The history of comedy in 20th century America is the history of America itself. Comedians from all walks of life have provided a funhouse mirror as well as a perceptive lens for American society and culture. This course will examine significant periods and players of the 20th century comedic genre and analyze them against their historic context and legacy. Humor will be used as a platform to discuss how comedy was governed by and ultimately responded to the influence of American society. This course will observe how comedians in turn shaped American life, running the gamut from silent movies to Vaudeville; screwball comedies of the 1930s and ‘40s to the Golden Age of Television; from the sitcom to the political comedies of present day. Equally important, this course will analyze the genesis and evolution of the comedic persona in performance: what worked, what did not work, and why. Comprehensive analysis of performances will help this course determine how performers did what they did and why they made the choices they made. This course will assess how the work of the comedian has evolved and grown over the course of a career, what methods have withstood the test of time, and why.
Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 6 Weeks
Sections (Summer 2024)
FMTV-UT 1231-000 (3295)07/03/2024 – 08/15/2024 Tue,Thu6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by Friedfeld, Eddy
FMTV-UT 1231-000 (3296)07/03/2024 – 08/15/2024 Tue,Thu6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by Friedfeld, Eddy