- Product: My project will be in the form of a video. Since the artists that I am focusing on use comedy sketches and comic panels, I wanted to be able to show the work that I was analyzing. A video essay will allow me to dynamically explain the art that I am using in real-time and also let the artists’ work speak for themselves as well. I plan on using voiceovers and potentially a green screen so that I can put myself in the video and show my reactions to the comedy. These shows were important to me growing up and I wanted to personally include a piece of myself in the video to depict the effect that the jokes have on me to this day. I also plan on including excerpts of my other Black friends’ reactions and commentary to the clips of the shows to see the effect that the creators have on other people besides myself. While we watch shows like The Boondocks and Chappelle’s Show we tend to talk about the point that these sketches make and how relevant they are to our society to this day. Laughter builds community and the writers of these jokes do so in mind to build connections through joy.
- Changes: I decided to include clips of my friends and I watching certain shows or reading certain comic panels from The Boondocks to add another set of voices in my video. I wish to show that while comedians are sociologists their jokes not only reveal the idiosyncrasies and problems within our society but also allow us to come together and discuss them in a relaxed and joyful manner by disarming us and our preconceived notions with laughter. I am also deciding to use a green screen and put myself in the video reacting to certain clips, comic panels, and texts to add a different level of pizazz because some of the best video essayists I have watched on youtube do the same thing.
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Research Portfolio