How much does logic matter if it's funny?

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Tailcoat

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If an idea is funny, does it matter if there are logic holes in it, or is it enough if it makes someone laugh? For example, character A seeks out character B with a question. B repeats the same unexpected, nonsensical answer for all questions. I'd start thinking that A will get horribly frustrated and try to extract a different answer, but how is that raising the stakes, which a good sketch writer is supposed to do? Does it matter why B says this thing over and over? Someone must've told A where B was, so why wasn't A warned about the silly answer? Maybe the answer means different things to different people, but must I address that, or is it unnecessary backstory for a 2-minute short? Does any of this even matter if the interaction is funny?
 
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Neegh

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Somewhere—either in the set-up, or the delivery—it does have to make sense. It’s funny when you get them going “oh well I see where this is going” but suddenly it turns the other way. Or it's all load of hog-wash, but then it whips around to make sense. You have to build up expectations only to dart off in an unexpected way.
 

Williebee

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"Depends" I think it has to make sense to the character, and the reader has to believe that it makes sense to the character. Accomplish that and you can get away with a great deal, even murder. (Look at Tim Dorsey's Serge Storm series.)
 

Tailcoat

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Do you also have to raise stakes in a brief sketch or is escalation sufficient? I read somewhere that you should raise stakes, but I don't think that always happens in sketches. For example, in the dead parrot sketch, I'm guessing that the stakes are getting a replacement bird, and that stays the same while the conflict gets more ridiculous. I saw another sketch about a guy who was trying to get a hot dog from an inept vendor and the only stake was running out of time (I'm not sure if that counts as raising stakes) for his lunch break. Are escalation and raising stakes both necessary or are they interchangeable in a comedy sketch? I know some sketches break the "rules," but I want to learn how to make the strongest ones I can before messing around with format.
 
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Rhymes with Clue

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There are all different kinds of funny. There is witty dialog, there is slapstick, there are puns. Not everything has to make logical sense. I don't think slapstick does.

I think of Groucho and Chico going over their contract in A DAY AT THE RACES. Funny as hell, I don't even remember what the contract was supposed to be about but I'm pretty sure that contract would not have held up in court. Hell, it didn't even make it through the scene.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Humor is all about teh payoff. You can pose any situation, and it's neither funny nor unfunny. Tell the actual joke, and then we'll see.

This does remind me of a radio program I used to listen to. No matter what question a character was asked, he'd say, "Put some water on it." The thing is, no matter what the question was, no matter how long and complicated, or short and simple, or what the subject was, "Put some water on it" was always a good answer.
 

CatchVonnegut

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I think of Groucho and Chico going over their contract in A DAY AT THE RACES. Funny as hell, I don't even remember what the contract was supposed to be about but I'm pretty sure that contract would not have held up in court. Hell, it didn't even make it through the scene.

Thanks for the laugh. I grew up on the Marx Bros and I hadn't thought about that scene in forever, but I think you meant to say "A Night at the Opera". ;)

As for the OP, I'm a firm believer that in any creative endeavor "rules" are just guidelines. The only rule I've ever respected is "Funny trumps all." Stick with that as a guiding principle and you'll be fine.
 

Kjbartolotta

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This is a question I've been struggling with quite a bit, since my humor novel is fueled by insane troll logic. I think it's one of those 'in context' things, but I don't know. Is it better to have a rock-solid plot, or do lots of details and no jokes just bore the reader. My own thought is that good and genuine character drive the humor and the plot, so as long as the characters are consistent and well-articulated you should be fine.

I think for a short the backstory should be kept to a minimum. We know Abott and Costello are starting a baseball team, does it matter why?
 

Yoface

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This is a question I've been struggling with quite a bit, since my humor novel is fueled by insane troll logic. I think it's one of those 'in context' things, but I don't know. Is it better to have a rock-solid plot, or do lots of details and no jokes just bore the reader. My own thought is that good and genuine character drive the humor and the plot, so as long as the characters are consistent and well-articulated you should be fine.

I think for a short the backstory should be kept to a minimum. We know Abott and Costello are starting a baseball team, does it matter why?

It doesn't matter too much. Good characters get me engaged as reader, but it does depends on how the characters interact with each other.
 

