Studies in Literature and Film (386-0-21)

Topic

Laughing, Snickering, Snorting: Comedy in Literatu

Instructors

Smith William Yarberry

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L04: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

I assume many of us, if not all of us, love to laugh. Whether we're watching an Instagram reel or TikTok by a rising comedian who lands the perfect joke or we're reading a particularly silly short story full of comic misunderstandings and sarcastic comebacks, comedies remain one of the most popular genres across literature, film, and beyond. But what exactly makes these videos or stories funny? Who is speaking and who are they speaking to? Are they showing the absurdity of an experience some of us might take for granted? Why does discomfort sometimes make us chuckle, while other times make us cringe? Why are some jokes appropriate and others are not? Who gets to be the jokester? Who ends up the butt of the joke? Is there politics in all this laughing?

Without getting too self-serious, this course aims to watch, read, and think about a range of unique comedies and comedic styles in twentieth and twenty-first century literature, media, and film. We'll watch episodes of the popular TV series Hacks (plus, the music video "Prettiest Girl in America" by the show's breakout star, Megan Stalter) as well as discuss comedies, such as One of Them Days (2026, starring Keke Palmer and SZA) and the story behind SNL in Saturday Night (2024). We'll look at a variety of social media series and accounts on IG and TikTok: Subway Takes, Recess Therapy, viral clips from reality star turned comedian Gabby Winfrey (and I'll ask each of you to bring in some of your own favorites too!). We'll read an eclectic set of texts like a ridiculous retelling of Snow White, delightfully sarcastic poetry, and follow Ishmael Reed's Black circus cowboy, Loop Garoo, in his very funny and politically searing take on the traditional American Western. Whether it's a story, a film, a clip, a poem, each of these pieces use absurdity, comedic tropes and timing, parody, and satire to ultimately not only make us snicker, snort, laugh (or, at least comment "lol"), but also to make us think critically about the world and how different people experience it. This class welcomes the goofballs, the class clowns, aspiring comedians, wackadoos, smilers, and anyone who, indeed, just likes to laugh in order to explore why writing and humor have long been intimately tied.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
SoC Humanities and Fine Arts Distro