Humor in HP

[sartoris22]

No: HPFGUIDX 186528

Carol: 
> 
> I keep trying to figure out her secret. *Why* is this passage (any passage that makes me laugh) funny? And I can't seem to find a satisfactory answer. Maybe I'm being too analytical. :-)


sartoris22:

Although Rowling uses wordplay, I think of her humor as more American than British because it relies heavily on characters and situations. Although some britcoms rely on characterization such as Keeping Up Apperarnces and As Times Go By, wordplay seems most elemental to the form. In the britcom "Extras," Ricky Gervais comments on the wordplay in Britcoms (often sexual innuendo) when his charater gets his own sitcom. The entire show is built around either people misunderstanding each other or people saying something that has a double meaning. The best humor in The Potter books, in my opinion, 
is situational and character driven. What makes it funny is who is saying it under what circumstances. For example, Hermione isn't particularly funny, but I find it hilarious when she gets exasperated at the things Luna Lovegood says. It's funny to me because Hermione cares so much about learning that it drives her crazy when Luna offers false informtion. When Luna talks about a Wrackspurt or something and Hermione says, "Where's the evidence for that?" I find that very amusing. Or when Neville says, "I've killed Harry Potter" after Harry doesn't immediately resurface upon eating the gillyweed and diving in the lake. Neville saying that line in that situation is funny because of Neville's long suffering persona. Harry is funnier in the movies than the books. I'm hard pressed to find much Harry humor in the novels, while in the movies he says, "Thanks, Ron," when Ron chronicles some horribe thing that might happen to Harry. The line is funny because of what we know about Ron (excitable)and Harry (cool) and the potentially life threatening situation that Harry faces.















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