What Would Aristotle Say about Rocky Horror Picture Show??

Rocky Horror Picture show is a satirical comedy of old science fiction cinema and 1950's rock music. It is a celebration of alternative lifestyles, focusing specifically on human sexuality and gender roles. One of the main characters, Frank-n-Furter, is a manipulative and dominant (yet lovable) transvestite who owns the house in which everything goes down. During their stay at Frank-n-Furter's castle, Janet and brad, two clean cut lovers, "lose their innocence" and open their minds to an array of taboo life experiences. By Aristotle's definition of comedy, they would be the comic heroes, since they began as reasonably likable (but somewhat boring) characters, and expanded their horizons to a whole new world of opportunity. Although this is true, there is a flaw in this analysis, since the end of the movie is neither positive or negative, but actually really inconclusive and confusing. The end of the movie subtracts a lot of the original credit that was granted to Frank-n-Furter's chaotic style, since by the end, Frank-n-Furter is exposed as a manipulative murderer who is actually very unhappy. Janet and Brad are definitely a lot more sexually advanced than when they started out, but the end begs the question of what they actually gained from their experiences at the castle. RHPS is a satire as well as a dark comedy, but most importantly, it is revolutionary, full of energy, and a lot of fun to watch.

Spaceballs and Aristotelian Comedy

Comedies, like tragedies, can deepen our understanding of the human experience. In my opinion, Spaceballs does exactly that. In addition to fulfilling the modern definition of comedy, it also fits into Aristotle's definition. In the film, a less than perfect protagonist named Lone Starr meets up, through some unusual circumstances, with Princess Vespa. The plot revolves around trying to return the princess to her home planet and trying to defeat Lord Helmet. Through their journey, they deepen one's understanding of the human experience. The most important thing that the film reveals is the ability of people to work together to achieve a common goal, even when one dislikes the others in the group.

The Era of All Things Romance: The 1940's

When it comes to Romantic Comedies/Dramas, personally I’m a fan of the classics. This prompt made me begin to look at these films, that I’ve seen each over a dozen times, with a new set of eyes.

I did some homework and re-watched a couple films, and in that have noticed that these strong female leads are often shown more powerful in the "comedic" situation and more importantly, over themselves. You can't help but wonder if this was meant to add to the comedic material.
In works such as His Girl Friday, Blithe Spirit, Arsenic and Old Lace, and the well known (pictured above) A Philadelphia Story, the female leads often play the “straight man”--a term used in comedic works to describe the one character whose responses range from aplomb to outrage, or from patience to frustration. They make their partner look all the more ridiculous by being completely serious.

It was funny for the audience of that time to see the men struggle and the women have the control (until of course he finally reached her and she melted into his arms).

While Rom-Coms can be seen as nothing but airy cinematic fluff that fill your heart with desire and your head with false hope, there is a lot to be said for how these “light-hearted” films comment on gender, class, etc. in a very palpable manner that becomes useful when doing such studies.

And as a side note, while there is most definitely a huge correlation between the love stories seen in romantic comedies and “love delusion” or fabrication by the average viewer--that isn’t to undermine the art of the films in anyway. And it quite possibly might be another reason why these films are in fact forms of art, and powerful ones at that.

Dark rom-com

Just like tragedy is a necessary element of life, comedy also serves a purpose. Without both tragedy and comedy, we wouldn't have a full emotional spectrum. Of course, some of the best movies have a little bit of both. Throw a little romance in there and you get, not a rom-com, not a black comedy, but a..... dark rom-com? I can't think of a better example of this genre than Harold and Maude. This movie employs gallows humor and romantic tropes to make the audience laugh at an already-strange relationship.

The romance aspect of the movie does not fit the classic rom-com mold, as neither of the characters are conventionally attractive and one of them is elderly. The film deals heavily with the topic of death, yet somehow still manages to be lighthearted. It holds value as a comedy because it shows that a movie doesn't have to be all laughs to be funny and profound.

