The 8 Characters of Comedy

The 8 Characters of Comedy Archetypes: A model or original form of something upon which all things of the same kind are based The Eight Characters of Comedy: 1. The Logical Smart One 2. The Lovable Loser 3. The Neurotic 4. The Dumb One 5. The Bitch/Bastard 6. The Womanizer/Slut 7. The Materialistic One 8. In Their Own Universe The Logical Smart One: Stand-in for the audience Point of reference for the comedy in the show Voice of reason The ‘straight man’ required for comedic conflict Ironically, the straight man is usually a woman o Think of the wives in family sitcoms  They have common sense and raise not only their children, but their husbands as well through patience, tolerance, and sarcastic wit o Where have we seen this role?  Alice Kramden from The Honeymooners  She is smart, rational, and understanding…all necessary to keep her husband and his endless get-rich-quick schemes grounded in reality Articulate, balanced, brutally honest, calm, caring, compassionate, grounded, intelligent, patient, quick-witted, rational, reasonable, sarcastic, sensible, tolerant, understanding, well-educated, responsible Intentions: To reason, pacify, educate, compromise, nurture, enlighten, comfort, reassure, and slap back into reality Examples: Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show), Ricky Ricardo (I Love Lucy), Malcom (Malcom in the Middle), Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond), Michael Bluth (Arrested Development), Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld), Dorothy Zbornak (Golden Girls) The Lovable Loser: The reason we watch and follow shows week after week Puts the ‘com’ into ‘sitcom’ Messes everything up through desperate attempts to get what he/she wants o Other characters have wants, but the want is the lovable loser’s defining trait because it is all this character dreams and thinks about Never learns from mistakes o Goes about getting things the wrong way, therefore eternally struggling Driven by desire o Find the perfect girl/guy, be the perfect parent, build the perfect object to gain respect Dealing with the loser’s success: o Take away the prize, create a new want (girlfriend  wife  house  baby), end the show Charming, childlike, desperate, determined, hopeful, impulsive, kind, endearing, narrow-minded, needy, optimistic, pathetic, self-deprecating, sweet, vulnerable, wanting Intentions: To dream, charm, persuade, endear, pursue, influence, con, achieve great success Examples: Robert Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond), Al Bundy (Married…With Children), John Dorian (Scrubs), Eric Forman (That 70s Show), Doug Heffernan (The King of Queens), Jack Tripper (Three’s Company), Kevin Arnold (The Wonder Years) The Neurotic: Overly theatrical by acting abnormal under normal circumstances Tells you what he’s thinking as he’s thinking it Expects things to turn out a certain way and gets upset when they don’t One of the funniest, deepest, and most complex sitcom archetypes We love watching how they react when things don’t go their way and we love seeing them confronted by other characters Starts out as a nerd in childhood Has more relationships than the lovable loser, but these relationships are short-lived because of the character’s neurotic behavior becoming too unbearable Evolution: o The best early example is Felix Unger on The Odd Couple o For the most part, early sitcoms were not built around this character o Secondary character who could instantly make audiences laughs by showing up and displaying his/her neurosis o Upgraded to main character status in the 90s on shows like Frasier, Friends, and Monk Anal retentive, analytical, awkward, anxious, controlling, fearful, fussy, high-strung, hypochondriac, intellectual, meticulous, neat, nerdy, OCD, over-analytical, over-achieving, perfectionist, sarcastic Intentions: To convince, perfect, nit-pick, enlighten, control, organize, clarify, analyze, rationalize Examples: Alex Keaton (Family Ties), Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons), Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City), Frasier Crane (Cheers, Frasier), Monica Gellar (Friends), Alan Harper (Two and a Half Men), Lynette Scavo (Desperate Housewives), Les Nessman (WKRP in Cincinnati) The Dumb One: Been around forever, mostly as the main character’s best friend or sidekick Comic relief in the sitcom because they can make people laugh just by being in a scene Instant humor through stupidity Supporting characters who don’t have or need as much dialogue because they aren’t there to progress the plot Childlike and naïve Oblivious to life and what is happening around them Evolution: o 1960s – simple ‘townsfolk’ from rural areas  Gomer and Goober Pyle on the Andy Griffith Show  Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies o 1970s – attractive person  Chrissy on Three’s Company (dumb blonde stereotypes)  Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter o 1980s – older person  Rose on Golden Girls  Coach on Cheers o 1990s – Jock  Joey on Blosson  Joey on Friends  Kelso on That ‘70s Show o Today – a mix of all styles with the intro of the stoner  Jake on Two and a Half Men Childlike, content, direct, endearing, enthusiastic, friendly, genuine, gullible, happy, honest, imaginative, innocent, positive, sweet, unselfish, warm Intentions: To please, excite, make proud, play, be honest, create harmony, encourage, support, comfort Examples: Woody Boyd (Cheers), Ed Norton (The Honeymooners), Homer Simpson (The Simpsons), Charlotte York (Sex