01 April 2009

What's so funny? - Midsummer post #3

This is the third Midsummer blog response and is due before class starts Friday, April 3.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy, which is something that today's television viewers should know a little something about. According to Scholastic Scope magazine, Shakespeare included three kinds of classic mix-ups to help generate some comedy: 1) mistaken identity, 2) love triangles, and 3) strange coincidences. Each of these classic mix-ups are staples on 21st Century comedy shows, or sitcoms. The next time you watch your favorite sitcom or re-run, look for one of those classic mix-ups involving the characters.

Assignment: Select one (1) of the classic mix-ups from above and find an example of it from a popular sitcom you watch. First, describe the mix-up from the sitcom, and then explain how the humor of the mixed-up situation helps increase your enjoyment and appreciation of the show. What makes it so funny?

As with all of these assignments, it is a good practice to write your response in a word processing program so you can better edit and proofread your entry before submitting it. Take heed, this is formal writing and should be treated as such. Don't spurn the capital letter or ignore the necessary punctuation. Be thoughtful of your friend the complete sentence.

Good luck and enjoy!

Finally, if you complete this assignment using something besides a desktop or laptop computer, (say an Itouch or other handheld device) let me know! Announce it at the end of your entry.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't watch a lot of T.V. but when i do I would probably say the one show that makes me think of these mix ups and coincidences would have to be LOST. Now, LOST is definitely not a sitcom or in any way a comedy, but that's only because I don't really watch any comedies. Over time, though, the whole entire show comes together because the people who have crashed on this mysterious island all have strange connections to one another that they don't realize. One example is like how the main character, Jack, was on the plane with his half sister. The only problem is, he had and still has no idea that she and him are directly related and neither does she, however they share a special bond like a brother and sister would as they work together to find rescue.

Margaret C. P.5

Anonymous said...

I used to watch a show (which just ended recently) Life On Mars in which a detective from 2008 gets hit by a car and ends up in 1973. While this show maintains a rather serious undertone there are many comical moments through out the show. The main character often has conflicting intrests having to deal with his parents and other people from when he was young during this time period. That is the TV show that i believe is a good example of a "mix-up" comedy.
-Donovan Steink
Period 6

Anonymous said...

There is this show i watch alot called "Scrubs". There is a mix up such as the love triangle. Now they work in a hospital, but Three of the nurses dated this one doctor and loved him at one point. She keeps going back and forth with these three guys. Now the story that we are reading also has the love triangle. Lysander and demetrius loves Hermia, but she only has feeling for one of them.

Chris G
period 6

Anonymous said...

One of the shows that I watch is called "The Hills". There is a mix up in this show that demonstrates love conflicts. It's mainly focused on Heidi and Spencers love lives with one another and how they cant get along. Everyone on the show gets involved in their conflicts creating even more drama. A love triangle exisits here because Spencer is always looking at other girls and Heidi gets angry that he is not focusing his love jsut on her. She has to compete with other girls for his love.

Taylor M. Period 2

Anonymous said...

I like to watch a comedy called The Office. There is an episode about a love triangle. In the episode “Hot Girl” Michael and Dwight try to get Katy’s attention. They both like her and try to get her to like them, but in the end Jim gets her attention. Its really funny because Michael buys her a really expensive espresso machine to try to impress her.

Ian F. p5

Unknown said...

I enjoy watching the mindless animated comedy Family Guy. In one episode the baby of the family Stewie dresses up and pretends to be a high school student to try to be the most popular kid in the school. this is an exaple of a "mix-up". He does this by acting out various stereotypes of popular kids. It made me laugh because they played into stereotypes that can sometimes be true, and had a baby act them out.

KevinP P. 6

Anonymous said...

I don't really like TV to me its boring but the show I use to watch had one od these classic mix-up. The show that I think has a love triangle would have to be the real world. Ever time i would watch this one person would like another, and the other likeing the same person. It was like it never ended people would like someone that someone else liked. This use to help me increase my enjoyment was because it kept me guessing and i always wanted to know who was with know. Also i would like to see the fight they would always have. It made me excited. That was one of the show that went with classic mix-up.

jovanny p.5

Anonymous said...