Meaningful Comedy in the Royal Tenenbaums

I defend the idea of an Aristotelian comedy as a meaningful art form.

In order to further elaborate on this statement, I will use the movie "The Royal Tenenbaums" by Wes Anderson as an example of a long-term comedic work. The Royal Tenenbaums is an absolutely fabulous movie from 2001, and is a comedy/drama film. The film revolves around an eccentric family, including most notably three uniquely gifted children, and their weird father. The film follows these children through their disappointing and at most times absurd failures and trials in life and how they navigate their complex and messy family life.

This comedic work is a great example of why comedy is so important as an art form. Although this movie uses mostly ironic and absurdist humor, its message is ultimately one to be taken seriously. The movie endeavours to show the reader that our lives will never be as perfect or as successful as we envision them, and our perfect fairytale endings that we may want are not always what is right for us in the end. The movie also dwells on the fact that it is important to not take things so seriously. For instance in the movie, the father Royal Tenenbaum is clinging on to the idea that his estranged wife might still want him back. Eventually through a series of absurdly funny tragedies, Royal realizes that he needs to let his wife go. One of the younger Tenanbaums ends up marrying his adoptive sister, which while comedic and absurd, shows that we need to step out of the box sometimes in life to get the ending or the happiness we desire. The film also urges us to confront our failures in life with humor and the ability to move on in many instances. For example, one of the daughters, Margot hides her past and her smoking from her neurologist husband which she views as faults, but this changes in the end when Margot ultimately decides to pursue her adopted brother for true love. In a more dramatic example, Royal never really connects and gets the family he so desperately wanted at the beginning of the movie but like most things in the movie, he moves on by divorcing his wife and accepting his fate.

Although comedy may convey life lessons or important messages in silly ways, the message is no less important.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in Wes Anderson films in general or absurd or ironic humor,

Drake & Josh

One of my absolute favorite comedy shows is Drake & Josh. As silly as it is, it does live up to Aristotle's definition of comedy. It is a show I have grown up with that actually has taught me a lot, despite how many people view the show.

The show consists of two brothers, Drake and Josh. Drake, his mother and sister join Josh and his father to begin a new family, in a similar situation like The Brady Bunch. There's Drake, the cool brother who gets by on dating plenty of girls, never doing homework and playing in a band and then there's Josh, the very smart, loser-ish, awkward brother. Aligned with Aristotle's definition, the characters in this family aren't anything out of the ordinary. They come from a typical family of five, live in a regular house and go to high school. Simultaneously, the show explores the problems and situations that regular people commonly find themselves in. Dealing with high school drama, girlfriends, popularity, school and a pesky sibling.

Personally, this is one of the most realistic shows about teenagers that I watched as a child. Many shows such as Hannah Montana (the lead character is secretly a superstar!) and Gossip Girl (I will never understand how the characters never went to school, but all ended up at Ivies). Drake and Josh went through many situations similar to how my high school career went. Dealing with sports tryouts, your first babysitting job, dating in high school and also dealing with siblings.

The main reason I feel that it is a successful example of a comedy is because of the rise of both Drake and Josh. Each characters had their highs and lows, but the show stressed that you cannot be like just one of these boys to succeed in life. Although Drake was definitely the more popular and well liked boy, he went through many school problems. And Josh was definitely the not-so-cool guy, but he was doing very well in school. In different episodes Drake would be seen studying with Josh, or Josh would be learning tips on how to pick up girls. Each character appealed to the audience because everyone could see a little bit of Drake in them, but also a little bit of Josh. I cannot remember a time when I had a specific favorite character, because I felt that I related to both characters.

There was a lot of humor involved in this particular show, and that along with the many lessons I learned from it is the reason I value it so much. It was on air from 2004-2007, but there are still re-runs of it that I still watch today.

