Both parts of this clip would best be classified as using audiovisual humor as it uses a combination of visual and aural features. In the first part of the clip [proposal], there is an incongruous mismatch and irony that is concurrent, as we can see Joel with chocolates and flowers calling out to his girlfriend, but we also hear and later see that she is sleeping with someone else. The humor in both parts of the clip is self-contained, as you do not need to have knowledge of the other parts of the movie narrative to understand that he was going to propose, that his girlfriend is cheating on him, and that is he wandering the streets and at a bar because of this. The “you can say it again”/”tell me about it” joke is also self-contained as they do not require prior knowledge to understand. This joke is also …show more content…
In terms of narrative variables of comedy, this clip in particular shows more causal humor, as Joel is wandering around the street and hanging around the bar because he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him. This clip is also more realist as being cheated on is not that unlikely, and more naturalistic as it is plausible in the world of the story. This clip is also more transparent, as there is no indication that they are self-conscious or directly addressing the audience. From this clip alone, we cannot tell if the gag is discrete or recurrent.
From this clip, the most pertinent theories of comedy are the superiority theory, Bergson, and the release/relief theory. According to superiority theory, something is funny because it prompts apprehension of our superiority over others. This theory is most applicable to the clip,