Comedian Dave Barry Analysis

Laughter is the medicine of life. Regardless of any bad day, laughter can lighten a mood consid-erably. There are different types of humor expressed in literary works; some humor is crude, some is dry, and some is lighthearted. George Meredith mentions a “thoughtful” laughter or humor. Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night are both satirical literary works that stir up “thoughtful” laughter in the audience or readers of the plays.

Humor’s foundations are made up of seeds of truth, from which comedy and laughter can grow from. Within these seeds different types of issues are found that cast a wide array of topics in which are discussed or given question to by humorists. As the evolution of humor continues to grow it can be seen that it will continue down a darker road, as history has

A short essay “ Guys vs. “Men” written by Dave Barry, presents Dave’s perception on the difference between “Guys” and “Men”. Dave presents his essay in a comical way that generalizes the “men” vs. “guys” and also gender biased generalization. Dave argues that men hold too much of responsibilities and many expectations in which guys do not and they live happier life. One of the methods he uses to support his argument is a comparison. Other method he uses is the description of how he views “men” vs. “guys” and gives his perspective. And the last method he uses to further his argument is the use of hyperbole, exaggeration through out the essay.

Throughout time, humorists have been able to pull off a phenomenon, which allows for others to laugh about sensitive, stressful topics. With talent, humorists are able to captivate positive emotion from their audience and allow for society to see delicate issues in an unbiased view. Although humorists are commonly seen as people who only intend to entertain, humorists purposefully say things through their work that allow for hard issues to be spoken or illustrated.

Dave Barry, a humorous author writes “Guys vs Men” to try to enlighten the term “man”. He focuses on certain aspects that separate guys and men to separate stereotypical characteristics. Barry entertains readers as he uses funny comparisons, analogies, and entertaining punch lines to support his what he thinks the distinct differences between guys and men really are. Barry argues the idea that “man”, is a term that comes with responsibility and unwritten expectations for guys. The intent is to stress that there is another way to look at males, perhaps not characterize as characteristically masculine, but just as a “guy”.

People always say that laughter alleviates tension. If this is the case, then it makes sense that the use of humor when discussing uncomfortable topics can make the conversation easier and more light-hearted. One of Mark Twain’s most frequently used devices in works such as “Advice to Youth”, “To the Person Sitting in Darkness”, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is satire, which can provide society a method to bond over uncomfortable topics, and facilitate the ability to sustain that bond through an easier way to create discussion.

“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious” -Peter Ustinov. Comedy is used in everyday life. It is a way to slip in the truth while decreasing the blow. Comedy allows the hard things to hear, to be said in a way where it is not so hard. The truth can be hard to hear sometimes but comedy uses comedic tactics to slip in the truth that is hard to hear, but needs to be said, into the world. In the excerpt from Live right and Find Happiness (Although Beer is Much Faster) by Dave Barry, is a high comedy excerpt that uses the comedic tactics sarcasm and situational irony to express the truth about growing up and how to live right in a funny manner.

I feel this author is effective at reiterating the important of driving skills. Barry kept my attention, as his comical sense of humor. The embellishment of the stories create reflections in my mind of how concerning this problem genuinely is. How do we gain control of this insensate behavior?

To persuade audiences to accept advanced arguments, effective writers employ several of rhetorical strategies. Consequently, David Wong utilizes the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos and logos within his article Robin Williams and Why Funny People Kill Themselves. Through these rhetorical tools, Wong aims to convince audiences to agree with Wong’s argument. Wong authors this essay in response to Robin Williams’ suicide. Wong addresses people who visit the Cracked.com website, an entertainment website. In this essay, Wong argues that people enter the comedy field to ensure that society will love them. Wong explains that, during

Dave Barry's 'Guys vs. Men" article is a clever and humerous way to show the degree of maturity to what it is to be a "man" and what it is to be a "guy". A man has more responsibility, maturity, and a sense of contol, who knows when to be serious and can show respect. A guy may have less responlsibilities, more fun loving, competitive in meaningless activities, a bit insensitive and is more relaxed. The role of a man is part of the identity as is the guy. Barry notices that even men in their late thirties have a side of them who are just guys. "These are middle-aged guys, suppossedly adults, and they're out there bragginig about thier performance in a stupid juvenile footrace" (406). This article reminds me of a the phrase "there's a kid inside

Laughter can be an instinctive expression of lively amusement although we don’t usually realise the offence of the joke we are laughing at. Tamara discusses modern satire and its position in humanity.

Humor can be found in the most unexpected places throughout literature. Even in writing that is not intended to be comedic, humor can be used to strengthen its message. For example, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor’s use of humor and irony helps the readers better understand the theme, why the character’s actions led to their deaths, by bringing attention to these consequences.

In the poem "Casey at the bat" we get to see an author turn a depressing event into a laughable event using humor. when i say using humor it is not the humor like laughing out loud, but more of the humor like irony.

“Humour is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement.” The term Humour has been derived from the Greek language, which teaches that humour is the balance of fluids in the human body. Humour is savoured by different taste-buds like: Anecdotal, Blue, Dark/Gallows/Morbid, Epigrammatic, Hyperbolic, Ironic, Satirical, Satirical, Situational and Slapstick. Franz Kafka, the author of the outright existential classic ‘The Metamorphosis’ uses depressing humour to deal with the bitter deathly truths of life.

Today, comedy news shows are becoming progressively more popular, and in so, becoming a new source of information – which may, or may not, be a positive consequence. Most comedians twist the truth in order to connect to people and make them laugh. The article “A Serious Business: What Can Comedy Do?” suggests some comedians “use logic to make painful things make sense” (O’Hara 108). Satirical comedy acts as a relief mechanism in that it comforts people that may be wary about a certain subject, especially in the realm of politics. Similarly, Peter McGraw and Joel Warner discuss how comedy can act as a coping mechanism. The authors conclude that “activists all over the world have been using comedy as a form of political protest” (McGraw & Warner 147). Iain Ellis writes about how political satirists do more than just deliver jokes, they use satire “to expose, ridicule, and–implicitly–call for action and change” (Ellis 152). Ellis contends that comedy can make a difference by its constant presence in our daily lives. Socrates, Plato, and even shows like South Park believe that humor is a way to persuade others. One of the most effective expressions of humor to affect social change has been the inclusion of satire. Although humor often provides people a welcome escape from the burdens of their daily lives, the satirical comedy deconstructs social issues in various ways as a means to persuade the