Ideas about humour for March 26

This week we will be discussing the different ways we might use language to make each other laugh. To prepare for this discussion, please watch the two following clips and come to class with answers to the comprehension questions.


I. The Daily Show hosted by Jon Stewart is a satirical news program in the United States. Jon Stewart presents news stories in a style similar to the Guignols de l'info or Le Canard enchaine. In 2004, he did a story on Barack Obama's convention speech that we studied last week. Watch the clip, and answer the following questions. This clip does contain some scatological and explicit sexual material. If you fear you might be offended by such material, you may write a paragraph explaining your opinions about sexual language and comedy instead of watching the clip.

Son of a Goat Herder

1. What are the jobs that Jon Stewart compares in the opening of the clip?
2. Based on the clip and our discussion of President Obama's speech, try to define "bootstrap story."
3. Steven Colbert is from ___________ origins?
4. What is the comedy based on in this sketch?

II. Monty Python was a famous troop of English humorists. Their The Life of Brian is a parody of the story of Christ's life. Watch the clip from the end of the movie and answer the following questions. This clip contains comic material based on religious ideas, notably Christian ideas. If you fear you will find this material offensive, you may write a paragraph on your opinions about humor and religion instead of watching the clip.

The Life of Brian

1. Always ____________________________________ of life.
2. If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've ____________
And that's to ______________________________________.
3. For life is quite ______________.
And death's the final _____________.
4. Always ____________________________________ of death
Just before you draw ______________________.
5. Life's a ____________
And death's a _______________ it's true.
6. The last laugh is ___________________.
7. Which of the two clips do you find more amusing?