I like the show psyche. It is about a guy that fakes being psychic but just has a photographic memory and work for the police to solve crimes. this is a case of mistaken identity because no one knows he isn't one but the think he is. I like how they don't know but think he is so smart also I like how he makes jokes that no one gets.

Andrew p5

Anonymous said...

A show that exhibits mistaken idenities is "Scrubs". In this show one of the guy doctors is always getting shutdown by girl and his boss, this makes him very inscure and he is always trying to change himself and show more confidence to stick up to his head doctor, but something always happens to make him more lost in finding his idenity. Also, another female doctor is always trying to find herself by changing herself on the outside to find a guy and to try to keep up with her fellow guys doctors , but it doesnt work, since its not all about looks. This whole show is based on the charaters trying to find themselves.



roryyyyyy

Anonymous said...

^^ i forgot to add why it is funny..
Well, this makes it funny because all the charaters search for themselves in different ways and get shut down and do funny things to prove them and such.


kk sorry byerory

Anonymous said...

A show that displays a similar senario to the book is, "Gossip Girl". In the show there is a girl named Serena who was best friends with a girl named Blair. There was a love triangle because Serena and Blairs boyfriend hooked up without telling Blair. When she found out she was obviously upset. This is just like the book becasue Helena is the one that nobody wants to be with but Hermia has everyone that wants her, including Demetrius.

jessica b
period 5

Anonymous said...

The show that I like to watch is, One Tree Hill because there's always a lot going on. One of the love triangles is from an old episode between this boy Lucas, a girl Payton, and another girl Brooke. Payton likes Lucas but doesn't really want a relationship, and Lucas likes her too and he really wants her to be his girlfriend. Brooke is Payton’s best friend and she doesn't care about having a serious relationship and she didn’t know that Payton liked him so much because she didn’t show it. So Brooke is willing to "hook up" with him. I guess that’s the funny part because she’s gross. Lucas ends up liking Brooke, so they get together and eventually start dating and Payton gets really jealous. I suppose this helped me enjoy the show more because it was interesting and showed how “the course of true love never does run smooth” that’s funny because it makes people mad and I think it’s funny when people get mad.


katrina
period2

Anonymous said...

Like in the show two and half and men, their always is a mix up with a girl. the characters are very funny in it, it best represents but "love doesn't represent a smooth coarse" because it is very rocky.

Ian p2

Anonymous said...

I watch this show call Las Dos Caras de Anai, it is a a spanish show in which this women who for a mistake of a docter has the identity of onother women. Whom is accused of killing her, but seens she lost her memories she can't tell anybody about it. And neigtheir can the docter because he will then get in trouble for doing things against the law. The irony of this show is that because of destiny she ends up meeting her husben and marrying him. And he has no clue that that was his wife only because she looks different. It isn't funny but it is some what like the story we are reading of lovers fiding for their love.

(Mr. Miller I don't have any spell check at home but will put a spell check by tomorrow ok.)
Carla p6

Anonymous said...

On the sitcome " Full House"
Uncle Jesse and Joey fall in love with the same girl, originally this girl was Jesse's guitar student , joey didnt know about jesses love for her so he fell for her also. Seeing that Joey and Jesse are friends it was a difficult thing it dorve to both be angry towards eachother.
Eventually it all worked out.
What makes things like this so funny is becasue we all know it's so ridiculous and it happens to people all the time. even though love triangles are complicated if your are in one, if you are outside of the picture it is a bit comical becasue most of us can relate to having someone like the person you like and have them not like you back etc.



SARAHHHHHHHH
(:
Period 2

Anonymous said...

