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Theres a war going for comedys soul.
Its been going on since before that, actually.
No, its not a battle between the chicken and the road.
Its between the dark side and the light.
And, currently, Comedy Central has two shows that perfectly encapsulate the opposing forces DetroitersandCorporate.
Its first season, which wrapped up earlier this week, debuted toreviews calling itthe darkest workplace comedy ever.
It often had anI cant believe this is on televisionquality due to just how grim it is.
Together, they represent a tonal divide that has existed in comedy more or less since its inception.
(It was not.)
I dont remember anything else that happens, but I do remember thinking,this is grown up.
And to me, this is at the core of the comedic dark side.
The dark side includes political comedy, satire, political-correctness pushers, sarcasm, violence, most insults.
The patron saints of the dark and light are Lenny Bruce and Steve Martin, respectively.
The former was a breakthrough in how serious a stand-up could be onstage, and the latter how goofy.
Its also something a comedian can ramp up, one way or another.
In their most recent specials, Chris Rock got slightly lighter and Dave Chappelle much darker.
Most comedians are adept at playing with different amounts.
(Michelle Wolf is perhaps the most light-dark balanced comedian working today.)
Take two of the most famously dark and light American comedy touchstones: Michael ODonoghue and Gilda Radner.
The Radner classic Lets Talk Dirty to the Animals specifically derives its comedy from that balance.
Unsurprisingly, it was written for her by ODonoghue:
CorporateandDetroitersare a different story.
At their most elemental, the shows are fairly similar: Theyre workplace comedies about two friends.
Where the shows diverge is in the lightness and darkness of their tones.
To which, Jake responds, You just described death.
Matt: Hmm, I guess I want to be dead.
Jake: I cant wait to die.
It sounds so relaxing.
Sam walks Tim, who is acting like a giddy child, up to Mr. Bones.
Sam: Hey, Mr. Bones.
Mr. Bones: Oh, hi, son.
Tim (amazed): He knows your name!
Conversely, what makesDetroitersso special is how theyll subtly use darker elements to ground the show.
This is not to say one is better than the other.
As a result, its difficult to draw too many conclusions about their coexistence.
Ultimately, it saysthere are a lot of TV shows.
(And like those scenes, it still is a bit too male and white.)
And its good for comedy.
Anything that fosters specificity is.
