Chris Blattman

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The American comedy is all right

There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind—the humorous. I will talk mainly about that one. The humorous story is American, the comic story is English, the witty story is French. The humorous story depends for its effect upon the manner of the telling; the comic story and the witty story upon the matter.

…To string incongruities and absurdities together in a wandering and sometimes purposeless way, and seem innocently unaware that they are absurdities, is the basis of the American art, if my position is correct.

That is Mark Twain on American humor, and it more or less sums up exactly why I think The Kids Are All Right is my favorite comedy in some time.

That plus brilliant acting from all but Annette Bening.

Why We Fight - Book Cover
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