Do you think dumb is funny? Dumb lines, dumb characters, dumb plots?

I think “My Name is Earl” tries too hard. And it’s kind of preachy.

“King of the Hill” also tries too hard and is preachy, and dull to boot. It’s a real comedown after “Beavis & Butthead”, IMO. Just to cover the rest of Mike Judge’s oeuvre, I didn’t think much of “Idiocracy,” either, but I like “Office Space.”

Foxworthy is a very sharp comedian, and can be quite funny. I’m another who doesn’t think he fits in this list.

I haven’t seen “Cable Guy.”

“Jackass” just makes me cringe.

On the other hand, I like “Dumb and Dumber.” I also like the old “Carry On” movies; I think “Carry On Cleo” is the second funniest movie ever made (“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” being the first).

I’m trying to get a common thread here. Overall, I think that I like things that say, “The world is a dumb place, and we’re just bumbling around in the dumbness.” But I generally don’t like things that just say, “This guy’s dumb, hahaha.” The obvious problem is that “Dumb and Dumber” doesn’t really fit this criterion, but I’ll just say that’s the exception that proves the rule (whatever that means), and call it a day.

I’m wondering what episodes of King of the Hill some of you people have seen. To me, it’s far closer to Daria than it is to Beavis and Butthead.

I would put it smack dab in the middle, but it just doesn’t work for me. Maybe I relate better to the suburban situation of Daria then the southern situation of King of the Hill or maybe it is because the main character King of the Hill is annoying and stupid to me but Daria is smart and witty and seems like some of my friends from my High School days (daze). You could read all this as I like Geek more than semi-Redneck. I realized as writing that this might be the real answer.

Daria strongly reminded me of my friend Angela.

I did not know he did Office Space. I really like that movie. I never saw "Idiocracy”.

Jim

It’s because that’s not the case at all. The character Daria did debut on “Beavis & Butthead”, but she wasn’t a Mike Judge creation. She was created by two B&B staffers. That’s why she was able to be so cleanly spun off into a completely different new show that ended up having nothing to do whatsoever with B&B.

Of course, the OP didn’t say the shows themselves were necessarily dumb. I agree that there’s a difference between smart shows that use dumb characters, lines, or situations, and shows that are just dumb. The former take brains to produce and to appreciate; the latter don’t. (There’s hardly anyone smarter than the Monty Python team, and hardly anyone dumber than some of their characters, like the “Gumbies.”)

Dumb has long been a staple of comedy, from the ever-popular “dumb guy” jokes (they were Polish jokes when I was a kid), to the fact that virtually every sit-com has a character who can be counted on to say or do things that are not that bright.

Someone who’s studied humor could probably explain why it is that stupidity is such a key element in humor. Maybe it has to do with allowing us to feel superior. Maybe it has to do with the surprise or shift in perspective that comes from someone who looks at the world differently (i.e. from the stupid point of view), and who makes us see things in a way we hadn’t thought of before. Maybe it’s the sheer, childish silliness that’s possible from someone who doesn’t use their brain all that much.

So yes, I think dumb can be very funny. Though, like anything else, whether any particular example of it is or not is going to depend on how well it’s done and whether it hits my funny bone at just the right angle. Beavis & Butt-head, at their best, are hilarious, precisely because they’re so hopelessly stupid. Tardy the Turtle from Greg the Bunny cracks me up. The Bill & Ted movies are smart movies that can fairly be said to revel in dumbitude, and they are very funny.

Doesn’t anyone find the boss in The Office (both versions) to be incredibly dumb?

Ricky Gervais completely nailed “dumb” with David Brent. Although he’s dumb with a conscience (sometimes) and a job. Steve Carell did a great job pulling that in to an American dumb. I would think Gareth/Dwight is also dumb but in a different sort of way - perhaps just a foil to show that the boss is the boss because there are people MORE dumb than him.

I really like dumb, BTW. Beavis & Butthead is one of my all-time favorite shows, as is the British show Bottom which I like to describe to people as a live-action, British Beavis & Butthead.

Thanks that explains a lot. I only knew that all 3 shows were related.

Jim

Yes, that was a show everyone told me was funny and I found it painful to watch. I knew those kinds of bosses and co-workers and they just made for looong work weeks.