Your Job's a Joke, You're Broke, Your Love Life's DOA...

As most of us have,  I grew up watching Friends, a sitcom about the life of six ordinary friends living in New York. Even from the first episode there is clearly a rise in fortune of a sympathetic central character, Rachel. When Rachel abandons her fiancee at the alter and leaves the life of wealth and privilege she has grown up with for a waitress job, the audience begins to cheer for her and continues cheering for Rachel until season 10 when she has a job with Ralph Lauren.

 Friends' comedy ranges from finding, and failing to find, new boyfriends and girlfriends, saying the wrong name at the alter, carrying a couch up the stairs, climbing down a fire escape, getting fired, finding new jobs, and simply sitting in a coffee shop. It is able to use satirical, romantic, farce, and on occasion even black comedy (when a Friends member has mortified them self beyond belief) to made the audience laugh. By the end of the episode everything is (usually) resolved and the friends are back on the familiar couch. The audience feels a satisfaction that Joey and Chandler finally chose a new kitchen table, the gang has finally sat down for thanksgiving dinner, or that Rachel got off the plane. Simple everyday tasks are made funny by everyday people.

Friends is a perfect example of Aristotle's idea of comedy because this comedy does involve a celebration of human sexuality, love, and has a rise in fortune of all the characters, not just Rachel. Joey becomes a successful actor, Ross finally lands his dream girl, Monica and Chandler finally have children, and Phoebe finally finds a family. 

Laughing Through the Snow

Modern romantic comedies are the best example of Aristotle's comedy in our modern society. Aristotle described that the central structure of a comedy involves a character who ascends in a more positive direction, learning truths about humans along the way. I think that a good example of Aristotle's criteria is the movie The Holiday starring Cameron Diaz (Amanda), Jude Law (Graham), Kate Winslet (Iris), and Jack Black (Miles). *Side note: some people may consider this a christmas movie, I strongly believe it is not, even if it is I am still denying that Christmas is over so that does not matter anyway.* During the course of this movie the two female principal characters undergo this positive assent which Aristotle describes.

At the very beginning of the movie Amanda has just broken up with her cheating boyfriend who is upset with her lack of being able to cry. Iris is caught up on a work colleague she unrequited love for yet, this colleague continues to drag her along by taking advantage of her, something she views as him caring for her opinion. Iris also finds out that this colleague is engaged to someone else and, of course being the author of the engagement section of the journal they work for, has to write about it for the paper. Throughout the film, both characters have extremely low moments, including an attempt at suicide, but, as time goes on, they develop an emotional vulnerability and confidence respectively as they maneuver new relationships and friendships. By the conclusion of the film, both women have developed into stronger, (semi-)independent women. This is one of my favorite movies and I strongly encourage everyone to go watch it now.

Not Just For Laughs

If you have not seen  How I Met Your Mother yet and plan on watching it then DO NOT READ THIS.

Although I am not normally a huge fan of sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother is one of my favorite TV shows. It is about a guy named Ted, the comedic hero, who is telling his kids the story about how he met their mother. Ted and his friends are constantly getting into strange, funny, and awkward situations as Ted searches for the perfect woman. However, almost every time he tries to date a girl something goes wrong.

Eventually, towards the end of the series he finds a girl named Tracy. Everything seems to be going great and eventually they marry and have children. But, she dies of illness. Years later Ted's love for Robin, one of the main characters and former girlfriend of his, is rekindled. And they end up together.

Although parts of How I Met Your Mother are more serious, it is still a Aristotle comedy. It also teaches the audience that although things don't always turn out the way we want them to there is almost always a silver lining.

Parks and Recreation Isn't Just Fun and Games

When I think of a comedy, I think of Parks and Recreation. I think the fact that it is a series adds to the development of characters and values so the underlying meanings can sink in over time. Leslie Knope starts off as an employee in the parks department and ends up working her way up to city council woman and eventually runs for governor of Pawnee, Indiana. Her rise did not come without numerous lessons, sometimes subtle and sometimes blatantly obvious.  Also, the wide array of characters and personalities worked to highlight the endless absurdities of human actions.

