Showing posts from 2019

The Great Gildersleeve and the Evolution-Revolution of Comedy

There is a revolution, of sorts, going on amongst professional comedians. Comics have always been at the heart of revolution and political discourse. Some of the earliest professional comedians, court jesters or "Royal Fool" were the only voices allowed to make fun of the King. Of course, that meant that the King would be the only one allowed to laugh (out loud) at the jokes, but that did not make them any less funny. A few scholars have pointed out that joke telling is becoming a lost art because we are getting more and more of our laughs from internet memes. A proper joke takes time, it is a small story which needs characters introduced, a situation and often conflicts developed, and then the punchline delivered. The explosion of social media means that everyone is on the same page. Rather than developing the involved story a joke requires, a simple meme with a picture and a few words will have to do. Since we are already on the same page, we all get it. During the Gol

The Other, Other Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is, without a doubt, one of the world's most famous people who never lived. He is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as "the most portrayed movie character", having been played by at least 70 actors in more than 200 films. The character was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Victorian-era physician who studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh under Dr. Joseph Bell. One of the most influential lessons Bell passed on to his students was the importance of closely observing a patient before rendering a diagnosis. To demonstrate the utility of this practice, Bell would call a stranger into the lecture hall and by observing his manners, clothing, and other factors, deduce the person's occupation. Demonstrating these skills led to Bell being credited as "the Father of Forensic Science". After graduating, Conan Doyle started a practice with a classmate in Plymouth but chaffed at working with a partner. Although he didn'