FSEM FINAL PAPER: OPTION 2 Chapter 1: I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not A classic American icon, Chevy Chase had an incredible career brimming with accomplishments and tribulations. The time spanning from 1975 to 1985 was a period in which America idolized Chevy, a man who cruised through life with the perfect blend of cynicism, contempt, and charm. Looking back, Chevy is considered one of the most hated comedians in the world, a close runner-up to Bill Cosby; however, nobody can deny Chevy’s influence in comedy in film, the development of SNL, or even the younger generation of comedians who aspired to be like him. Since his start as an overnight star on SNL, throughout his movie star days, and as a sitcom cast member, Chevy has repeatedly made headlines; he has “...insulted and assaulted co-workers, spouted racist, misogynistic, and homophobic views, and been described, even by those who tolerate him, as a delusional egomaniac. (The Telegraph, Bernstein)” Regardless of the things he said and did on his rise to stardom, Chevy was named, “The funniest man in America” by New York magazine in 1975. Today, Chevy is best known for hosting the segment the Weekend Update on the premiere season of SNL as well as his starring role in the famous films National Lampoon’s Family Vacation, Fletch, and Caddyshack, though he is also known for hosting the oscars in 1987, the late night Chevy-Chase show, a notoriously bad late-night broadcast, and appearing on the show
Then in 1966, Wayne received the Cecil B. Demille Award at the Golden Globe Awards. “The Duke” would go on to make one more appearance at the Golden Globes, as well as he Academy Awards in 1970. In 1970, at the Golden Globes, John Wayne won Best Motion Picture Actor in a drama for the movie True Grit. At the Academy Awards, he won Best Actor, also for True Grits. Then in the 1970’s Wayne managed to win the same award at the People’s Choice Awards for four consecutive years. Through the years of 1975-78, he won the Favorite Motion Picture Actor award. This is a lot of accomplishments for one actor. But Wayne was not just any actor though. When discussing his acting talents once, Wayne stated, “I don’t act, I react.” Years after Wayne’s death, he is still being recognized. He was named number sixteen of the “Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” by Empire Magazine in October of 1997. Wayne also helped found the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, and later became the president. Also, just one month before Wayne died, President Jimmy Carter and Congress a special medal honoring “The Duke.”
The famous episode from Seinfeld, “The Soup Nazi”, is loved and viewed by many. In this episode, both George Costanza (Jay Scott Greenspan) and Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld) go to a restaurant that supposedly has the “best soup in the city”, according to the locals. However, everyone calls the owner of the soup restaurant “The Soup Nazi” because of his hard, cold personality and his ability to refuse service to anyone who annoys him. The episode comically portrays the fear which “The Soup Nazi” induces on his customers and the willingness of his customers to come back just because his soup is so delicious (http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/04/the-top-10-seinfeld-episodes?page=2). This episode represents only a small sample of the countless comical and satirical works written by Larry David, the writer of the television series, Seinfeld. Larry David is a comedian as well as a satirist. He is in many Saturday Night Live (SNL) skits as Bernie Sanders, and was the co-creator of the television series, Curb Your Enthusiasm. A common theme throughout his works is his ability to take everyday problems and blow them out of proportion. Larry David practices many techniques in his satirical pieces that explore ideas of race and gender in order to bring across a message to society and entertainment to viewers.
“The struggle of the funny performer has remained a symbiosis of drive, jealousy, heartbreak, and triumph-- existing then as it exists now. Perhaps the only other constant is comedy’s unfailing popularity”
In the beginning of his career, he tells jokes with punchlines, while rarely referencing his Mexican upbringing, or his ethnic community. Instead, he erratically switches between topics that are relevant to the average New Yorker, talking about cars, pollution, and smoking. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, he switched to telling stories about his life. As can be seen in both interviews and stand-up routines, his semiautobiographical persona begins to develop at this point. Unlike most “Latinx” comedians, CK does not joke about immigration anxieties and the conflicting desires to assimilate and remain distinctly “other.”
Living by the restrictions that society places upon us, humanity is constrained to follow rules. Television writers were forced to write a certain way and were forced to leave out information that society would deem as improper, rude, and even racist. However, in 1971, a groundbreaking American television sitcom broke through societal boundaries and transformed the way that the American audience viewed television. Engulfed by the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, fight for women's right, and the Watergate scandal, Norman Lear persevered through stereotypes and entertainment norms with his show All in the Family. This show approached its audience in a very blunt and crude manner; it made conflict the center of its comedy. It dealt with contemporary cultural issues in a relatable way, which blue allowed blue-collar workers to learn about their current everyday issues and concerns. Through his show All in the Family, Norman Lear highlighted sensitive topics such as racism, bigotry, and sexual relations to prove that they are still alive in our country; thus, Norman Lear is an agent of change by bringing awareness to social issues.