One of the characters, Jerry, is always being brutally made fun of by everyone in the office. The attacks are often cringe worthy for the audience while the actors seem unaffected by the relentless ridicule. But then the irony kicks in. We find out that Jerry has a beautiful wife and three beautiful daughters. He is so incredibly content with his life that the constant stream of jokes bounces right off. Jerry's unwavering happiness make it incredibly clear to the audience that one's priorities should lie in finding a happy life and having a family you love.

I personally think that comedies are more effective than tragedies in most cases. People often feel uncomfortable when confronted with serious issues in ways that are overwhelmingly terrible. In many cases that causes people to shut down or shy away from the real problem. But when people are able to laugh about the ridiculousness of human faults, I think it paints a clearer message. By making important serious messages more approachable, I believe they will reach more people effectively. While many of our comedies today don't seem to have any purpose besides making people laugh, A well written satire or comedy can be shockingly effective. At least I personally feel like I became a better person from watching the comedy in Parks and Recreation unfold.

The Vow

I think the movie The Vow is a good example of an Aristotelian romantic comedy. After getting in a car crash, Paige loses all memory of her relationship with Leo. Their marriage is tested, but they end up reuniting. While there is a happy ending, the movie does not show Leo and Paige remarrying or professing their love again. Rather, they decide to get dinner together when they happen to meet outside of their old favorite restaurant.

I like The Vow more than other romantic comedies, and find it more meaningful, because we learn more about the characters and their relationship. We learn about Paige's hobbies, passions, and quirks as Leo tries to help Paige remember her life. Although not much is explicitly stated about Leo, we learn a lot about his character by how he treats Paige after the accident. As Leo tries to win Paige back, we see the routines that make their relationship unique and more realistic.

The Vow definitely has some of the stereotypical romantic comedy aspects, but it says more about human nature than just that "true love" lasts a lifetime. It shows how easily we can lose ourselves, and the necessity of genuine relationships to help us recenter our priorities. It also shows how we often hurt the ones we care about most, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Paige's family betrays her trust, which she finds out after she moves in with them, and Paige hurts Leo by going back to her previous fiancé. Although the relationship between Paige and Leo is romantic, I think the movie comments on what valuable human connections in general look like. In the end, Leo just wants Paige to be happy, no matter which "version" of herself she chooses or if she chooses to be with him. I think that it's meaningful to know what type of relationships we deserve, and The Vow argues that we deserve relationships that will last through changes in appearance, personality, and lifestyle.

Arrested Comical Development

A television that sticks out to me as a comedy is Arrested development, especially as a farce. The absurd characters and intricately connected plot line point towards this type of comedy. The characters step on each others' toes and bug each other to no end, but by the last few minutes of each season all the problems that have occurred in the last episodes resolve, and the values that really matter become clear.

This relates to the Aristotelian comedy as an art form, because the comedy shows how one shouldn't live their life. IN the example of Arrested Development, every character's traits leads to challenges that could have been easily avoided if they weren't so wacky. The comedy can serve as an example of what not to do.

How to Relearn Some Knowledge in 10 Days

I think romantic comedies are the best modern day representations of Aristotle's dramatic comedies. The principle idea behind these works is when the comedic hero's journey allows the reader to have a greater understanding of greater human truths. Romantic comedies have the best potential to teach lessons about the simple human truths that exist among every person. One of my favorite romantic comedies is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Throughout the film the main character Andie (Kate Hudson) attempts to write an article regarding all of the common mistakes people make when dating others. However, realistically speaking there is no universal human truth that has a legitimate message relating the important points in human life. I think that Aristotle's dramatic comedies were the original romantic comedies and our movies actually are like remakes of the originals.

