APRIL 2010: THE HUMOUR ISSUE M M MediaMagazine edia agazine english and media centre Missue 32 | april 2010 M Eminem – hip-hop’s Lord of Misrule? english and media centre Comedy timeline Suits you sir – the sketch show Postmodernism – can it be funny? | issue 32 | april 2010 Laughing all over the world The appeals of cult comedy MM MM MediaMagazine is published by the English and Media Centre, a non-profit making organisation. editorial The Centre publishes a wide range of classroom materials and runs Here’s a little ray of sunshine to light your way through to the exams with our courses for teachers. If you’re special humour issue. studying English at A Level, look out for emagazine, also published by Comedy is a peculiar and subjective phenomenon; and we’ve been fascinated by the Centre. the range of texts you’ve unearthed, from the unexpected humour to be found in Eminem and Lily Allen, through the superheroics of The Misfits, to the postmodern The English and Media Centre 18 Compton Terrace ironies of the Inbetweeners, Boosh, and Nathan Barley. It’s intriguing to see how TV London N1 2UN sitcom works – and what flops – on either side of the Atlantic, and to explore a case Telephone: 020 7359 8080 study of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a US comedy that should have worked but didn’t. For budding Fax: 020 7354 0133 comedy writers, Ian Pike describes the art of sketch-writing. 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Centre website package: £79.95 (For full details, see www.mediamagazine.org.uk) 2 MediaMagazine | April 2010 | english and media centre MM contents Front Page News Lost in translation: Misfits To be able to hear Recent news, views, reviews and the transatlantic what others are thinking, to 04 previews. 29 travels of sitcom 53 see into the future, to become Fail, fail again, fail Emma Louise Howard explores invisible, and to be immortal. These are the superpowers better It’s claimed that why some UK sitcoms succeed the Misfits possess but are great art is often the result of as US remakes, and vice versa – 06 and why others fail. they all they are cracked up to productive failure. But who’d be? James Rose explores the want to flop – and how might amusing and tragic aspects of it benefit your own production becoming a superhero. work? Nick Potamitis encourages some creative risk-taking. Africa’s finest hour? Maggie Miranda explores 08 the ways new South African films offer very different representations of this vibrant Suits you sir – the and dynamic country. art of TV sketch A short history of 34 shows Writer Ian Pike reflects humour Jerome Monahan’s on catchphrases, spoofs, visual Too much 11 comedy timeline plots the gags, and micro-sitcoms. information: Studio changing nature of humour 60 on the Sunset Snorting Barley – 57 from Plato to postmodernism. Strip Emma Louise Howard postmodernism, investigates the curious failure of Getting serious Charlie Brooker 37 a TV comedy about TV comedy. about the comedy and Nathan Barley film Roy Stafford takes a 18 Mark Ramey introduces the cult Red Dwarf – back to global perspective on analysing satire that takes the P out of earth with a bang film comedy. postmodernism. 60 or whimper? Fay Jessop welcomes the return of one of Mock docs that our funniest TV fantasies. shock Pete Turner explores 40 the shock tactics of Sacha Baron Cohen and subjects the first scene of Borat to a close analysis. The comedy of Lily Allen Harmless pop, barbed 46 wit, hurtful humour or social Is Nessa bad for our commentary? Emma Clarke Little Miss Sunshine health? Why is body image weighs up the evidence. a source of humour? Should size – dark humour, 22 obsession and the matter, and what might be the 62 impact of media representations American Dream of larger – and smaller – people? AS Media student Yasemin Examiner Sara Mills investigates Kaplanbasoglu considers a hard- the issues. hitting indie comedy and its social and political impact. Eminem: hip-hop’s Lord of Misrule Psychoville and cult 25 Humour isn’t the first term you’d TV With a new series on the associate with Eminem, but Ha ha ha ha – can 65 way, Nicola Laxton explains Sarah Mitchell suggests he fits postmodernism just why this cult show became into a long comic tradition of 48 make us laugh? Tina essential viewing. social satire. Dixon explores the nature of humour in three postmodern TV comedies. Hollywood film techniques 52 revealed From Goom. english and media centre | April 2010 | MediaMagazine 3 Front Page News BBC 6 Music and Asian Network face closure The BBC is threatening to take two of its digital BBC Director General Mark Thompson, speaking radio stations, 6 Music and Asian Network, off the on the BBC News Channel, admitted 6 Music was air, as part of a major shake-up of its services. A ‘distinctive’ and had loyal fans, but said its closure strategy review recommended that the corporation was necessary ‘from a value-for-money point of drop some niche services in order to concentrate view.’ resources into more mainstream programming. However, some people claim the BBC is Also facing the axe are teen services Switch and motivated by fear of more severe cuts after the Blast, and half of all BBC websites. election. Jonathan Freedland, writing at on the However, the plans have drawn widespread Guardian’s Comment is Free website, said: criticism, especially in the case of 6 Music. The The BBC is caving to a Tory media policy alternative music station has a relatively small dictated by Rupert Murdoch. listenership of 700,000 a week, but this is growing The plans will now go to public consultation. If faster than any other BBC digital radio station. Its you want to let the BBC know your opinion, fill in presenters include Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne their survey at https://consultations.external.bbc.