Stewart Lee/Analysis
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"What makes things funny? If we knew the answer to that question there'd be no need for this whole charade, would there? If you knew what made things funny, you could stay at home - couldn't you? - making yourselves laugh instead of having to pay a professional to do it for you" —Content Provider, 2018
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Does the comedy of a comedian who revels in deconstruction warrant or benefit from it's own deconstruction? Anyone? Whilst it certainly warrants it, (academically speaking) many would argue it doesn't benefit from it (from an entertainment perspective). But, perhaps, a greater appreciation for the art of comedy as such comes from the attempt at understanding some of it's most complex examples. Should we take a comedians word for what is funny, or ought we try and figure it out for ourselves as an audience? Lee prefers neither, and in the process does his audience a favour by breaking the form and revealing to us the inner workings of comedy in order that we may gain a greater appreciation of his work, that of other comedians, and comedy itself. Must we be classically-trained musicians, for example, to enjoy listening to classical music? Does the theoretical understanding enhance the appreciation of the art itself, or does it dilute the enjoyment? These seem like pointless questions, but what is clear is that people can and do enjoy music and comedy (and other arts too) intuitively without a full understanding of the machinations of the process of creation; and that people with a classical understanding do not lose their appreciation for it or other arts: only, perhaps, do their tastes become more refined as a result of appreciating the nuances of composition. It appears that comedy is one of the only art forms that can explain itself as it goes along, whilst still performing it's central function: being funny. For revealing this - for showing there is no harm in allowing the audience to peak behind the veil, to see how the magic is made - Stewart Lee's deconstruction of his act (as well as others) serves to reconstruct comedy itself, and enhance the appreciation of comedy for his audience and beyond. More than providing mere content, and letting himself go, Lee has delivered a public/humanitarian service, of sorts.