When I get a chance, I love to watch George Lopez. I think that it's so funny. One way that I can relate it to the play is that there is sometimes love triangles, especially because his daughter is in high school. In one episode, his daughter, Carmen, falls in "love" with this boy Jason. She acts really despirate and clingy around him because she thinks that will make him like her. That is just like how Helena is very despirate when it comes to Demetrius. She tries all she can to be a part of his life and he still doesn't want her. One way that it is funny is because George Lopez is a comedian and he makes fun of Carmen when she does all her stupid things.

Leanne.. watching it as i write this :)

Anonymous said...

In the show scrubs there are many love triangles. Throughout all the seasons everyone knows that JD is still in love with elliot but wont admit it and that elliot is in love with JD but is about to marry her boyfriend of two years that she claims to love. This sort of situation happens alot and it is comical to the audience because we can see that they both love eachother but are to proud to admit it and that leads them away from eachother then they get close and finally back away again till she finds a new boyfriend that isnt JD.

Josh D. Per 5

Anonymous said...

I was watching the movie Anchorman the other day and thinking back on it the movie involved a love triangle but in this case it was more of a love pentagon. In the movie the main characters are all part of a news team and to stir things up the news station hires an attractive woman who is then approached by each guy in very unique ways. One of the classic lines in this movies occurs when the character, Brick, asks the woman on a date by saying," would like to come to the pants party." Whenever I see this part it makes me laugh.

John Period 6

Anonymous said...

The classic mix-up I chose was strange coincidences from the show Family Guy. They have many random events that are strange and coincidental to the end of the show. For example, Peter meets this chicken that he gets into a fight with it. In later episodes, he somehow meets the chicken again and becomes friends with it until they fight over the bill. They fight for a few minutes. There are many more coincidences in this.
-Dan P5

Anonymous said...

Tv..my, i've not watched it in a many a moons. So if i may, i'll use an example from a play instead. at first i thought i'd do my favorite, "Carousel" but theres nothing entirely similar to the mix-up i had in mind. So I'll do "Les Miserables" Instead. Three of the lead roles; Marius, Cosette, and Epionine. (Minus Helena, sorry about that, kinda of a hard blog for someone who doesn't watch sitcoms)Marius is a young nobleman who's in love with Cosette, a well-to-do young women. Already we see that two of the lovers are from the rich, aristacracy, the same way that Lysander and Hermia are.

Marius and Cosette share a deep love depite the dissaproval of her adoptive father; Jean Valjean. Eponine is in love with Marius, who ignores her untill shes falls victim to tragedy. Like Helena, Eponine envys Cosette, for she has won the heart of the man she loves. And like Demetrius and Helena, Marius always remains true to cosette and ignores Eponine's pleas.

Yeah, not the greatist exmaple. Their are some differences, but still pretty solid, Best i could think of on the spot.

Peace out
-Jake.C Period 6

Anonymous said...

One of the shows I think include all three of the classic mix-ups would have to be "The Secret Life of an American Teenager" where the lead female becomes pregnant. Her new boyfriend who didn't know was mistaken by many people that he was the father when another guy acctually was.(Mistaken identity) The "other" guy didn't have feelings for her at first but as time passed he started to like her. The lead's boyfriend didn't like the fact that the guy was first of all the father of the baby or got her pregnant in the first place but then to top it all off that same guy now likes the lead too while she likes who she's already with.(Love triangle) At one point of the show the father of the lead is cheating on his wife with the mother of another girl who the "other" guy is currently sleeping with. The father coincidently meets him in the home of the two women while the two are both gone for a couple hours. You can only imagin who the father felt when he saw the guy who got his daughter pregnant.(Strange coincidence)

Raquel p.5

Anonymous said...

The show sister sister is about how two twin sisters meet each other in a mall for the first time in there life at about the age 14. The two sister was in the mall shopping for clouths one day and at the same store. Then the two perents was there with them and they each graped the rong child of theres. Then they both start to scream and the perents are wondering why they are screaming that you are not my perent. Once the two perents escape them, they bump into each other and that is how they meet ecah other. So that was about mistaken identity between thw two twin sisters.

