Is Comedy an Art Form?

[crispy fries 432]

When you think of the arts, stuff like drawing, acting, singing, writing, etc. spring to mind, but what about comedy? I've mentioned it before, but I've got a bit of a background in comedy, and I would definitely argue that it's an art form. What do you guys think? Does comedy have real artistic merit?

[Lisa 5,553]

I'd say it is. Comedy has the power to change peoples' opinions on pretty much anything, most specifically issues and conflicts currently happening in the world, or just local stuff, while being created in a creative way. Art's primary objective is to convey a message, present an idea or express one's emotions/thoughts through symbolism in an artwork. Comedians frequently incorporate different issues and topics into their acts in different ways, potentially teaching the audience an idea or viewpoint after they've finished laughing. But it can also stipulate ideas for other miscellaneous subjects; it doesn't have to be issues. 

Edited June 1, 2016 by Holiday

[SuperBrony87 506]

Absolutelyit is. Everything that someone creates or does, from music to cooking to video game programming, to everyday procedures have their own art forms. Comedy is no different. It's always changing, adapting and improved upon. Anything worth doing is an art form. That requires the careful attention and dedication of an artist to accomplish...

Take Rarity for example. She loves fashion and she infuses her own passion and designs into her clothes. In her case it's gems and precious stones. All taken in by her careful attention to detail had been trained and honed for years to get to the level she is today. Also, every one of Rarity's works are like their works of art. Rarity uses her artistic hooves and inspiration, which is associated with art, to create wonderful, beautiful and unique dresses and designs for her friends and customers that makes Rarity always such a joy to watch. The boutique like an art gallery showcasing her best stuff. Now she's seen her dreams fulfilled by having not just her Ponyville boutique, not only does she establish a boutique in Canterlot but now she has a place in Manehattan.

 

Truly Rarity is on a roll. I know Lauren Faust always intended for the ponies to acquire their dreams. We've seen Rainbow Dash fully become a Wonderbolt and now Rarity has a chain of fashion boutiques. That was the two most talked about dreams that Faust mentions...

 

 

And now for a completely random thought....

 

Lauren Faust is married to Craig McKracken, we know this... So why doesn't she go by his name? Marriage usually involves the binging of last names? Is it a professional thing? Or is it like most celebrity couples in which they may be married, but the wife doesn't take the husband's name. Or they do that thing where they use the man's name but hyphenated with her name. Whatever, that's not important right now... It's just a silly random thought.

[Zyrael 1,471]

I'd say no. Not everything needs to be put under the banner of art. Comedy is a separate entity, I'd say.... when you watch a funny sitcom or a stand-up show, "art" isn't really playing into that. Comedy can be used in art, but is not art itself.

[powerpuff-tsubasa 448]

comedy is supposed to be a form of art. where actors act hilarious to audiences in sitcoms or voice actors giving the comic relief characters a light of humor

[Yellow Diamond 7,565]

By both a classical and modern definition, yes. A comedy, traditionally speaking, involves a narrative with a positive outcome for the protagonists. (The classic opposite is a tragedy.) Nowadays comedy tends to have a broader application, or at least one which indicates how funny something is. However way you slice it, a good comedy requires a knowledge of certain narrative and social tropes to be effective. Being humorous is deceptively difficult; the best comedians make it look easy enough to get people laughing, but they often have a natural gift combined with years of experience honing their craft. That tends to be true of all artists in all fields.

[Dreambiscuit 9,433]

Comedy is an art in as far as it takes creative thought to accomplish something humorous.    Anything requiring creativity is art. The fact that it's often used in a context of a show (comedy club, stage play, TV or movies) only strengthens that fact. Words and body language, which are integral to delivering good comedy, are all performing arts. Hence, comedy is art.    

[cmarston1 5,959]

It depends on what someone's interpretation of art consists of and how they define comedy.

Edited June 3, 2016 by cmarston1

[Gestum 2,493]

No. Drawing, writing, acting and painting are artforms. Comedy is a genre.

[ConcorDisparate 385]

Well, I think people often try to categorize things too much. Let's try to find a broad yet efficient definition : If you put enough creativity, imagination, will,.. In something, you are working. If your work affects someone or even yourself through thoughts or feelings, we can consider it's art. Of course, we could find something more precise, but it holds the main idea : Anything can be art, but everything isn't art. What matters is how we interact with it. You can't really say "this is art" as long as it concerns a wide range of things, since we may interact differently, or not at all, with the things it covers.

 

Also, as a last note, merit doesn't come from being an artform only. A man's work deserves as much merit as a piece of art. Don't worry if you feel like your work isn't considered as an artform .

[EpicEnergy 23,121]

I like to call it the art of humor!

[Dreambiscuit 9,433]

Yes, I would consider it an art form. If writing is art then so is comedy because it also involves writing, but also involves performing; body language and intuitive timing. It takes creativity to use words to make people laugh, just as much as making people cry, scream or any other emotional response. Art uses words, materials and sounds to inspire or provoke a response in an audience, so I don’t see why comedy would be excluded from the many art forms that do the same thing by a variety of means.