Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: WILL THE REAL COMEDIAN PLEASE STAND UP? (HANSZEN)

Department: College Courses

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 1

Description: So you think you’re funny? Or at least you want to be? I mean that’s why you’re even looking at this class in the first place. But how do you know what it means to be funny? How does anyone know what it means to be funny? How does comedy play a role in understanding ourselves and connecting with each other? In this class, we will try to apply what we learn from watching famous comedians: Bo Burnham, Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Neal Brenan, Wanda Sykes, and John Mulaney and analyzing their technique (style, timing, and stage presence) and their social commentary (race, identity, politics, sexuality, morals, and anything else you don’t want to talk about with your relatives) in creating our own standup sets and comedic styles. In creating their own sets and styles, students will learn more about their own style of comedy and learn how to best use that to form a relationship with any potential audiences. Through constant practice and several “Eye of the Tiger” training montages, we will develop and fine tune our sets to eventually host a comedy special, showcasing everything we have learned throughout the semester.