Tuesday 6 January 2015

QI audience pleasures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMVyrajcgLM&channel=DeanWashburnGuitar

I watched a clip of a QI show where they discuss the positive psychological effects of shouting the name of the thing you're looking for in aid of finding the thing. The audience pleasures stem from the panelists misinterpreting the scientific study and placing a comedic spin on it. For example, when Fry said that saying the name of whatever you lost helps you find it, like 'toaster' or 'wallet', one panelist misinterpreted that as saying the items given name, like Mark or Peregrine. The humour isn't scripted or planned, but rather feels like table talk, or "sombremesa", where panelists share their personal experiences which bear superficial resemblance to the topic in hand. It's comparable to if you've finished a meal with a group of friends and are still at the table indulging in light conversation. At least that's the impression I get with QI.

It doesn't blend information with humour so much as it briefly mentions information for which humour can stem off of it. It doesn't spend too long focusing on the science side, since most proletariat BBC viewers lose interest in anything vaguely discerning without the addition of light humour. Although I imagine if you spend a good few weeks dedicating yourself solely to QI, I imagine you will gain a few IQ points on the way. Stephen Fry is a genial, quick-witted man and Alan Davies is his slow-witted counterpart, often recieving the butt of the intelligent jokes brought his way.

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