The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Blog

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin was a British comedy show initially aired in the mid to late 1970s. It is a lovely series with a character arc that is more thoughtful than most comedies.  And there is one really important reference to mention… Reggie,...

The billboard at the end of the Universe

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Blog

Here is a fun exercise for you… Imagine you reach the end of the Universe, or at the end of all your lives, and you see a Billboard – alit with scores. What would it be measuring, and what would your scores be? Here is an example – think of it in the...

Laughing Man’s Paradox

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Blog

Let’s start by stating the barber paradox, based on Russel’s paradox: “The barber is the “one who shaves all those, and those only, who do not shave themselves”. The question is, does the barber shave himself? Answering this question results in a...

I’m dying up here

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Blog

In the TV show “I’m dying up here”, when Eddie Murphy (played by Michael Angarano) discovers his girlfriend has cheated on him, aging comic Roy Martin (played by Brad Garrett) offers his some sage advice – take the hurt and alchemise the experience on stage (in...

Family Guy goes Meta

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Blog

There are many beautiful comedy moments in the cartoon series Family Guy, but the one below is certainly ‘meta’. Brian, the talking dog, is in the back of a truck with some Mexican fellows. He turns to the person next to him and begins a conversation in stilted...

Every joke is a tiny revolution

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Blog

“A thing is funny when—in some way that is not actually offensive or frightening—it upsets the established order. Every joke is a tiny revolution. If you had to define humour in a single phrase, you might define it as dignity sitting on a tin-tack. Whatever destroys...