Literature Glossary
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Black Comedy
Definition:
Black comedy is a subgenre of comedy that's all about making light of terrible situations. We're talking about really terrible situations here, like death, disease, racism, and violence. Predictably, it tends to make people uncomfortable. But when done well—and carefully—it can also be really funny.
Take this satirical video from The Onion: "Scientists Successfully Teach Gorilla That It Will Die Someday." What makes it an example of black comedy? In short, it takes a negative concept—death—and plays with it in an unexpected way.
We've all seen movies, articles, or YouTube videos of adorable apes and primates learning sign language and learning about life. But teaching them about death, too? Being honest about that whole circle of life thing? That's dark. Portraying it like it's just another part of the noble zookeeper's job duties? That's funny.
...Right?