Michele C. P.5

Anonymous said...

There are countless examples of love triangles in modern day T.V. shows or sitcoms which relate to "A Midsummer's Night's Dream" One great example, is on the show "What I like About you". One of the main charaters, Holly, goes away for a summer abroad thinking that she has taken a break with her boyfriend. She comes back with a new boyfriend named Ben. Meanwhile her old boyfriend, Henry still believes that they are together. He even meets her at the airport with flowers. What makes these situations so funny is the comedic value they give. People find it funny and entertaining to see others' emotions toyed with or jeapordized. Everyone enjoys trauma and drama in a story. It keeps people interested and wondering what will happen next.

Ella Period 6

Anonymous said...

A funny t.v comidy is Goerge lopez. This comidy best fits in the love triangle. Goerge loves his wife Anjy. Erny will go out with any girl but no one loves him. And finaly Betty who is Goerges mom she hates everyone and every one hates her.
Nicklep
Per:6

Anonymous said...

One of a classic mix up is in the show NCIS when a killer was waiting on the side of the road and they killed everybody that would come up. The agents thought that they had the person, but they had a alibie of when she was in the bank, but then at the end of the show they found out that there were triplets.
StevenW
P.6

Anonymous said...

At the end of a SpongeBob episode Patrick took off his skin several times and was someone else each time. SpongeBob also took off his skin a couple times. They both ended up being themselves but someone else walked on to the set as Patrick. This makes it more enjoyable because it is so stupid that it’s funny.
P.S. SpongeBob is awesome.
Kevin S. P.6

Anonymous said...

In 90210 there is this girl named Annie and this boy named Ethan were going out and they really like eachother a lot. Then her boyfriend got into a accident and with this other girl from school named Rhonda. And after the accident the girl got injured so she was sent to the hospital so then Ethen feeling sorry for the girl goes and visits her everday and totally forgets that he has a girlfriend. And he is kind of getting a feeling for Rhonda. So then Annie is thinking what happened because one day her boyfriend loves her and now he is interested in this other girl. Which is just like in the play Hermia is thinking about how Lysander says he loves her and then the next day he is in love with Helena.

Daisy P5

taylorq said...

In the tv show the bold and the beautiful there are two people who love eachother. but then the boy falls for another girl and cheats on his girlfriend and says that he loves the other girl istead. This is an expample of how Lysander says that he loves Hermia and then he says that he loves Helena and just pushes Hermia to the side.

Anonymous said...

On the show South Park one of the main character Cartman dresses up as a super hero and so that is an example of mistaken identity because nobody realizes that it is Cartman.
Jill period 6

Anonymous said...

In an episode of Scrubs the main character JD goes out with a girl to review a hotel. The next day he's telling his friend how great the date was and how close they are getting. He then sees the girl talking to another guy thinking that it's him shes talking to. He gets upset and throws a fit saying they look nothing alike when they really do. Later on he someone else gets them confused and he gets even madder. This a case of mistaken identity. This makes me like the show because of the way JD handles it. He gets very upset and throws a fit saying things that are funny and in a funny way. The mistaken identity in itself is funny because JD was so sure that he had hit it off with this girl.

Sophie H.
Period 2

Anonymous said...

In House, there was a guy that had no clue who he was. So when they brought him to the hospital to check him out, he kept saying he was someone else. And doing things from the papers outside of the rooms that he was reading. He thought he was all different kinds of people.

Michaelaaaaaa :]
p.6

Anonymous said...

Well i don't watch much TV in the first place, but if i had to choose one show that portrays one of the topics it would have to be "The Hills". This TV show revolves around Heidi and Spencer, two people who love each other. But for some reason they can't really seem to keep a solid relationship. It seems that most of their friends get involved in everything they do, resulting in even more drama then there was before. This makes it so funny just because the couple really isn't fighting their "own" fight. Their arguments revolve around their friends which seems very pointless.

Tom Period 2