Lao Tie, let's talk about a hot topic today: Why can Chen Peisi and Zhao Benshan's sketches make your stomach hurt with laughter, but the current comedy is so cold that it is embarrassing and cancerous?
Recently, I swiped Douyin and saw a comment that exploded with 100,000+ likes: "The current comedy is all supported by the actors' expressions." "Brothers, do you have a heart-piercing voice?
Laugh at the height, can you climb it?
Do you still remember Zhao Benshan's sentence "The grasshopper on this coat, can it really jump on the cow"? Simple and brutal, straight to the point of laughter. But now? What is the "metaverse" and "virtual idol" at every turn, let me ask you, can Aunt Wang next door to your house understand?
Last week, I went to interview a post-95 screenwriter, and he complained to me: "Now to write a paragraph, you have to check the hot words on the Internet for three days." "I was like, 'Brother, are you writing comedy or making up a dictionary?'
Once I went backstage to a variety show and saw a group of screenwriters having a heated discussion. I listened closer, and I almost didn't laugh: they were arguing about whether rural people should speak with a hometown accent. Brothers, do you have any misunderstanding of the ground?
The current audience is not a foolish master. You think a slippery banana peel will make you laugh? Too naïve bro.
I interviewed a post-00s Internet celebrity, and he said: "What the current audience wants is IQ online humor, not low-level funny." "That's right, the audience is full of human spirits nowadays, and you'll have to use all your power to make them laugh.
Comedy is not to tease boring people, but to look in the mirror
Really good comedy not only makes people laugh, but also makes people think. Chen Peisi's "Protagonist and Supporting Role" is a satire of social reality. But now? Many so-called comedies are funny for the sake of being funny, just like eating a dish without MSG, which is bland and tasteless.
I once asked an audience member, "What kind of comedy would you like to see?" He said, "It makes me laugh and cry." "I almost fell to my knees when I said this, and comedy should be a mirror that reflects our joys, sorrows, and sorrows.
So the question is: what should we do?
Secondly, don't be cowardly! A good comedy should dare to tell the truth and dare to touch the stubble. Look at Zhao Benshan's "Selling Abduction", you really dare to say it.
Again, give newcomers a chance. Don't always hold those old faces, fresh blood can bring new laughs.
Some netizens said: "Today's comedy depends on actors selling cuteness." "That's a heart-wrenching statement! Comedy is not something that can be successful by selling cuteness, but requires the crystallization of wisdom and talent.
So, comedians, let's do it together! Let's create works that make people laugh until they cramp, and also make people think. Let's rekindle the fire of joy in the hearts of our audience!
After all, in this magical age, we need more than just laughter, but wisdom that can make people smile. Let's cheers to the future of Chinese comedy together!