Hear Me Out: A comedy masterpiece does not need to age well
There is a modern obsession with comedy ageing well. It seems to tie into our growing rampant desire to always be ‘right’. But the trend is sadly gunning to cast classics to the ash heap over some supposed crime against timelessness as though that is the arbiter of what makes something funny in the first place. It isn’t. And the prevalence of this new trend seems a little peculiar.
In many ways, comedy is the last genre that you should be thinking about ‘how well it ages’ with. The very purpose of this area of entertainment is to offer 90 minutes of levity and escapism, to brighten your day and be on its way. In a world that seems increasingly serious, it seems counterproductive to want to hold comedy accountable to the test of time. Moreover, there is an argument that this has made the movie world simply less funny.
Of course, it almost goes without saying that we’re not talking about comedies that age badly for all the wrong reasons – of which there are plenty – but when it purely comes down to how sharp the humour remains, then why does it matter all that much? Humour changes, it is part of societal evolution, but a harmless laugh that no longer translates as sharply shouldn’t go back in time and retrospectively dull the initial response. In my eyes, that is like judging a delicious meal that you’ve thoroughly enjoyed on how well you think it would reheat in the microwave.
This trend also doesn’t really give credence to the mechanisms of our changing tastes. In many cases, it is because something was so funny that it no longer stands up. When jokes become formulaic you get tired of the same set-up and response. So, if a film is continually ripped off, then it is almost as though the original joke has been hoisted by its own petard.
There are movies out there that shaped us; lord knows how they hold up, but their accessibility made us laugh and perhaps ushered us towards more ‘timeless’ and original genre pieces; this ‘shaping’ side of comedy is a vital gateway, and it seems unfair to demand more.
Granted, the finest masterpieces of any genre will impart something after the fact, a lingering depth to mull over that continues to embellish your initial response. However, this doesn’t always have to be the case, particularly with comedy. It is a genre that takes us out of ourselves, and if a movie does that in jovial fashion, then more power to it. It has served its purpose, and continually pushing for more after the fact might just lead us to overthink that mindless thrills of great jests.
A laugh is a gift whose receipt we would do well to lose.