and the City), Luke Dunphy (Modern Family) The Bitch/Bastard: Brings edginess to the show Stand in for viewers at our meanest and cleverest by saying what we wish we could stay in certain situations Don’t put up with annoying behavior and calls people out for their faults without mercy Shock value of how harsh they can be, adds to our pleasure while watching the show Usually older characters who feel cheated by life Brutally honest like the dumb one, but knows in advance how hurtful their words will be and just doesn’t care Overall insecurity stemming from their past gives the characters an extra dimension and allows us to forgive their actions Evolution: o While this character has always been around, it really became prominent in the 80s and 90s o Early examples the classic evil mother-in-law, best exemplified by Endora on Bewitched o Social and economic oppression in the 70s and 80s led to the most common mean character: the ‘help’  Housekeepers, maids, butlers, and servants who feel intellectually superior to the people they work for and do nothing to hide their bitterness and contempt o This subordinate role has crossed over into the workplace with overqualified secretaries and assistants as the professional world becomes more and more competitive Bitter, condescending, cynical, insecure, intolerant, high and mighty, manipulative, mean-spirited, outspoken, pessimistic, quick-witted, sarcastic, self-centered, tough exterior, street-smart, wise Intentions: To ridicule, condescend, manipulate, crush, ground people in reality, mock, dismiss, patronize Examples: Berta (Two and a Half Men), Sue Sylvester (Glee) The Womanizer/Slut: A constant flirt with a one-track mind for sex This character varies in age, appearance, and approach, but the endless quest for sex is always funny Often get some of the best jokes in the show and the best storylines as well The ‘idol’ of the show for other characters and the audience at home We live vicariously through them because of their confidence…they don’t fear rejection or humiliation because they assume that they are the objects of affection for others Evolution: o Started off more innocent because of censorship issues for sexual dialogue or content in programming o Women were easy, but often because they were dumb and manipulated into having sex o Men were the cool ones who succeeded through cavalier attitudes and charm bordering on arrogance o A lot racier now thanks to cable (specifically Samantha on Sex and the City) o Women are much more the aggressors now with sexuality and men are subservient to their whims Aggressive, arrogant, assertive, bold, charming, conceited, confident, narcissistic, insecure, seductive, sexual, shallow, smooth, suave, superficial, well put together Intentions: To seduce, flatter, flirt, make love, captivate, lure, boost the confidence of lovable lost and/or neurotic characters Examples: Edie Brit, Samantha (Sex and the City), Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men) The Materialistic One: Extremely pampered individuals who are waited on and doesn’t have a care in the world Only concern is to keep up with the latest trends in fashion and technology These characters don’t have a solid grasp of values, responsibility, and other basic elements of human nature Money usually isn’t a problem, but when they run out of money and have to work for a living, hilarity ensues (think Rachel working at Central Perk) Generally shallow, but likeable when we see them struggle Evolution: o The least present role in early sitcoms because those shows were about wholesome family values such as consideration for others  Teen daughter or main character’s friend or sister whose primary interests are shopping and primping o In the 60s, humor resulted from rich people trying to continue their luxurious lifestyle in a harsh environment o Today it’s still mostly a supporting character, but the role and storylines have grown significantly…especially since the economic collapse at the end of the 2000s Above it all, full of themselves, imperialistic, in vogue, judgmental, oblivious to the less fortunate, pampered, popular, self-serving, sense of entitlement, shallow, snobby, spoiled, statusoriented, brand-obsessed, superficial, vain Intentions: To impress, get attention, buy, judge, flaunt, indulge, consume, get knocked down as a reminder that vanity is not a respected personality trait Examples: Marcia Brady, Gabrielle Solis, Rachel Green In Their Own Universe: Some of the weirdest, edgiest, funniest characters of all time because they are allowed to do and say whatever they please So eccentric that we are amused by their complete and utter lack of rationality Unedited stream of consciousness – they speak their thoughts as they think them without a filter Free-wheeling and unpredictable…and unpredictability is a staple of the best comedy Often the breakout characters on a show who become more popular than the leads Commonly depicted as foreigners who clash with our understanding of normal society Direct, eccentric, excited, fascinating, has good intentions, illogical logic, march to the beat of their own drum, non-judgmental, odd, obsessed, opinionated, optimistic, positive, shameless, skewed train of thought, unpredictable, filled with wonder Intentions: To find love, change the world, ground everyone else in reality, have things explained that they (and the audience by extension) may have trouble understanding, break the rules, succeed in spite of themselves Examples: Phoebe Buffay, Karen (Will & Grace), Brittany (Glee)