The Comedic Elements of Zoolander

One of Ben Stiller's most well-known films, Zoolander, was widely received with positive reviews praising the comedic elements of the film.  However according to Aristotle's definition of comedy, a comedy is a story of the rise in fortune of a sympathetic central character.  While Stiller's character Zoolander is certainly sympathetic, the problem with Zoolander's characterization as a comedy is the main character's rise to fortune.  In order to determine whether or not Zoolander would be considered a comedy in the eyes of Aristotle.  Although Zoolander did not gain any fortune in the monetary sense of the term, he did come across a great deal of success throughout the course of the film.

Although Aristotle's definition of comedy in his Poetics states that comedy must involve the nature of human sexuality as well as the triumph of eros, which Zoolander certainly has, in the end, the basic formula for a comedy is said only to involve a happy ending. Even though Zoolander is filled with its fair share of cartoonish pratfalls and lewd jokes, it is in its purest essence, a satire with all of the elements that Aristotle believed a comedy should possess.

Ezekiel 25:17

Comedies are just as important as dramas. An example of a meaningful comedy is the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. In the film every character have their personality faults but we as the audience seem to feel sympathetic for lives that they lead and at the end wish the best for all. 

Throughout the movie the scenes are shot in preludes. It follows the life of seven characters in Los Angeles, and all there lives are connected by one man Marsellus Wallace. The comedy in the film is classified as dark comedy. It follows the story of two hit men, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield, who are on a mission to get a suitcase that belongs to their mobster boss, Marsellus Wallace. In another story-line, Butch, an aging boxer, is paid by Marsellus Wallace to throw a fight, but he instead crosses Marsellus Wallace by winning the fight and then has to leave town from the consequences. The film intensely focuses on conversations between characters that reveal both a dark comedy style of humor and their perspectives on life. The film's title is a reference to the pulp magazines and crime books popular during the twentieth century, that where known for their vulgar dialogue and violent nature. The director's unique style of remarkable dialogue, extensive use of violence, non-chronology scene placement, and powerful, relate-able character creation add to the central theme of how chance governs the plot and contributes to the formation of social views.

Comedy and Gender Roles

Based off Aristotle's idea of a comedy, I believe Sydney Pollack's 1982 movie Tootsie fits the definition. Since my family does not have Netflix, I am usually stuck watching older movies on random channels (think channels 852-944). But, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.

In this comedy, the comedic hero is Micheal Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) who is struggling to make it in the New York acting biz. Micheal is a very hardworking, respected guy; but his only drawback is that he is a perfectionist, thus making him a little difficult to work with. In the movie, in order to find work, he dresses up as an older woman, calling himself Dorothy and auditions for a role as a female hospital administrator for the soap opera Southwest General. 

In the movie, Micheal ends up getting the job as a woman. I don't really want to go into the details of the movie because I don't want to give the plot away. But, he ends up falling in love with one of his co-workers while he is being a woman.

I believe Tootsie fits the definition of an Aristotelian comedy because Micheal, despite his imperfect character is a very charming, likable hero. And, he isn't a rich guy either. He is simply an average guy trying to make it in the show biz, just like the other millions who are doing the same. Also, the movie is filled with many ordinary characters such as Micheal's friend who is a struggling actress as well and his roommate.

And, the movie also has a heavy emphasis on gender roles. Because Micheal is a acts like a woman for most of the movie, he is able to experience life as a woman. I believe the movie does an amazing job of showing viewers the differences between the lives of women and men, as well as their remarkable similarities despite those differences.

