Voice and humour
Many people claim that writing humour cannot be taught or learned; it is a natural trait. That is because one of the basic characteristics of humour is that it evokes a spontaneous response: you either get it or you don’t. The key is: humour is never forced. A writer does not try to be funny… He merely writes about absurdities. Humour springs out of absurdity. Absurd situations, beliefs, customs, ideas.
Language is nothing more than the medium through which ideas are shared. But there are times when the medium is garbled and the original idea is replaced by an absurd version.
Lost in translation- some examples!
We will sell gasoline to anyone in a glass container
In India, we have innovated with English: Hinglish, Tamglish and so on. By playing around with diction, syntax, verb endings etc, a writer can give a new twist to voice, thus making it one of the easier ways of writing humour.
Humour is very culture-specific. It is also the most difficult to write. In Indian writing in English it is virtually unexploited. Humour comes from various sources:
Voice plays a very important role in humour. It can be deadpan, tongue-in-cheek, satirical, exaggerated etc.
Many people claim that writing humour cannot be taught or learned; it is a natural trait. That is because one of the basic characteristics of humour is that it evokes a spontaneous response: you either get it or you don’t. The key is: humour is never forced. A writer does not try to be funny… He merely writes about absurdities. Humour springs out of absurdity. Absurd situations, beliefs, customs, ideas.
Language is nothing more than the medium through which ideas are shared. But there are times when the medium is garbled and the original idea is replaced by an absurd version.
Lost in translation- some examples!
We will sell gasoline to anyone in a glass container
- Petrol station, Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Sign in hotel room in Japan
- Restaurant in Nairobi
- Sign in a lift, Liepzig, Germany
- Sign in a zoo, Budapest, Hungary
In India, we have innovated with English: Hinglish, Tamglish and so on. By playing around with diction, syntax, verb endings etc, a writer can give a new twist to voice, thus making it one of the easier ways of writing humour.
Some examples..
Beloved younger brother,
Greetings to Respectful parents. I am hoping all is well with health and wealth. I am fine at my end. Hoping your end is fine too. With God’s grace and parent’s Blessings I am arriving safely in America and finding good apartment near University. Kindly assure mother that I am strictly consuming vegetarian food only in restaurants though I am not sure cooks are Brahmans. I am also constantly remembering Dr Verma’s advice and strictly avoiding American women and other unhealthy habits. I hope Parent’s Prayers are residing with me.
Younger Brother , I am having so many things to tell you I am not knowing where to start. Most surprising thing about America is it is full of Americans. Everywhere Americans, Americans, Americans big and white it is little frightening. The flight from New Delhi to New York is arriving safely thanks to God’s Grace and Parents Prayers and mine too. I am not able to go to bathroom whole time because I am sitting in corner seat as per revered Grandmother’s wish. Father is rightly scolding that airplane is flying too high good view. Still please tell her I have done needful…
Gopal
Beloved younger brother,
Greetings to Respectful parents. I am hoping all is well with health and wealth. I am fine at my end. Hoping your end is fine too. With God’s grace and parent’s Blessings I am arriving safely in America and finding good apartment near University. Kindly assure mother that I am strictly consuming vegetarian food only in restaurants though I am not sure cooks are Brahmans. I am also constantly remembering Dr Verma’s advice and strictly avoiding American women and other unhealthy habits. I hope Parent’s Prayers are residing with me.
Younger Brother , I am having so many things to tell you I am not knowing where to start. Most surprising thing about America is it is full of Americans. Everywhere Americans, Americans, Americans big and white it is little frightening. The flight from New Delhi to New York is arriving safely thanks to God’s Grace and Parents Prayers and mine too. I am not able to go to bathroom whole time because I am sitting in corner seat as per revered Grandmother’s wish. Father is rightly scolding that airplane is flying too high good view. Still please tell her I have done needful…
Gopal
Humour is very culture-specific. It is also the most difficult to write. In Indian writing in English it is virtually unexploited. Humour comes from various sources:
- Social comedy and the absurdities of culture.
- It comes from passing fads.
- It comes from parody: poking fun at conventions.
- It comes from situations.
Voice plays a very important role in humour. It can be deadpan, tongue-in-cheek, satirical, exaggerated etc.
So go on , tame the wild horse that is 'humour' and have fun with it. :)
G'luck
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