Slapstick: Why Is It Funny?

The other day I was trying to explain what exactly “slapstick” was to my roommate and why it was funny and I found myself sort of struggling. Therefore, I decided to sort out my thoughts and write this.

WHAT?

Let me start out by answering the question “what is slapstick?” In its simplest version, slapstick is a form of physical comedy. It is defined by its very exaggerated, almost cartoonish style often combined with injury and/or misfortune in the character(s) behalf. There are rarely serious physical consequences and everything is presented in a harmless and goofy way. Some defining features of slapstick include tripping, pratfalls, hitting, falling, etc. which are focused on more than plot or character development.

a "batacchio" or a "slap stick"

Where did the term come from, some might be wondering? I know I was. The term actually comes from the Italian word “batacchio”-- translated means “slap stick”-- which was used in commedia dell’arte (an early theater in Italy). It is a club-like object of two sticks that when struck produces a loud smacking noise. It allowed actors to "hit" one another repeatedly with great audible effect without causing damage and with minor to no pain.

WHY?

With that definition, slapstick may sound a little stupid to some people. Why should people falling or getting hurt be funny? 

I actually read in an article that the humor people find in slapstick is very deeply rooted in our brains. There was a study done on patients who had sustained some sort of head trauma and they were shown a variety of comedy clips. The study showed that many of the patients lost the ability to understand higher humor such as puns and witty dialogue, but almost all found slapstick funny.

But why is slapstick funny?

I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I’ve broken it down. Why do we laugh at other people’s pain?

1) There is a loss of dignity

I personally love seeing self-important people get put in their place. This is often what happens in slapstick: the villains/high-and-mighty are the ones who get the brunt of the beating. The main characters are often clumsy and/or idiotic, but good-natured and they end up getting themselves into trouble with the wrong people through their own foolishness. Because of their innocence, you root for them instead of the mean old miser they have ticked off. Slapstick is often less funny if the main character is not as likable. 

It is very funny to see the main character hit the antagonist in the face with a pie, or push them in a muddy puddle, or something. There’s just something immensely satisfying about it because don’t we just want to do something like that to people we know who are like that?

It is still funny to see these things happen to our main characters too through their own stupidity, clumsiness, and/or mischievousness.

From "Duck Soup" starring the Marx Brothers

2) It requires great skill

Through the description of slapstick, one might think that it is easy. Just fall on your butt and everyone will laugh. No. There’s actually a lot of thought and timing that goes into it. If not done properly, it could totally fall flat (pun intended. Ha!)

Plus there are some clever ways of falling. Think about it; if you just fall on your face, that’s all well and good and you might get people to laugh, but if you fall into a puddle or a pile of manure that’s even funnier. Better yet, what if it happens repeatedly?

From "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" starring Peter Sellers

See how he repeatedly falls in the water, but it's different every time

and still funny. I could watch this a thousand times and not get 

tired of it.

3) It’s often unexpected

Surprises will often jolt people into laughter. Seeing someone walking down the street then suddenly hit their head on a street sign gets people to laugh. We are surprised and concerned which spurs us into laughter.

From "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World"

From "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy"

This is one of the most ridiculous, unexpected scenes I have ever 

witnessed and it got me to laugh so hard. It's not PURELY slapstick,

but it demonstrates my point about the unexpected.

4) It’s not us

There’s at least a small part of us no matter how subconscious it is that laughs at pain because we are relieved it’s not happening to us. We spend our entire lives trying so hard to avoid discomfort and embarrassment that when we see someone else experience it, we are relieved it’s not happening to us. 

From "Seinfeld- The Wait Out" (Season 7, Episode 23)

5) It is the product of mayhem

This might be hard to believe, but people actually love mayhem. As much as people love order and organization, people also love to watch things fall apart (as long as they don’t have to clean up afterwards). Why are action movies so popular? Why do people love watching people get into fights? How many people are oddly satisfied by destroying things (whether watching it or doing it yourself?) I know I myself have get a strange pleasure out of crushing of cookies for a dessert or knocking over a block tower. If we were given the chance to demolish a building for construction, would we say no?

The point I’m trying to make is that creating mayhem and destruction goes against what we try to do in our modern life but is hugely attractive for us to witness.

From "The Three Stooges- Three Little Beers"

HISTORY

Slapstick has been used for hundreds of years. Shakespeare himself, the master of words, incorporated it into his plays through chases scenes and beatings. 

