FRIDAY 1ST MARCH | ISSUE 141
Culture Laugh out Loud! I’ d like to start with a joke. I can’t remember where I heard it, but it’s amazing. So here goes ..
Two muffins are in an oven. One turns to the other and says “man it’s hot in here.” The other one looks back and says ... “Ahhh...a talking muffin!” Laughter is the best medicine. Throughout the realm of culture there have always been those wanting to make us laugh. Be it in response to critics, painting them as monkeys or even as elephants in a couple or even to get us to look at a dire political situation differently. This is where satire steps in. Everyone who reads a paper or even the internet with all its wonderful memes, will find an image which hits upon a certain issue, as well as the funny bone. Take for example the Illustrator and satirist Chris Riddel, whom draws for the Guardian, among other publications, his work displays in a sort of hyperbolic insane way contemporary government systems. He is a spectacular artist I do recommended checking him out. Satire is the wonderful weapon which keeps those in charge in check, and the best part about it is no one gets hurt. The way to survive in the art world, well in real life as well is to not take yourself too seriously. Charlie Chaplin once said “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy is in longshot.” Comedy can distract us from the woes of this mortal toil, yet it does this by pointing out the silliness of it all. It’s why in film comedy has so much of a stake, because people will always go and see a film which makes them laugh, where as you only really want to be scared once or twice a month, unless you’re like myself. But I guess the key to remember when addressing comedy is “Time flies swift like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.” And of course to all ways look on the bright side of life! Lewis Butler
CULTURE
11
Can art be comical?
Comedian: Romesh Ranganathan here is only continuing to try and do as well as you can while enjoying yourself. I manage neither.”
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One of the new comedians on the scene is Romesh Ranganathan, who has recently starred on numerous TV programmes, as well as touring seemingly ever venue in the country. With wit as dry as a desert, this man will have you in stitches! KW: Earlier in your career, you performed in numerous rap battles. Are we to see any more of that?
RR: My combination of ethnicity and having a lazy eye mean I am an excellent box ticker, so in sure I’ll be on something soon. KW: You have been recently supporting Sean Walsh; how has it been to support someone of his comedic calibre? RR:Sean is using me to try to get rid of some racism accusations that have been following him around. When I can’t get to the gigs to support him he sometimes browns up and pretends to be me. It’s quite the show.
KW: We’ve seen you featuring on C4’s “The 50 Funniest RR: Absolutely not. It was a Moments of 2012”, you’ve horrendous experience for all got an entry on BBC3 involved, not to mention the comedy, and you even damage to hip hop music itself. have PR assistants! Are we witnessing your KW: As an ex-student of The breakthrough? Beacon School, (Yes, we’ve caught onto you) would you RR: There’s no such thing as say that we’ve seen the last a breakthrough. There is only of Rangasgonnabangya (A continuing to try and do as self-imposed nickname) or will well as you can while enjoying he be on terrestrial television yourself. I manage neither. anytime soon? Keir Waller
“My combination of ethnicity and having a lazy eye mean I am an excellent box ticker”
Art is something which varies from person to person as interests in art will always be something personal to each individual. Some people do not like art work that has a comical element to it, as they feel this defeats the true meaning at the heart of art. Examples of this is work such as caricatures that are drawn to emphasise features of a person, this art form is also used as a tourist attraction on the streets of several countries. Caricatures I feel are a great way of expressing ones imagination by creating a piece of art that “exaggerate(s) the physical qualities of a person” such as the many caricatures of Will Smith that emphasises the shape of his face and the size of his ears. This is done whilst still “leaving the subject of the caricature entirely recognisable”, Anthony Geoffroy who has created some amazing pieces that he often produces to utilise humorous drawings of celebrities. I have always found caricatures very intriguing as they are so different to the art forms I have created in the past and have drawn several of my own in the past. After seeing the many caricatures of Will Smith, I always wanted to create my own until one day I did and really enjoyed to piece I created and since then I haven’t stopped drawing them, the comical side of them are what make them so interesting to me and are why I enjoyed it so much. Jenni Draper