From stand-up comedians to improv actors, comedy is a huge industry that manages to draw in a massive audience. If you’re someone who’s currently honing your comedy skills, you might be wondering about the different kinds of comedians you might come across.
Are you unsure about the different types of comedians out there and how you fit into the world of comedy?
In this article, we’ll be sharing the main types of comedians you might find yourself wanting to pursue on your comedic journey. Let’s get started!
Dark Comedy
Dark comedy is often seen as an edgy and daring type of comedy. It’s a comedic style that is used to emphasize the absurdity and wrongness of a situation and often contains dark, sarcastic, and even controversial elements. It’s not meant to offend but to challenge and push boundaries.
The two main types of dark comedy are black comedy and satire. Black comedy is often used to address issues such as death or taboos and often uses irony to do so. It can be quite humorous but also quite serious – highlighting the faults of society or warning about the consequences of human actions.
Satire is often used to mock and satirize a situation or person. It usually uses humor to highlight how ridiculously absurd a situation could be. It’s often used to criticize politicians, showbiz celebrities, and other public figures.
Dark comedy is about taking the viewer out of their comfort zone and reminding them that not everything needs to be taken seriously. This type of comedy is mostly used by famous comedians such as Kat Williams. Get Katt Williams tickets to experience this style of comedy.
Slapstick Comedy
Slapstick comedy is a type of comedy that relies on physical humor or farce. It often involves a funny character or character making a humorous mistake or acting foolishly. It is followed by another character providing a humorous reaction.
The actions are usually exaggerated and cartoonish to emphasize the comedic effect. While slapstick originally appeared in silent films, it is still seen today in television shows, stand-up comedies, and movies. Examples of slapstick comedy include pratfalls, the clown pulling a handkerchief out of the pocket and then tying himself in knots, and the pie in the face.
All of these funny moments draw big laughs from audiences. It is important for slapstick comedians to know how to be both physical and employ good timing to deliver the jokes for maximum effect. Slapstick is a timeless and effective form of comedy that continues to be used today.
Self-Deprecating Humor
Self-deprecating humor is a form of humor that involves poking fun at oneself. It’s a way of making oneself look silly, vulnerable or embarrassed in order to get a laugh. Self-deprecating humor is used to cope with uncomfortable situations, alleviate anxiety, and make oneself seem more likable.
It’s popular among comedians because it offers a relatable approach to comedy. Everyone has flaws, and everyone has a story of when they got embarrassed or made some stupid mistake. The two main types of comedians who utilize this approach are observational comedians, who turn common life events into humorous anecdotes, and “class clowns,” who draw humor from embarrassing personal stories. The best comedians can combine these styles for a unique blend of self-deprecating humor.
Situational Comedy
Situational comedy is a style of television or film comedy that relies upon the interplay of awkward situations. It is also used to create humor from the characters’ predicaments. This type of comedy relies on devices such as irony, satire, physical humor, and sarcasm.
A situational comedian is one who performs for an audience using these tropes to create a humorous story. Types of comedians in the world of situational comedy include prop comics, insult comics, topical comics, observational comics, deadpan comics, and physical comics.
Prop comics utilize a wide array of props as part of their routine to create humorous scenarios. Insult comics use witty sarcasm to deliver jokes at the expense of their audience.
Topic comics engage in topical humor by discussing current trends in music and pop culture. Deadpan comics use an expressionless delivery to get laughs.
Parody
When it comes to comedy, parodies are often used as a way of giving audiences a good laugh. Parody is a form of satire. It makes fun of the original subject in a humorous way. There are many types of comedians that specialize in parody, and the most well-known types are satire, character comedy, musical parody, and political parody.
Satire comedians deliver a form of comedy that is both pun-based and situational and often takes aim at the current state of society. Character comedians often rely on memorable personalities and catchphrases. Musical parody is when the comedian takes mainstream music and makes it into something funny.
Finally, political parody is self-explanatory and sees comedians use politicians as the targets for their sharp humor. Each type of comedian contains its own unique form of comedy, and when conducted with a witty backdrop, it can help entertain any audience.
Surreal Humor
Surreal humor is a type of comedy that is based on a juxtaposition of the ridiculous and mundane. It relies on the audience to make connections between seemingly unrelated objects or stories. This type of humor often uses both parodies and puns to create an absurd situation or image.
Surreal comedians can be divided into three main categories. Observational comedians use their unique perspectives to comment on everyday life in sometimes exaggerated or absurd ways. Physical comedians use physical humor and exaggerated gestures to emphasize small details or make comical situations.
Finally, parody comedians focus on building humorous scenarios and ridiculing public figures or past events. No matter what type of surreal comedian, the goal is to juxtapose the norm with the absurd, often resulting in laughter.
Try Out the Different Types of Comedians
There are different types of comedians from all backgrounds! Whether you like physical or observational comedy, impressing your audience with sight gags, or telling them a good joke, there’s a comedian out there for you.
So get out there and find your comedy style, and don’t forget to laugh and have fun! Try performing stand-up at your local open-mic night – you never know what amazing things could come out of it.
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