Pennguin

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It depends on the sense of humor. Some of my friends find certain things funny when there are logic holes. Personally, depending on how large the holes are, the holes will distract me from any attempted humor. The setup is also important, as is the follow-through. In The Producers, Nathan Lane tells Matthew Broderick, "There's more to you than there is to you!" A logical "weirdism," but the way it was set up, it made sense, and Lane followed it through perfectly when he broke the fourth wall, looked directly at the camera, and mouthed, "What the f***?!," but Broderick bought the logic, and it spurred the rest of the story.

And it's hilarious. You can get away with it, but for certain senses of humor, it's just not going to work, nine times out of ten.
 

StephenKurtJay

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I think logic is always important, even in humor. But you can also have fun with it. In some of my silliest pieces, I talk to the reader and sometimes actually point out logic holes and mock myself (the author) in the story. So there are many things to do.

But in the end you have to remember that even a funny story is a story so it needs to have some thread and logic to it. At least that's my opinion.
 

Bacchus

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I think when you open the pages of a work of fiction you should be prepared to suspend your disbelief. If the contents have to stand up to logical analysis you may as well get your old school textbooks out and read those.

[edit] @StephenKurtJay I have just realised that the OP posted this nearly two years ago and probably isn't waiting for replies. Not quite a zombie thread but not far off!

still think that fiction is fiction though (c: [/edit]
 
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ThatWeirdGuy

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When dealing with any fictional work, a certain twisting of logic is acceptable. If everything was perfectly logical, we wouldn't get all those wonderfully funny villains that seem to be evil for the sole purpose of being evil.
You really don't need to apply real world logic to a fictional work. Ever. (Though there isn't a reason you shouldn't apply real world logic either. It's really a matter of personal taste.) You only need to do two things to keep an audience from questioning your story's logic (if not permanently, at least long enough to enjoy it): Keep the story enjoyable, and keep whatever insane logic you do use consistent. The second point is especially important, because as long as the logic is consistent, people can adapt to just about anything.
I can prove it too. May I present to you, an anime that's popular enough to have lasted over 70 episodes (if that sounds small, keep in mind that most Japanese animations have trouble getting more than 15 episodes aired): Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (If you think that video's weird, don't worry. The series gets much weirder.)
 

Fruitbat

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Imo funny goes a long, long, long way. If something cracks me up, I will forgive just about anything. However, I've also read many things that were described as just a hoot and a howl, that, to me, really weren't.
 

Conrad Adamson

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Maybe not answering the OP question, but something I find very effective is when an author uses a character to follow a ridiculous logic and have it almost make sense. The classic example of this is Catch 22. Most of the story takes place at a military base that sends out bombing runs during WWII. They keep upping the number of missions necessary for the service members to be done. One of the characters screams constantly each time he reaches the maximum number of missions until the number of missions is again increased because his world has again become more predictable. The situation almost makes sense and when in the context of the book and not summarized by me comes off pretty funny. The book is filled with nonsense supported by logical conclusions by the characters that nearly make sense.
 

RookieWriter

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Logic doesn't drive story, emotion does. Laughter is an emotional reaction. If you look at comedy films or watch comedians they don't always use perfect logic when going for the laugh. I'd say if you are doing a comedy then the most important thing is to be funny, not logical. How far off of logic can you go? I don't know, but if it's not funny staying on the logic you might want to reconsider how it's being done.

I know the original post is really old so maybe this isn't useful.
 

Alan Aspie

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If an idea is funny, does it matter if there are logic holes in it, or is it enough if it makes someone laugh?


It does.

One of the good recipes to boil humor is to take something that is absolutely true and absolutely insane at the same time.

Then you exaggerate by generalising as much as you can without breaking the barrier of truth.

Katharsis comes in the moment of "this just can't be true - but it is".

And remember, that "absolutely insane" must be in the side of reality, not the writer or story. Writer only points it via his/her story.

Unfortunately "true but absolutely insane" has run out from this planet. So we need to be patient....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_TzjFbSkeg
 
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Manss

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Generally both types of the humors can be written, whether logical or out of logic partially. Nonetheless, when I want to write a humor story try to use some character and events that are more sensible for people.
 
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