ELI Am a 39 year old uncultured moron: black comedy

[Cole]

note: I'm spoilering parts of this just in case, but if you want to help you'll either have to seen the movie or not care about spoiling it.

we just watched this movie called "Silent Night". Wikipedia lists it as black comedy, but imdb just flat out says "dark comedy" "comedy". but there wasn't anything any more funny than your average drama with a few jokes.

gonna go into full spoilers, so to be safe I'll hide it. but if you don't care and are willing to help a dummy.

Spoiler

this is the official listed premise of the movie

Silent Night (2021)

Nell, Simon, and their 3 sons are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.

which, you betcha, they all did. every last one of them. especially one kid who the movie seemed to be about.

is it just the irony of it being this perfect Christmas with a vague apocalypse hitting and everyone literally just dies?

this is where I don't know if I just don't understand the genre, or I guess it's just not funny to me?

I feel stupid. maybe this is just a genre I've never explored. but it was strange.

still a good and fun movie. this is entirely about my confusion and potentially stupid.

so eli am a fucking moron. what is black comedy?

 

[Smacktard]

Black comedy is just a comedy that has to do with typically dark, depressing, or taboo subject matter -- usually death, suicide, or abuse.

The End of the F**king World is a nice dark comedy series that's only 2 seasons.

 

[Mark]

I really thought we were gonna be discussing Richard Pryor or the Wayans brothers…

The problem I have with dark comedy is that the average cynic doesn’t see the humor in it… because chances are, they’re already coping with life through their own brand of dark humor. It’s kinda like how shock comedy just doesn’t work when you’ve surrounded yourself by the most offensive people. Dark comedy is a hit for people that don’t regularly have that outlook, or aren’t regularly exposed to “offensive” stuff. That’s why guys like Matt Rife and Daniel Tosh became popular, they attached an approachable face to otherwise fucked up humor, exposing the masses to that brand.

 

[Cole]

Black comedy is just a comedy that has to do with typically dark, depressing, or taboo subject matter -- usually death, suicide, or abuse.

The End of the F**king World is a nice dark comedy series that's only 2 seasons.

so this part I "got", but the movie itself wasnt funny, so it was confusing.

The problem I have with dark comedy is that the average cynic doesn’t see the humor in it… because chances are, they’re already coping with life through their own brand of dark humor. It’s kinda like how shock comedy just doesn’t work when you’ve surrounded yourself by the most offensive people.

If this is the case, however, that makes a bit more sense. I could see some fancy people sitting down to watch that movie and then that happening. But I guess it was lost on me,

 

[Smacktard]

Keep in mind that just because you, personally, don't find something funny doesn't mean it isn't a comedy. Not Another Teen Movie is a comedy, but I doubt it would make you laugh.

I think the best way to know if you enjoy or "get" that humor is to watch more of it.

 

[Cole]

Keep in mind that just because you, personally, don't find something funny doesn't mean it isn't a comedy. Not Another Teen Movie is a comedy, but I doubt it would make you laugh.

I think the best way to know if you enjoy or "get" that humor is to watch more of it.

I do understand that, man. as I said repeatedly in the first post, I wasn't sure if this was a me not getting it thing, I think I even outright said "maybe I just don't find it funny".

I'm not dumb, I just hadn't ever experienced that.

 

[Smacktard]

I get that you said it was confusing, so I was trying to clear it up.

so this part I "got", but the movie itself wasnt funny, so it was confusing.

 

[Smacktard]

I do understand that, man. as I said repeatedly in the first post, I wasn't sure if this was a me not getting it thing, I think I even outright said "maybe I just don't find it funny".

I'm not dumb, I just hadn't ever experienced that.

I've been thinking about this interaction and I think there's been a miscommunication. I wasn't saying you were dumb. I was trying to say that maybe this movie you watched is not a good representation of dark humor, in the same way that Not Another Teen Movie isn't a good representation of comedy. And FWIW the movie you mentioned isn't rated very highly. The only way to know for sure if you jive with the genre is to give it another chance -- hence why I recommended a show.

 

[Cole]

I've been thinking about this interaction and I think there's been a miscommunication. I wasn't saying you were dumb. I was trying to say that maybe this movie you watched is not a good representation of dark humor, in the same way that Not Another Teen Movie isn't a good representation of comedy. And FWIW the movie you mentioned isn't rated very highly. The only way to know for sure if you jive with the genre is to give it another chance -- hence why I recommended a show.

I appreciate the clarification. I'm high and having trouble expressing what your post came across as, but it just felt kind of "attacky" if that makes sense.

I apologize if I responded harshly back.

I wouldn't expect the movie was rated well, we like to pick random Christmas movies we know nothing about and watch. that was the result.

I will definitely look for others, that's why I asked. the movie was still enjoyable regardless.

 

[Smacktard]

I appreciate the clarification. I'm high and having trouble expressing what your post came across as, but it just felt kind of "attacky" if that makes sense.

I apologize if I responded harshly back.

That wasn't the intent at all. I have no reason to attack you over discussing a movie genre. It's alright tho, we good

 

[Mark]

If this is the case, however, that makes a bit more sense. I could see some fancy people sitting down to watch that movie and then that happening. But I guess it was lost on me,

I liken it to family shows for me… Home Improvement? Okay show. Unrealistic family dynamic for a lot of people, so it didn’t resonate with them. US version of Shameless? Now that’s a family show I can watch and connect with, but the people that connect with Home Improvement? They’re gonna look at Shameless and say “holy shit, this is ridiculous”.