I’m halfway through an essay in the latest New Yorker (the annual
“Cartoon Issue”) and couldn’t help but note yet another easy
dig at the perennial gimp of comic strips, the Family Circus:
Although “The Family Circus” was resolutely unfunny, its panels clearly
were based on some actual family’s life and were aimed at an audience
that recognized this life, which compelled me to posit an entire
subspecies of humanity that found “The Family Circus” hilarious.
Looks like a good article; I’ll try to comment more when I finish.
One Comment
Good read. Well written… A tad depressing… The idea that the humor in peanuts comes from embarresment and the harshness of life is nothing new. It’s an interesting escape device to try and cartoon your own life every day, but it’s a little sad to think that it is necessary to find ways to deal with these things… alas the human condition.
Personally, my favorite thoughts about humor comes from Heinlein in “Stranger in a Strange Land” where the man from Mars has trouble with laughing because it’s extremely hard to tell what is funny and what is sad. Humor is the “wrongness.” The things that are saddest and not-right are actually what makes us laugh.
On cartoons, Schultz was a master. He paved the way for the other greats to take it even a step more direct. His simple and effective devices are still used today by Breathed and McGruder. The idea that a simple conversation of life in 1 to 5 sentences can give us insight into the “wrongness” of our lives and our surroundings is very strong and of course makes us laugh uncontrollably… especially if you read The Boondocks!
http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/
And about that quote! I believe that these people who find the family circus funny are out there and mingling amongst us! Beware them… They have black eyes and only eat gravy!
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