The Comedian Look
What is it about comedian's appearances? Each and every comedian has a very specific physical appearance. Usually, comedians do not embody the typical most average looking face or body type. What most share in common is the fact that they are different than the norm. Their uniqueness arguably helps make them funny. Their faces are often described as funny-looking. Does that mean that "different" is considered funny? In many cases, one can say yes. It is indeed rare to see average looking comedians. Even drawing on the photos of famous comedian celebrities below, they either have big eyes, glasses, lots of hair, chubbiness, etc. Can you think of a famous comedian that looks like an injenue or a leading man? Can you think of a stunningly gorgeous or incredibly handsome comedian? It's rare. Does this mean that pretty people can't be funny? If a beautiful person and a "funny-looking" person told the same joke, would the "funny-looking" person necessarily get more laughs? This reinforces the notion that humor has a lot to do with physicality, and may be almost necessary to make people laugh.
Supplemental Post #6: I think this is a really interesting post and have mixed feelings about it. Yes, I do think it is very common for comedians to be categorized as average looking people and aren't usually handsome or pretty but it isn't always the case. A lot of times comedians are who they are because they have had some sort of insecurities about themselves, that made them either cynical about the world, or have made them constantly joke about themselves which brings attention to those imperfections. One example of a comedian that is very self-hating is Louis C.K. He is constantly making jokes about his weight and lack of hair which just makes us notice it even more. But on the other hand, a comedian like Daniel Tosh who is good looking, uses his confidence and knowledge of his good looks as part of his skits. He thinks his looks make him superior which always turns out to make a funny joke.
ReplyDeleteI agree that many comedians have a history of insecurities that are cloaked by their ability to entertain others with their comedy, yet many comedians eventually are faced with their demons and cannot deal with the reality. For example, the tragic story of Robin Williams. Comedians are their own type of human. We all have that one friend who is the jokester among us that is usually facing family issues, personal issues or physical issues. Comedy is both funny and scary because it is taking matters in life lightly that can eventually have a terrible outcome. It is also a way of fitting in. Many actors use their connections or physical beauty to shine amongst the rest, whereas comedians use their ability to consistently entertain to hide their own personal quarrels.
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