Punchline

Sometimes comedy bits make you cringe, sometimes they make you laugh, and sometimes they make you do both at the same time. Anthony Jeselnik is a comedian to be remembered for the best punchlines, creating first a cringing sensation and then turning that cringe into wicked laughter. He is the supreme anti-joke slayer. He sets you up for a conclusion but then defies expectations with the punchline. An audience member senses there is a punch line coming, but not THAT punchline. Luckily, the resultant punchline is pretty darn funny. This idea is the exact framework used in the creation of great music (nice left turn right?). I promise I will work on my punchlines, but for sake of time and patience, let me explain where I am headed with this.

A music teacher of mine told me how this idea works in music. One of the prime examples is in the music of the great Viennese classics such as Mozart, Haydn, and Schubert. There are always points where the music veers from expectations. For example, in a Mozart piano sonata, the piece might begin with a simple progression of counterpoint and chords resulting in establishing the tonality and melodic shape. After this is established and the listener is possibly getting bored, the composer decides to throw in an unexpected harmony or melodic twist. This unexpectedness might be missed by the casual listener as sometimes these are subtle. Sometimes the performer must exaggerate these details as the modern listener is used to hearing unusual things and randomness through some more modern works. This changed my perspective on musical performance; however, I’m sure this principle is understood by most comedians.

Let me preface this next section with the fact that music and comedy occupy their own worlds and do very well in both respects. I am not saying that either is not important or valid, but have a couple of differences that I want to point out to clarify their function. There are a few ways in which comedy falls short of reaching the range that music can create. Comedy, by its essence is supposed to be funny. Sometimes comedy serves as political commentary, sometimes it can be an imaginative outlet, but usually it is comedy for comedy’s sake. When the composer surprises the audience, it is not always in joke, but with dramatic intention. This allows the piece to take on a new character or new adventure in the piece of music. The soundscape and possibilities that could emerge from these left turns cannot be reduced to the feeling of funniness. The other area that comedy might fall flat is the idea of words: The words are the punchline. There are facial features, timing and command involved in selling a joke that go beyond the word, but the word itself is the limiting factor. Again, I am not selling comedy short but highlighting the differences. Music has different textures, timing, notes, and volume that can all be used collectively in effect at any surprising point in the piece.

As highlighted here, although I am not comparing Jeselnik’s genius to that of the Viennese Classics, the idea of established expectation and the art of breaking from these expectations is a common thread in performing art forms.