Juxtaposition Gag: Difference between revisions

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The Random House Dictionary defines juxtaposition "as an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast."

Many comedy writers, however, define juxtaposition as "two completely unrelated things being put together, just to see what could happen." A Juxtaposition Gag is when a character or object is placed in a normally unrelated situation or genre for the sake of a joke.

Common features of a Juxtaposition Gag are extremely obvious anachronisms (Abraham Lincoln, ASTRONAUT) or flat-out contradictory concepts (The Grim Reaper, M.D.), but any two things that are sufficiently distinct from each other can suffice.

Examples of Juxtaposition Gag include:

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Argument Clinic
Bruce Sketch / Philosopher's Song
Ministry of Silly Walks
Really Camp Army Parade
Self Defense Against Fresh Fruit

The State

Taco Mail
Slash Infestation, in which a home is plagued by the guitarist Slash. Another home at the end of the sketch is infested with Fleas.

That Mitchell and Webb Look

A post-apocalyptic quiz show
Sir Digby Chicken Caesar: A tramp who thinks he is some sort of Sherlock Holmes figure out to save the world.

The Tonight Show

Some jokes on the Jay Leno "Headlines" special come from this sort of thing. Sometimes, two ads with incompatible content are placed by each other, or two ads with pictures are placed together and create improbable anatomy. Other times, the headline of one article is next to a picture from a different news story altogether, with unfortunate implications.

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 The Random House Dictionary defines juxtaposition "[[Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness|as an act or instance of placing close together or side by side]], [[Signature Style|esp. for comparison or contrast]]."
-Many comedy writers, however, define juxtaposition as "two completely unrelated things being put together, [[For Science!|just to see what could happen]]." A [[Juxtaposition Gag]] is when a character or object is placed in a normally unrelated situation or genre for the sake of a joke.
+Many comedy writers, however, define juxtaposition as "two completely unrelated things being put together, [[For Science!|just to see what could happen]]." A '''Juxtaposition Gag''' is when a character or object is placed in a normally unrelated situation or genre for the sake of a joke.
-Common features of a [[Juxtaposition Gag]] are extremely obvious anachronisms (Abraham Lincoln, [[Recycled in Space|ASTRONAUT]]) or flat-out contradictory concepts ([[The Grim Reaper]], M.D.), but any two things that are sufficiently distinct from each other can suffice.
+Common features of a '''Juxtaposition Gag''' are extremely obvious anachronisms (Abraham Lincoln, [[Recycled in Space|ASTRONAUT]]) or flat-out contradictory concepts ([[The Grim Reaper]], M.D.), but any two things that are sufficiently distinct from each other can suffice.
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