Funny to a Point: How Comedy Inspires Activism

Watching good comedy takes the load off. Since viewers love to laugh, filmmakers are using comedic art to also convey heavy topics to audiences. By developing anticipation, building relatability, and delivering meaning, comedy inspires activism.

Filmmakers use comedic relief to bring attention to important societal issues

Comedy Develops Anticipation

Comedies use their entertainment to make sure their audience is listening. Since a major component of comedy is the timing, viewers know to anticipate—and they don’t want to miss anything, so they pay close attention. Filmmakers know this and capitalize by packing funny films with intentional messages or themes. This way, their activism is seen and picked up on, and therefore, is already more likely to be internalized or further discussed. In this way, using comedy in films can be advantageous for producers wanting to make a bigger statement.

Comedy Builds Relatability  

Comedy as a craft relies on a certain level of relatability. Activist movies are a classic example of “it’s funny because it’s true.” Once a concept is relatable to someone, and made funny, they are more apt to think further on it. This investigation might ruin the joke, but it fosters deeper thinking and personalization. Viewers begin to wonder why they laughed, what made the joke so funny, and how often they do relate to what the character on screen said. This builds a relationship between the concept and the viewer, giving filmmakers’ messages room to expand past the duration of their craft. And, since humor is something society bonds over and wants for regularly, incorporating humor helps messages be remembered. Raising awareness through relatability, comedies hit people where it matters.

Comedy Delivers Meaning

Comedies use humor to get their point across, making it an ideal component to soften larger statements and keep heavy messages light, digestible, and entertaining. Sometimes, comedies use metaphors to convey their meanings. In all stories, metaphors serve as a means towards understanding. Comedies that follow a metaphor, then, have ample opportunity to generate understanding with their audience. The 90- to 160-minute window most movies follow is plenty of time to develop, nurse, and expose a thematic metaphor. Additionally, comedies are built to have opportunities for making jabs and side remarks that don’t distract from the plot. This means that filmmakers don’t have to work hard through symbolism to get their meaning across if they don’t choose to. Blunt one-liners have the same influence if timed correctly and delivered right. Comedies with flexible approaches can be meaningful alongside being funny, driving their message home. 

Activism is possible across a multitude of mediums, including comedies

Comedies Inspire Activism

While it may seem unconventional, comedic films pack meaning into their scripts, using attentive audiences to establish relation and deliver messages. Viewers are encouraged to consider humor and feel empowered by it, internalizing greater meaning behind the artform to build momentum for social causes. Not all social justice films have to be packed with information—even comedies inspire activism.