bridge is regarded highly, Frankie Boyle is often considered controversial and has in many times offended members of his audience and the public. Kevin Bridge’s comedies are often inspiration and often made to champion a good cause. References Robinson, Fred, 2008, The Comedy of Language: Studies in Modern Comic Literature. Boston, Massachusetts, MA, University of Massachusetts Press. . Read More