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A Sense of Humour
Submission Template for
Short Paper #2
V
ALUE
This assignment is worth 15 marks.
A
CTIVITY
1.
Select and locate
ONE
of the following using your favourite search engine
or service:
an episode of
Schitt’s Creek
(CBC.ca)
an episode of
Letterkenny
, the TV series
(Crave TV, The Comedy
Network)
an episode of
Trailer Park Boys
(Netflix)
an episode of
Kim’s Convenience
(CBC.ca)
one of the following songs by The Arrogant Worms: “Proud to be
Canadian” or “When Canada Rules the World” or “The Last
Saskatchewan Pirate” or “Canada’s Really Big”
2.
Then, write a paper
on the FULL episode or song you have selected
using both the Orientation Unit, Unit 1 and Unit 2 materials and covering
the content requirements below. Please number your answers and use a
separate paragraph for each one. When providing examples, please
describe them rather than simply point to a time marker in a recording
[e.g. “See 03:14”].
(
NOTE:
If you are using this Submission Template, then you are meeting the
formatting requirements for the submission.)
C
ONTENT
R
EQUIREMENTS
Answer the questions on the following pages in order (aim for a
minimum of 600 words in total).
Remember to answer all of the questions. Don’t worry about the
formatting. You are being marked on your answers to the assignment
questions only.
Submission Template
Short Paper #2
A Sense of Humour
Name:
I.
What are the season/episode numbers of your chosen show OR what is
the name of your song?
Canada's Really Big; Song by The Arrogant Worms
II.
How do
two
of Martin’s five theories of humour apply to your specific
episode or song? Provide a defense for and a specific illustrative example
for each of your chosen theories, based on relevant course content and
the selection. Please frame your answer in terms of audience (i.e., Based
on your chosen theories, why might the audience find the selection
funny?)
Superiority Theory of Humor
The Superiority Theory of humor apply to the song “Canada’s Really Big”.
The song emphasizes and praises how Canada is big in size and that the
positive things about other countries do not matter more than size. For
example, the song mocks the USA where it disparages USA’s military
might and the possession of tanks. The song mocks Switzerland’s banks
and completely ignores it use arguing that all that matter is size. In
essence, the song wants the viewer/listener to be convinced that all that
matter is size. The song disparages Russia’s future saying that if it
continues to shrink, Canada will become the largest country on earth even
bigger than Australia that is classified as a continent.
Spontaneous Conversational humor
The Spontaneous Conversational humor uses overstatement and
understatement, self-deprecation, teasing, etc. to create humor. The song
“Canada’s Really Big” relies primarily on overstatement and
understatement to create humor. The song overstates the size of Canada
by saying that Canada is so big that the citizens never visit one another.
At the same time, the song understates the size of France saying that
though people say it is large, one can put fourteen Frances into Canada.
The song also uses self-deprecation to create humor where it says that
the economy is bad and the country barely has an army but it still proudly
stands.
Submission Template
Short Paper #2
A Sense of Humour
III.
How is humour created in your chosen episode or song? Specifically: (a)
What
broad categories of humour
are used? (b) What
nonverbal or
visual ways of creating
humour are used? Using the Unit 1 course
materials, explain and justify your choices for parts (a) and (b), supporting
each with specific illustrative examples from your selection.
Spontaneous conversational humor: The song teases several countries
across the world that are better than Canada in other things. For example,
the song teases the USA; Canada does not have as much tanks and army
but is remains standing. The song also understates the significance of
Russia as a competitor to Canada because it (Russia) is shrinking.
One visual way the song has employed to create humor is helping the
listener visualize how fourteen France’s can fit into Canada due to the
extremely large size of Canada.
IV.
What are
two tools
used to create humour in this selection? For ideas,
refer to terms from the Unit 1 Discussion. Defend your application of
each
term with a clear explanation and specific illustrative example from the
episode. Do not duplicate terms and examples used for previous
questions.
Satire
The authors of the song disapprove the might of other countries through
they have a stronger standing than Canada in many areas. For example,
Canada has a poorer economy than most of the European and the USA
economy. However, the song places high premium on land size rather
than a combination of features. The song thanks Switzerland for the banks
but emphasizes the view that they are not that important.
Exaggeration
The song exaggerates the size of Canada and the amount of work it’ll take
one to fit France into Canada. According to the song, no one is able to do
the necessary work to fit other countries into Canada because of Canada’
s size.
Submission Template
Short Paper #2
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A Sense of Humour
V.
Which topics or themes of Canadian humour are seen in this selection?
Use the Unit 2 course materials and additional Unit 2 readings. Comment
on
two
aspects, defending your application of
each
topic or theme with a
reason and specific illustrative example from your selection.
Parody is the major theme used in the song “Canada’s Really Big”. The
song takes what is obvious to Canadian’s and compares it with the rest of
the world. The song makes fun of the fact that Canada’s main feature-size
is the most important thing and that other features such as wealth,
economy, armies etc. do not matter. The song puts even the biggest
country, Russia under ridicule that it is shrinking and that Canada will
soon replace it as the biggest country in the world. The song’s
overstatement of Canada and the corresponding understatement of other
countries makes the humor even more effective. It is funny how the song
gives a blind eye to features other than size.
Notes or comments about the assignment:
It is funny how the song picks a single issue-size and makes fun of it
through exaggeration. The song “Canada’s Really Big” is basically a
statement of fact-Canada is big. It is hilarious how humor is made out of a
clear fact.
Submission Template
Short Paper #2