A Philosophy of Comedy on Stage and Screen
You Have to be There| By: | Shaun May |
| Publisher: | Bloomsbury UK |
| Print ISBN: | 9781350004511 |
| eText ISBN: | 9781472580450 |
| Edition: | 1 |
| Copyright: | 2015 |
| Format: | Reflowable |
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As far as we know, only human beings have a sense of humour – although chimps might laugh when tickled, and dogs respond similarly in play, Seth McFarlane's fan-base is comprised exclusively of humans. Whilst animals and robots might feature as prominent characters in our favourite comic movies, shows and stand-up routines, we have no reason to suspect that their real-life brethren get the joke.
Drawing on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, Shaun May attempts to address this issue – suggesting that there is something distinctive about human beings which grounds our ability to make and comprehend jokes. Guiding the reader through a range of examples, including the films of Charlie Chaplin, the stand-up of Francesca Martinez, the TV show Family Guy and Samuel Beckett's Endgame, he demonstrates that in order to get the joke you have to 'be there'.