Tall, dark, and handsome has long been the standard of a desirable man. There is undoubtedly something about a “man’s man” that is intriguing and beguiling. However, there must be a point where too much masculinity becomes a problem. As society continues to praise men with the biggest muscles, the nicest cars, and the most women, it is becoming increasingly hard to draw the line between healthy masculinity and toxic masculinity. In Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, toxic ideas about what it means to be masculine ultimately ruins several characters, but most overtly Stanley, Stella, and Blanche, showing that toxic masculinity is a threat to everyone’s well-being, both male and
Kimmel discusses about the assumed principles of masculinity that American culture establishes on younger men. These principles are said to be the norm to what any man would believe, such as the phrases “Boys Don’t cry”, “Don’t Get Mad – Get Even”, and “never show your
The Cosby Show declared positive attributes to the black stereotype in opposed to the black sitcoms that came before it. Although the success of The Cosby Show dispelled negative perceptions of the black community the initial idea was thrown, which contributes to racial segregation in American at that time during the 80’s. However, the typical black family perception did change as a result of ‘The Cosby Show’ and opened the doors for many comedians and sitcoms to come. ‘The
Dave Chappelle was the king of comedy. He had his own show on Comedy Central, did many stand ups and guest starred in many SNL skits. His works were filled heavily with racial satire with the intent to attack and expose racism throughout America in a non-threatening way. Dave Chappelle’s masterful delivery and extreme horatian satirical techniques allow for top-shelf entertainment with an underlying, thought provoking message.
William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He first gained exposure on Saturday Night Live for which he earned his first Emmy Award and later went on to star in comedy films, including Meatballs (1979), Caddyshack (1980), Stripes (1981), Tootsie (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Scrooged (1988), What About Bob? (1991), and Groundhog Day
Since its start, the television industry has been criticized for perpetuating myths and stereotypes about African-Americans through characterizations, story lines, and plots. The situation comedy has been the area that has seemed to draw the most criticism, analysis, and disapproval for stereotyping. From Sanford and Son and The Jefferson’s in the 1970s to The Cosby Show (1984) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1990s, sitcoms featuring black casts and characters have always been controversial. However, their significance upon our American culture cannot be disregarded. During the 1950s and 1960s, 97% of the families were Caucasian. In the first five years of the
Getting into acting and finally reaching your popular status in Hollywood is tough, but once you reach it you start to slip and start to get into your own head, just as Chase did. The authors portray him as being very cocky and arrogant as he rose to that “Hollywood” fame. Hill and Weingard give the example, "I'll go down to the drugstore, pick up the fan magazines, and I'll bet my name is in more of them than any of yours." This certainly shows that Chevy thinks of himself as being greater than the other SNL
Over the past two centuries, America has been plagued by a sharply contrasting vision of what is and what should be. Since the Civil War, and even decades before the conflict began, authors and filmmakers have attempted to highlight problems that exist in society and cast them under a critical spotlight. They criticize and mock society’s faults and urge their respective audiences to enact positive change. Although one may see Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush as two completely separate and different works of high comedy, their similarities are much more visible upon analysis. Using satire as a critical tool, Twain and Chaplin call for social change that fits in line with the ideals of America, such as justice, equality and respect. By using satire in Huckleberry Finn and The Gold Rush, Twain and Chaplin argue that real American life is so far from being idealistic that the gap between the real and the ideal is shocking, unnerving and a cause for immediate reflection on behalf of audiences.
Ever since 1997, South Park has revolutionized the cable TV scene as a profane and obscene program that isn’t afraid to mock religious, political, and cultural topics and not get away with at least offending somebody. Throughout its twelve seasons, some of the most prominent events in pop culture have suffered the wrath of ridicule from the show’s creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and succeeded in making millions of Americans laugh until they cry. The creative genius behind these cultural and controversial statements has exalted the series to iconic status in our entertainment industry for its satirical voice in each episode. Throughout its ten years on air, South Park has broken multiple political,
Racist comments are probably the most frequent type of ‘humor’ found on Top Gear. The three presenters’ patriotic feelings and