Humor in Dramatic Moments

Kaiser-Kun · Jan 13, 2009

Do you think it could work positively? Would it break the tension in a good way, specially if the humorous moment drives the plot forward? I started thinking about this when I imagined a scene where the main character gives a signal to show he's still alive, but his allies misunderstand it as a signal to destroy the location.

Captshady · Jan 13, 2009

Tyler Perry is the awesome at that. Madea's family reunion would've been utterly depressing if only the serious parts were left in.

Just my opinion, but if the drama is too heavy: too sad, too horrifying, too upsetting, you have to "cut it" with some humor. But they have their place, and appropriate punches. You don't want airplane humor mixed in necessarily.

In Star Wars, when Han Solo was about to be frozen, it was a dramatic moment. Princess Leija says, "I love you" to him for the first time, and Han replies with "I know." It totally decreased the level of desperation at that moment.

priggy · Jan 13, 2009

I think a lot of people who write big drama puts in a comedy scene after a dramatic one or a comic moment because after the big dramatic moment you have to laugh and like RTD(head writer of Dr Who) says you have to comedy in tragedies because you never have just tragedy in life, you always have the light mixed in with the dark and is possibly the only reason why we can get through life.

Jerry B. Flory · Jan 13, 2009

Glen Cook is very good at turning a concussion or a fight or near death into comedy.
Read The Garrett Files. Hardcore MC that takes nothing seriously.

psykeout · Jan 13, 2009

I think if you have something that's seriously dramatic and it needs to be (see : funeral or something equally depressing), then chances are a joke isn't going to make it better. Having your MC put his drink on the dead person's forehead, for example, isn't the best of ideas.

However, slightly less dramatic situations could always use something to lighten the mood.

Captshady · Jan 13, 2009

TnD said:
I think if you have something that's seriously dramatic and it needs to be (see : funeral or something equally depressing), then chances are a joke isn't going to make it better. Having your MC put his drink on the dead person's forehead, for example, isn't the best of ideas.

However, slightly less dramatic situations could always use something to lighten the mood.

Steal Magnolias: A heart breaking scene with Sally Fields, by a tree. Her only daughter whom she loved dearly, has passed away. You feel for her, so deeply. You potentially can't even watch the rest of the movie as Sally (whatever her character's name is) weeps to her friends about how life is unfair, and how she feels helpless internally and externally ... you FEEL her pain, you, as an audience member need to empathize and release. In steps Olympia Dukakis, the genius actress that she is saying "hit Ouiser!!!" as she shoved her into her strike area, " We'll sell t-shirts saying 'I SLAPPED OUISER BOUDREAUX!' Hit her! " I was greatful for that moment myself, because my heart was sinking for this fictional character ... I needed a breather.

auntybug · Jan 13, 2009

Suppository

Did this yesterday as a matter of fact. Broke the tension for sure. I posted this in the cabaret.

~~~~~~~~~

Okay... so I had to take hubby to the ER yesterday. We knew it was his back but the new ER Dr wanted to rule out kidney stones because of where the pain was coming from. They handed him a cup to collect, yanno, a sample.

The nurse turned to me, "You can stay & help him."

I said, "Honey, if I stay & help him, you're gonna get a different kind of sample."

~~~~~~~

Things were tense - hubby was in pain almost to the point of tears. He laughed - it helped. I always go for the humor edge in my books cause I do it in real life.

Captshady · Jan 13, 2009

auntybug said:
Suppository

Did this yesterday as a matter of fact. Broke the tension for sure. I posted this in the cabaret.

~~~~~~~~~

Okay... so I had to take hubby to the ER yesterday. We knew it was his back but the new ER Dr wanted to rule out kidney stones because of where the pain was coming from. They handed him a cup to collect, yanno, a sample.

The nurse turned to me, "You can stay & help him."

I said, "Honey, if I stay & help him, you're gonna get a different kind of sample."

~~~~~~~

Things were tense - hubby was in pain almost to the point of tears. He laughed - it helped. I always go for the humor edge in my books cause I do it in real life.

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!
LOL!

Kaiser-Kun · Jan 13, 2009

Your answers made me think of a scene in Ice Age 2:

Sid: We're going to live!
*Water rises up to his ankles*
Sid: We're going to die!

Claudia Gray · Jan 13, 2009

Frustratingly, I think the answer is, "It depends." I've read several examples of humor working wonderfully in heavier, dramatic scenes. I've also read some compelling scenes that were wrecked when an ill-timed quip broke the mood. (In those cases, I sometimes feel that the author felt uncertain about the scene and didn't trust the readers enough.)

I think you really have to look at it case by case.

maestrowork · Jan 13, 2009

I love humor, even when it's inappropriate. But seriously (pun intended), humor is good, when done well, for drama.

Kaiser-Kun · Jan 13, 2009

ClaudiaGray said:
Frustratingly, I think the answer is, "It depends." I've read several examples of humor working wonderfully in heavier, dramatic scenes. I've also read some compelling scenes that were wrecked when an ill-timed quip broke the mood. (In those cases, I sometimes feel that the author felt uncertain about the scene and didn't trust the readers enough.)

I think you really have to look at it case by case.

I agree. Having the main character receiving a cream pie in the face as he mourns the death of his lover is a no-no, but committing a mistake, a serious -if funny- mistake that makes his situation more desperate, I think could pass.