Paradise

I've always been interested in the idea of the "universal myth"; a story that crosses all geographic and cultural lines. One of my favorite examples is the concept of paradise. A  physical location that is, in every conceivable way, perfect. But to achieve this perfection, one must suppress all the flaws that makes them human, leaving behind an artificial mirage with only one goal: maintain the status quo. This concept has always been fascinating to me, so naturally I've been drawn to films that feature it, my favorite example being the film "Hot Fuzz".
Released in 2007, the movie stars Simon Pegg as a by-the-books cop who is transferred to a small, quiet village outside of London after his peers decide his stellar arrest record is making them look bad. Pegg is obviously not happy about the change, especially given how the excitement of police work is the only thing that makes him happy anymore. Soon, however, things start to turn dark, and after a series of increasingly gruesome murders, Pegg discovers that this town, that has maintained the "best village" award for several years, has kept their record by killing anyone they deem not up to their standards. The movie culminates in a huge shootout that is essentially Pegg against the entire town, including the priest and the sweet old lady who owns the inn where he was staying. The movie's writing is genius, presenting the best rendition of "paradise" I've ever seen, and it was a comedy. I HIGHLY recommend it to those who have yet to see it.

Romantic Comedies are Alright

Aristotle's dramatic comedies revolve around a character's positive assent in which the reader is able to learn general human truths along the way. I think the best contemporary examples of these are romantic comedies.  One of my favorite romantic comedies is Sleepless in Seattle. It's a wonderful movie. I can't help laughing at goofy Sam (played by Tom Hanks) or breaking out into smile with Jonah as his dad finds love. I think it's a wonderful movie, but I'm not sure that it has any revolutionary message on general truths concerning the human condition. I think that dramatic comedies were revolutionary before romantic comedies became a genre consisting of a general formula providing new ways to rehash the same morals.

Is Trading Places Both Entertainment and Education?

The movie Trading Places, starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis would probably be considered a "comedy" by today's standards. But then again, almost everything that attempts to make the viewer laugh is considered to be a "comedy". Today's "comedy" does not have to teach anything, and it does not even have to make an intelligent point about society. It just has to attempt to make the viewer laugh and then it is automatically stamped as a "comedy". However, I think that Trading Places is more than today's comedy. It fits the definition of dramatic comedy according to Aristotle and is meaningful.

Trading Places in my eyes has not just one sympathetic character, but two. Two old men place a one dollar bet that they can change the homeless Eddie Murphy into a successful stockbroker, and a successful stockbroker, Dan Akroyd, into a homeless person. Although the movie has one character rising and the other appearing to fall, in the end both rise and destroy the old men's lives for messing with their lives. Also, at the end of the film, Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy realize that even though they might appear to be completely different people, they are really not different from each other. The movie satirizes the cutthroat nature of the old men who are major stockbrokers, and how they are willing to ruin lives over a one dollar bet. It also shows that regardless of appearance two humans are really not all that different from one another.

This movie exemplifies exactly what Aristotle had in mind when writing his definition of a comedy. It entertains the viewer with laughs, but also teaches a valuable lesson with characters who the viewer can sympathize. If comedies follow Aristotle's guidelines for comedy then they will likely be meaningful works and can teach as much as a tragedy can.

Do Wa Diddy Diddy

Dramatic comedy is a meaningful artform as it can demonstrate to us elements of our society that are ridiculous and stupid. Without dramatic comedy, there would be no one pointing out the idiotic parts of our society in humorous ways.

Stripes, released in 1981 starring Bill Murray is an aristotillian satirical comedy in every sense. John, played by Bill Murray, is a cynical new york taxi driver with no respect for authority who begins the film with losing his job, car, and his girlfriend. Soon after, with nothing left to lose he decides to join the army in an attempt to improve his fortune. After passing basic training, he and his platoon are sent off to europe to show off the latest military technology. Of course this all goes horribly wrong when the new technology falls into the hands of the Russians, but John saves the day and becomes a famous military hero. 

Stripes is a classic example of a satirical dramatic comedy because the protagonist of the film begins as a poor nobody and ends the film as a famous military hero. Throughout the course of the film John proved his character through his perseverance through the intensive military program. Although his problem with authority made his journey much more enjoyable for audiences.