Second to None (CC)

So, as we move into our comedy unit (a unit I anticipate will be my favorite) I decided to do my blog post relating to comedy and the terms we learned over the weekend. The first two terms that I saw that intrigued me were low comedy and high comedy. Low comedy is basic comedy that doesn't require a lot of thinking basically stuff like physical comedy or crude humor. High comedy is something that is witty and requires some thinking in order to understand the humor behind it. Something in this area would be like a stand up routine or satire shows like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. However, I have personally found something that is able to blend both low and high comedy in a very entertaining way. This is the brilliance that is the Chicago Comedy troupe The Second City.

For those of you unfamiliar with the group, they are basically a improve group in Chicago that puts on very funny shows. There are a couple of different versions of the group, but it got its start in Chicago back in the 60s. Second City is also known as a starting point for comedians and actors, as some people in the troupe eventually go on to bigger things, like (often) becoming a cast member on Saturday Night Live. There is also a very impressive list of Alumni including stars like Alan Alda, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key, etc. 

Here's a link to the list if you want to learn more: Link

Going back to the post, I have seen two shows of Second City when I was in Chicago and they are brilliant. Like I mentioned earlier they are able to transition between both high and low comedy in a very impressive way. One moment they will be doing some slapstick and the next thing you know, they're talking about a political person or making references to homosexuality. I remember during one of their shows there was an ongoing thing with someone giving CPR to someone in a very forceful fashion (if it sounds weird, that's the point) which is low humor, seeing someone in pain. It then transitioned to two gays having dinner trying to get to know one another on a date and the things they try to relate to is high comedy, requiring some good thinking on the audience's end. What's also really impressive is that almost the entire routine is improve. There might a scripted scene or two, but for the majority, it's improve so the fact that they can do this is really something to see.

I really can't say much about Second City as you need to see it in order to understand why it is funny. The first act will seem really random as it will be nothing but random skits one after another but that's the point. Really, just go and see it. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed as they bombard you with their high and low comedy and improve.

Forbidden Poetry? (CC)

So far I have been split on whether or not I enjoy our poetry unit. On one hand, the imagery in poems are amazing and I especially love the text breaks that occur. I can't explain it, but when the text breaks so suddenly and drastically, it just really gets to me. On the counter point though, I really am not that into poetry. I can't always figure out why the author chose to break the text there or what kind of figure of speech they used. However, when looking through poems to do for my poetry project, I came across a rather enjoyable and unique poem; "If You Forget Me" by Pablo Neruda.

Link:http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/pablo-neruda/if-you-forget-me/

Unfortunately, I was denied this poem on the grounds that it may have been translated and so some words may have had different meanings. The good news is that this poem wasn't my first choice, but instead my second choice. Even though I ended up getting my first choice, I was still a little annoyed at the fact that I wouldn't have been able to do this poem even if I wanted to. Well, I decided to do a little analysis on this poem because 1. It's a great poem that deserves to be analyzed and 2. because I really want to do it because it was denied. I'm basically following the whole "tell someone not to do something and all they want to do is that" cliche, but I don't care.

So the summary is very simple and for the lazy people out there, I'll give you the highlights. A guy is proclaiming to a girl that he is in love with her and wants to be with her, but he also gives her a warning. If she begins to become disinterested, he will begin to become disinterested in her and then leave her if she forgets him. He also says that if she will love him, he will treat her greatly and love her for the rest of his days.

What I found intriguing about this poem is the way it goes from a love poem to a threat seamlessly.  It starts by saying that he deeply cares for this girl, but also retaliates saying he will leave her if she forgets him, begging the question of whether he truly cares for her. Is it actual love or is he trying to scare her so that he can control the relationship? Something about the whole idea just really gets to me and its what prompted me to consider it for the project. Oh well.