Morreall's Holy Grail

For most people watching a comedic movie is nothing more than a easy way to feel better or simply get away from the complexities of life with a ridiculous fictional world and people.

Though, after reading the work of John Morreall, I don’t think if I’ll ever only see a comedy as just a ridiculous jab in the world of film again. The veil of simple and immature jokes seem to hide a whole deeper understanding to what it means to make people laugh. Of which entails Morreall’s first section on the anti-social humor theory of “Superiority”. He quotes Plato in the saying that the Guardians of the state should avoid laughter, “for ordinarily when one abandons himself to violent laughter, his condition provokes a violent reaction” (Morreall 4). This makes the point that humor holds as one of most significant and pure human emotions one can experience. But his superiority theory in itself states that the humor people enjoy in this aspect is in the delight in the shortcomings of people we watch on screen.  I personally never thought of myself as a horribly rude person that would kick someone when they’re down, but as Morreall shows in his essay, that’s exactly what we find so funny in most of these comedies. He proves this exactly by saying “we relish the events that show ourselves to be winning, or others losing, and if our perception of our superiority comes over us quickly, we are likely to laugh (6).

Outside of being a horrible person for laughing at those below you, Morreall also discusses the theory of incongruity in humor. He explains this theory as the unexpected and unpredictable actions within a joke. Most individuals have an understanding on what most logical actions in most encounters with others could and usually are. Though, Morreall compares the quotes of several philosophers to come to the understanding that absurd, illogical, and exaggerated situations seem to be the funniest situation for a human to observe. This comes from a regular individual’s set mental perceptions and understandings. So the outlandish and off-the-wall humor from most comedic films, hits the viewer with so much absurdity and comedic value.

This theory of absurdity and exaggeration is exactly where the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail comes into play. This particular film, being one of my personal favorite for practically my entire life, and similarity to many other people in the last 30 years. The entire film almost solely bases itself on the concept of the Incongruity theory that Morreall presents. Because it’s familiar setting as a King Arthur/medieval story, the incorporation of everything for coconuts instead of horses and a band of knights, that only proclaim “Ni!” and demand shrubbery from those they encounter. The films finds its own brand of humor from the absolute absurdity and unexpectedness of what one would encounter and think of from King Arthur’s world. This film shows the exact concept of the absurdity of humor and the frustration in breaking preset patterns of human action.