the group effect of southpark

I just noticed something...

I just noticed that the more people there is in a single room watching South Park the funnier it gets, I noticed watching the christmas episode it was pretty funny ( dont shout at me ) but i showed SP to a room full of my mates and it was hysterical, it seems that the "funniness" of the show tends to increase the more people there is watching it,so I experimented on other shows like "Mr Bean", "Frontline" (their award winning episode "divide the community, multiply the ratings")and an episode of that Aaron Spelling comedy show "Savannah" and it dosent seem to have quite the effect that SP had.

Try it at home people, tell me it wasnt a fluke and let me know care of this newsgroup.

Hope you all had a good new years. Bolt Thrower

On Mon, 05 Jan 1998 13:43:55 +0800, Bolt Thrower wrote:

Well, FWIW, here's my theory:

South Park is a REALLY intelligent show. There's no doubt about that to anyone who's heard someone ask "Is this Jesus?" on an episode of "Jesus and Pals" (come to think of it, here's a separate thread: Who exactly ARE the "Pals"? Is it supposed refer to everyone? Ya know, because He loves everyone? That would be funny).

Anyway, the weird thing is as intelligent as the show is, the humor doesn't seem like it's all that clever (not necessarily a bad thing). *Most* of the jokes go right for the jugular and hit you square in the face. Those types of jokes, where there is little possibility of them going over heads, would cause laughter, which we know is contagious, from nearly everyone.

When EVERYONE gets the joke, it's just that much funnier.

Same to you and more of it.

-Jason

If replying via email, do yourself a big favor and remove the exclamation point from my address.

That's too bad about Savannah, that's a damn funny show. Have you seen the daytime equivalent--Sunset Beach? Genius!

The fact that Jesus...*the* Jesus...lives in South Park and everyone is kind of casual and non-impressed by it? Incredible!

I think it's harder to write genuinely funny fart jokes. It takes far more creativity to create a show like SouthPark (where every scene has the audience rolling) than some crap like Urkel. (Oh that guy has a funny voice and his pants are too short! Let's give that guy an Emmy!...Cripes!)

Right back at ya!

julie e

Including the Father and the Holy Ghost makes for two other 'Pals' - whaddaya think?

Good point! The humor in south park tends not to be "layered" like, say, The Simpsons where they push the humor on all levels or even in live action shows like "Frontline" where the humor slips past you real quiet or it sledgehammers you with horrifying bluntness (i.e the end of "The Seige" episode).

Some shows , not only Merikan shows but english shows and Strine shows tend to refer to "local" humor referring to local events , history or famous people, particularly in comedies dealing with the media (Murphy Brown,Frontline and Drop The Dead Donkey are three prime examples) Perhaps the key to a succsessful international comedy is to keep the humor as broad as possible, so that everyone gets the joke without having to "dumb down" the humor.

My freinds keep telling me they are turning more people on to the South Park show, so from where I'm standing its slowly gaining popularity here in australia.

So long everybody, I've got a free pass to see "Topless Women Talk About Their Lives" at the Luna Cinema. Bolt Thrower

I think it's a true theory, but I think it only works for cartoons. I've noticed the same thing with the Simpsons and King of the Hill. They're not as funny unless I'm watching them with other people. Does that help your research at all? :)

Losira

Which of the characters are you for?

Mickey ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ To those who wish to punish others--or at least to see them punished, if the avengers are too cowardly to take matters in to their own hands-- the belief in a fiery, hideous hell appears to be a great source of comfort.

--"Steve Allen On The Bible, Religion & Morality"
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^