Low comedy

Low comedy

Low comedy is a type of comedy characterized by "horseplay," slapstick and/or farce. Examples include somebody throwing a custard pie in another's face. This definition has also expanded to include lewd types of comedy that rely on physical jokes.

History

This type of comedy has been a fixture ever since Greek plays. Low comedy was first denoted as comedy for the commoners because it was most often practiced by street performers. Over time as low comedy began to include lewd jokes and more physical comedy, more mainstream performers began to practice this type of comedy: Stand-up comedians, Musicals, etc. This type of comedy also was employed in most children's cartoons.

Low Comedy Today

Today low comedy can be seen in almost any production. Sitcoms often base most of their plot on this type of comedy. In modern adaptations of Shakespeare's plays we also see low comedy used to convey a different understanding of the play.

See also

*Buffoon. A nickname for people who act (voluntarily or not) funny.
*Monty Python, a comedy troupe which frequently used this sort of humor.
*Three Stooges, three comedic performers who used primarily slapstick humor.
* A majority of programs on the Disney Channel rely very heavily on this form of humor.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • low comedy — low comedian. comedy that depends on physical action, broadly humorous or farcical situations, and often bawdy or vulgar jokes. Cf. high comedy. [1600 10] * * * ▪ drama       dramatic or literary entertainment with no underlying purpose except to …   Universalium

  • low comedy — n. a comedy that gets its effect mainly from action and situation, as burlesque, farce, slapstick, and horseplay, rather than from witty dialogue and characterization: cf. HIGH COMEDY …   English World dictionary

  • low comedy — index travesty Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • low comedy — low′ com′edy n. lit. comedy based on slapstick, physical action, broadly humorous or farcical situations, and often bawdy jokes Compare high comedy • Etymology: 1600–10 low′ come′dian, n …   From formal English to slang

  • low comedy — noun Date: 1608 comedy employing burlesque, horseplay, or the representation of low life compare high comedy …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • low comedy — noun a comedy characterized by slapstick and burlesque • Hypernyms: ↑comedy …   Useful english dictionary

  • low comedy — noun comedy bordering on farce …   English new terms dictionary

  • low comedy — /loʊ ˈkɒmədi/ (say loh komuhdee) noun comedy which depends on physical action and situation rather than on wit and dialogue …  

  • comedy — [käm′ə dē] n. pl. comedies [ME & OFr comedie < L comoedia < Gr kōmōidia < kōmos, revel, carousal + aeidein, to sing: see ODE] 1. Obs. a drama or narrative with a happy ending or nontragic theme [Dante s Divine Comedy] 2. a) any of… …   English World dictionary

  • comedy — Synonyms and related words: Atticism, Thalia, agile wit, arlequinade, black comedy, black humor, bladder, broad comedy, burlesque, burletta, camp, cap and bells, caricature, comedie bouffe, comedie larmoyante, comedie rosse, comedietta, comedy… …   Moby Thesaurus

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