Job Discussion Forums

[latefordinner]

prof, Malsol, I respectfully submit that in my experience, the range of humour enjoyed by Chinese college students is no less broad than that of students anywhere else. From Buster Keaton to Jim Carey, from Monty Python to Woody Allen to the 3 Stooges, some get it and some don't. I've seen Friends dramatised in class with not a word out of place, and yet with the jokes all wrong. I've also been at the receiving end of jokes that had me lauging at myself all the way home. This is a college, these are (for most part) bright young people, what do I expect? A little bit of everything, including the unexpected (but not the Spanish Inquisition!). But then again, I've never thought of teaching a series of lessons based on humour as a central theme. My own use has always been of the eclectic, "whatever fits the lesson at hand" type. FWIW, I've used the following:
Monty Python: Mostly TV skits, as the scripts as easily available online, and they break down into easily teachable segments. But Life of Brian is great,if you can get a DVD.
Charlie Chaplin: If you can get a copy of Modern Times, it is well worth showing
Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, John Candy: The Blues Brothers OK, this is my own cultural millieu, but these guys came out of the Second City Theatre/Saturday Night Live/Second Cty TV group. SCTV, if you can find it, is also worth a try. It never gained the respect it deserved, but SCTV set a standard for TV wit and dark humour a decade before The Simpsons
Peter Sellers: I don't know which to choose. The Party, any of the Pink Panther movies, or Being There Whether as a frontliner or as a supporting charcter, this man is timeless

[milo baggins]

And let us not forget....Black Comedy

Definitely a category of it's own, and worth looking at.

Being There - a wonderful movie, as is Dr. Strangelove. These two show Peter Sellers incredible range as an actor.

Harold and Maude - I must have seen this one at least seven or eight times! Not a dull scene in it.

a favorite scene (dialogue approximate):

Psychiatrist: Now tell me, Harold, how many of these....suicides....have you performed?
Harold: (pause) 12?
Psychiatrist: I see. And were these all for your mother's benefit?
Harold: Oh no. I would not say....benefit.

[Malsol]

[adamsmith]

try "legally blonde" - much of the humour is visible and you can cover the stereotyping that is presented in the movie - many of the chinese females should be able to talk a lot about the movie while the guys will also have something to say.

[jammish]

I watched a comedy recently whose themes would appeal to the Chinese. It was called Accepted and was about a guy who had been rejected from every University he had applied to, and who then set up a 'fake' University to fool his parents. Such themes (i.e. fakes) are very close to the hearts of the Chinese and I think they would find it very funny.

[Mallaien]

From my conversations with many different Chinese people, of all walks of life, I was told that they understand slapstick humor the best.
An example is a Chinese film called �Kung Fu Hustle.� It is quite funny, and full of slapstick.

[Hendahu]

Jim Carey is good because of all the physical comedy involved. The Mask or dumb and dumber...My students really enjoyed the Adam Sandler movie Click. We had done an exercise on what would you do if you had access to a time machine, and this movie played into that theme. I did use the chinese sub titles to assist with understanding, but it did not effect their ability to discuss this topic at lenght.

[latefordinner]

Malsol, I didn't think you were. This idea came from whom, do you know? Is this one of those "It comes from an approved source and it must be done, don't ask questions" things? <shudder> If so, you have my sympathy. It's unfortunate, because an experienced teacher do just about anything with a class and still get the syllabus taught, as long as those who don't know the classroom don't get in the way. Somehow when certain people with bright ideas get a chest full of wind, candles get blown out. But hey, it's your classroom, take what you can from the new program and see how far you can run with it. When it runs dry (as all new ideas do), you'll already have something else ready to take its place. Hey, by the end of next semester there will be a new edutainment concept-du-jour, mais non?

Jammish, that sounds like my kind of story line. Any chance I can borrow it from you for a bit over the holidays?

[diana83709]

"Animal House" and "Accepted" are college humor. "Wedding Crashers", "The Hot Chick", "Mean Girls"and "Kangaroo Jack" are funny as well. There are just so many good comedies out there......

I also have found that many students look at the characters of "Friends"as role models (stated by another poster). Incredibly, I have one student who has the whole Joey "How you doing" down pretty good. A good intonation lesson.... "Friends" and grammar - imagine that!

[Malsol]

[andrew_gz]

Sounds like a job for















ChinaMovieMagic

[latefordinner]

Malsol, I definitely want to sit in on a few of your classes. This is going to fly!

[InTime]

Check out

http://wikigogy.org/Groundhog_day_-_a_movie_lesson