KTC · Jan 13, 2009

Kaiser-Kun said:
Do you think it could work positively? Would it break the tension in a good way, specially if the humorous moment drives the plot forward? I started thinking about this when I imagined a scene where the main character gives a signal to show he's still alive, but his allies misunderstand it as a signal to destroy the location.

I don't know about this specific instance...in my mind, I can't see this as being humorous. BUT think of in everyday life...humor comes at the height of drama almost all the time. It really works to create a turning point. I use it in my own writing. The trick is knowing when to use it and pulling it off.

Captshady · Jan 13, 2009

Kaiser-Kun said:
I agree. Having the main character receiving a cream pie in the face as he mourns the death of his lover is a no-no, but committing a mistake, a serious -if funny- mistake that makes his situation more desperate, I think could pass.

Hmmm, if the person he's mourning isn't a character in the story; we didn't know him/her before he/she died. There's a character we've come to know, mourning, and some idiot thought it would be funny to pie him in the face, and the reaction were real life ... WTF are you doing type ... I'm sorry, but I would lmao.

Kaiser-Kun · Jan 13, 2009

Captshady said:
Hmmm, if the person he's mourning isn't a character in the story; we didn't know him/her before he/she died. There's a character we've come to know, mourning, and some idiot thought it would be funny to pie him in the face, and the reaction were real life ... WTF are you doing type ... I'm sorry, but I would lmao.

And now I want to write a scene about a serious funeral ending with a Garfield cream pie... I love this forum!

quickWit · Jan 13, 2009

When my mom was in the ER following a serious heart attack my sisters and I were at her bedside. She was conscious, but in quite a lot of pain. A nurse came in and flashed a penlight in her eyes to check her response. I told her to go to the light.

It really broke the tension. Even my mom laughed. The nurse didn't find it very funny, though, which just made it even funnier to us.

Captshady · Jan 13, 2009

It's definitely different things to different people. A close friend of mine and I crack each other up and people think we're being mean to each other, much like your story quickWit.

dpaterso · Jan 13, 2009

The action sequences in the Indiana Jones movies are peppered with success! moments turning to even worse danger an instant later. These are funny scenes and we smile/laugh, but the tension isn't broken, it's cranked up a further notch. So yeah, I think humor works fine, especially as a counterpoint.

-Derek

rdwriter · Jan 13, 2009

I'm a big believer in comic relief, but of course there is a time and a place. I think it has a lot to do with your upbringing. My family treats funerals as an opportunity to have a big family reunion, and there are always inevitable laughs filling the funeral home when we're all together. It's the best way for all of us to move on as a family. Obviously other families might think this is horrible. To each his own.

Hummingbird · Jan 13, 2009

Speaking of comedy and funerals reminds me of the movie: Johnny English. It was a comedy, so it wasn't exactly messing a tense scene up. He was chasing the "bad-guy" and came upon a funeral. He was at one point standing on the coffin and people were about ready to kill him.

The scene is hilarious. ^___^

I also love some humor to cut the depressing areas of stories. Some stories need the humor to lighten things up - without the bits of humor the stories are just too sad and I won't read them again. Awesome stories, but too sad for me to want to pick up again.

auntybug · Jan 14, 2009

quickWit said:
When my mom was in the ER following a serious heart attack my sisters and I were at her bedside. She was conscious, but in quite a lot of pain. A nurse came in and flashed a penlight in her eyes to check her response. I told her to go to the light.

It really broke the tension. Even my mom laughed. The nurse didn't find it very funny, though, which just made it even funnier to us.

You rotten child! :roll:

Perfect

priggy · Jan 14, 2009

rdwriter said:
I'm a big believer in comic relief, but of course there is a time and a place. I think it has a lot to do with your upbringing. My family treats funerals as an opportunity to have a big family reunion, and there are always inevitable laughs filling the funeral home when we're all together. It's the best way for all of us to move on as a family. Obviously other families might think this is horrible. To each his own.

I do love comic relief.

I also love comic relief the charity and the night where they get loads of funny people to do funny stuff although they do keep depressing you with videos of people in the uk and in the third world who are suffering and need our money etc. I just like the comedy but you do need depressing stuff to appreciate the comedy.

dgiharris · Jan 14, 2009

If you want a quick education of humor in dramatic moments (or in this case the exact opposite, dramatic moments in the midst of humor)

There is a comedian named Titus, Christopher Titus to be exact, and he is the absolute best at interweaving humor and heart felt drama.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP1kKcZtnkQ

You have to watch his entire comedy routine to get a true sense of how masterful he is at bringing you close to tears then switching gears and attacking your funny bone.

It is pure art.

Mel...

tehuti88 · Jan 14, 2009

I think humor in dramatic moments can work if done right, as long as it doesn't make a farce of the seriousness of the situation. I can't give examples, I'm afraid, but I know that I often have little humorous moments in otherwise serious situations. And I know such things happen in real life as well. (Wasn't it President Reagan who, after being shot, said that he should have ducked?)

Ah, I just remembered an older example of mine. A character is awakening from a month-long coma brought on by a serious car accident and his uncle asks him how he feels, unsure if he'll even understand him. The character weakly replies, "Like I've been steam pressed."

MetalDog · Jan 14, 2009

I rang my uncle once and he told me his dog had died. He was heartbroken about it and described how she'd died in his arms while he was sitting in the garden with her. He then when on to say,
"Life doesn't half take the piss sometimes, you know? When I was carrying Tara back in through the breakfast room the budgie made a 'euurk' noise and fell off it's perch stone dead as well."
Which got us both laughing hysterically.

Sometimes it's laugh or despair, that's all.

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