In this episode, as suggested by a Tumblr anon, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about humour in fanfiction and, more specifically, how to write comedy without being cringey? Not just for crack fics, but also how to write something that’s supposed to be funny and that also has a plot.
They dive into the question of what a crack fic even is, as well as the cultural specificities that are inherent to comedy, and make it one of the hardest genres to write. They also talk about the merits of cringe, and go on a pretty long tangent about tumblr’s latest obsession: Goncharov (1973).
This week, we mention:
- American Vandal a Netflix mockumentary that mimics the genre of true crime documentaries
- Goncharov (1973), Tumblr’s fake Martin Scorcese film
- Seinfeld, a show which Jo (writing this post), has never seen and doesn’t really know what to say about, apart from the fact that Lani made a lot of references to it in the pod, so there.
- Curb Your Enthusiasm, mentioned in our discussion of whether comedy can sometimes go too far.
- Mr Bean, for physical comedy (Jo approximates that her mother has probably watched that Christmas turkey episode 124 times)
- The Office (US), for American comedy (also, before anyone asks, yes, Jo has watched the UK version. Yes, she liked it better. But, she has issues with Ricky Gervais, not all of which are Ricky Gervais’ fault)
- Fleabag, for cringe comedy
- Death at a Funeral and Derry Girls on making light of heavy subjects
Your recommendations for this week are:
- ViscariaFields (@hexcore-juggler) whose amazing fanfic Lani recommended for the Iliad fandom
- My Dad Wrote a Porno, the funniest podcast Jo has ever heard (and advice on how not to write smut)
You can find us online at:
