Comedy Blog Ryan Collins

The beginning scene from Earnest still stands as a preeminent example of some of my favorite humor, farcical humor. The way that Algernon continually denies Jack warm hospitality, his cigarette case, and his blessing to marry are extremely comical, and paint a very vivid picture of Algernon pacing around the room, carrying the cigarette case while a desperate, pleading Jack follows at his heels. This humor is enhanced with it being a play, where the farcical scene can be acted out and seen by the audience instead of only in the imaginations of the readers. This type of humor critiques the social aspect of society, since in puts the characters in such unlikely situations, it is borderline lampoonery, making for some good laughs.

This particular scene, taking place on a blind date at a nice restaurant, is one of my all time favorite moments from one of my all time favorite shows. In a desperate attempt to impress his date, Charlie (the man sweating through his shirt) is told by his friends to reveal that he works as a philanthropist. However, Charlie is illiterate and nervous, hence the sweat, and botches the line, saying he is a full-on-rapist. This type of outlandish farce is common on the show, which I recommend to anyone who enjoys farcical humor similar to that which was on the critically acclaimed and highly venerated cult classic, Seinfeld.