When I taught film and theater, we spent considerable time evaluating, writing, and producing laughs using the “7 Causes of Laughter.” (You can find other sites and sources that will tell you there are six, or ten. I chose seven because it’s a nice even number.) Every list includes Exaggeration, Ambiguity, Recognition, and every junior high boy’s favorite, the Protection Factor or Slapstick. The latter outlines why a kick to the groin entertains those middle schoolers. I’ve recently discovered that, by middle age, it’s less funny. Dave Barry includes these tricks and more in his writing. The passage below touches on an “Incongruity,” in this case an irrelevant point in the middle of an intense moment, and it made me chuckle.
I’ve been looking for some funny books of late–the kind that make you laugh out loud. They’re hard to come by. It takes more time to set-up the joke in literature than it does with quick visuals or physical humor seen in film and television. Many of us remember Dave Barry’s humor from the 90s and 2000s, so I thought I’d read a couple of his novels . . . and there were definitely some laughs! You can learn more about Barry and his writing in GoodReads. And if you know of any books that made you laugh out loud, let me know!
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Dann is an educator, Media & Design Guru, Author, and Public Speaker. He currently serves as Media and Design Specialist at an impressive little Midwestern College where he works directly with faculty to develop effective instructional videos. He has an MFA in Digital Cinema from California's National University, a BSED in English and Theatre Education from the University of South Dakota, and a certificate in Online Education from UW Stout. He was founder and principle owner of Little Prompter, LLC, a teleprompter design and manufacturing company until he sold the company in 2020. Prior to joining Carleton's staff, he taught communication, theatre, and video production for approximately 15 years while working as a professional actor and director--appearing in over forty national and regional commercials and directing and editing dozens of videos and musicals.
Dann’s MFA thesis project involved writing and directing an original, full-length musical, filming the entire development and production process, and editing it into an educational DVD entitled How to Write and Produce Your Own High School Musical. His DVD is currently being distributed by Films Media Group. His debut YA Christian Fiction novel, Suddenly Rural Girl, is published through Kirk House Publishing.
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