ExtraPenguin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
extrapenguin) wrote2023-05-06 08:14 pm
extrapenguin) wrote2023-05-06 08:14 pm
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Comedy Protagonists
In my opinion, the perfect comedy protagonist is someone who's unsympathetic enough that you don't feel too bad laughing at them, but sympathetic enough that a happy/okay ending is satisfying. If you make someone too sympathetic, you won't get the "lol" reaction from the audience when shit happens to them; if you make them too unsympathetic, your audience will be left :/ by a regular comedy arc with a happy ending. (Black comedy or other more toothy subgenres can have less sympathetic protagonists. In general, the more bad stuff you expect people to laugh at, the less sympathetic/heroic your protagonist must be.)
On average, this rounds to a sympathetic villain, with bonus points if there's something larger than life about the characterization. In Star Wars land, this is Maul – he's done enough bad stuff of his own volition you don't feel too bad laughing at him, yet he's enough of a victim of circumstance that a happy ending is satisfying (unlike for, say, Palpatine). TCW-era and beyond Anakin also works.
On average, this rounds to a sympathetic villain, with bonus points if there's something larger than life about the characterization. In Star Wars land, this is Maul – he's done enough bad stuff of his own volition you don't feel too bad laughing at him, yet he's enough of a victim of circumstance that a happy ending is satisfying (unlike for, say, Palpatine). TCW-era and beyond Anakin also works.
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Ahhh, this makes so much sense!
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