It grew in popularity in the early 19th century in England as pantomime became a thing and by the 1850’s, it was one of the most popular forms of comedy.

Fred Karno

It was during this time that many comedy legends began to hone their skills at pantomime and music hall sketches. Vaudeville was developed in the United States, discovering many young stars, while one gentleman by the name of Fred Karno formed Fred Karno’s Army in Britain. Fred Karno is credited as the man who originated modern slapstick comedy. His troupe included future stars Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel. He also came up with the pie in the face gag.

As silent films came into play, pantomime was the biggest option. While dramatic films were released, comedies were (in my opinion) far more effective because slapstick was already a form of overacting. This is where true comedy legends really began to shine. People still know who Charlie Chaplin is today. While Fred Karno originated slapstick, Charlie Chaplin defined it.

Other stars came out of the silent film era such as Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, and the Keystone Cops. 

From "The Rink" starring Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin

Once sound was introduced into film, slapstick was not deterred and was even improved; using funny sound effects to emphasize the falls, hits, and bumps only added to the silliness. This is where the Three Stooges came in. So, while Fred Karno originated it and Charlie Chaplin defined it, I say the Three Stooges perfected it. 

Other stars came out of the early era as well; most famously, the Marx Brothers.

Cartoons are no stranger to slapstick either. I said in the definition that it has a cartoonish style. Cartoons, however, are even more exaggerated. The characters get completely flattened by anvils, they get blackened by a bomb that exploded in their hands, etc. 

Warner Brothers started making their Looney Tunes cartoons in the mid-20th century which really defined slapstick in cartoons with their shorts like Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, Sylvester and Tweety, etc.

Also early on, a very defining slapstick cartoon was created by Hannah-Barbera: Tom and Jerry. This cartoon show really engulfed everything one needed in a slapstick cartoon. 

As the years have rolled on, people have continued to make slapstick films. Some have been hilarious, some not so much. In my personal opinion, I think that the older films have a better grasp on why slapstick is funny because they put real thought into it. In later years, people are in the mentality that if someone just gets hit in the crotch or punched in the face, people will laugh. As I said earlier, it’s not necessarily so. It will be so much funnier with the right buildup, the proper delivery, how it is executed, the payoff, the reactions, and other factors. 

Some good examples of more modern-day comedians and movies are Mel Brooks, the Farrelly Brothers, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carrey, and Monty Python.

From "Liar Liar" starring Jim Carrey

In almost every comedy movie/tv show there is at least one character that is predominantly physical. For example, Steve Urkle in Family Matters or Cosmo Kramer in Seinfeld. It’s not to say that these characters don’t have funny lines or anything, but simply through their appearance, mannerisms, and over-the-top behavior and reactions to things make their characters that much funnier. (Notice too, that these are some of the most popular characters on their shows.)

I have always enjoyed slapstick and probably always will. I know that it’s not for everyone, but at least now I have (hopefully) managed to explain WHY a lot of people find it entertaining.

Rom-Coms I've Never Seen

As a female, I am very drawn to the romantic comedy genre (also known as chick flicks). I love the cheesiness, the romance, the “will they, won’t they?”, all the cliches, the misunderstandings, and all that fun stuff. I have never been a fan of romantic dramas (like The Notebook or Titanic or Dear John or things of the like). I like the comedic side of romance, not the drama. I like happily ever afters as opposed to sadness and heartbreak.

I’ve been watching a whole bunch of rom-coms/chick flicks that I’ve never seen before just for the heck of it. I’ve watched the same few over and over again for years, and I’ve heard good things about several others. So, with my free time this week, I binge-watched a whole bunch of new ones.

I won’t lie, some of them weren’t all that great, some were mediocre, and some were freakin’ fantastic! What I look for in rom-coms is real suspense in the romance. Like, even though you know the couple is going to get together (because, let’s face it, they always do), it’s still pretty torturous and suspenseful; whether from the acting, the scenarios, or all of the above. I also enjoy really good comedy, enjoyable plots and scenarios, real conflict, a complete resolution that wasn’t obtained TOO easily, excellent on-screen chemistry between actors, is relatable, cheesy but not TOO cheesy, and has a strong ending.

So, that is what I have been judging these new movies on.

I’ll be giving my mini reviews on each of the movies below (Check out my reviews of my all-time favorite Rom-Coms HERE). Here we go in alphabetical order:

Definitely, Maybe

A daughter asks her father how he and her mother met. He tells her about his love affair with three different women without revealing which one is actually her mother.

This one was sort of average, I thought. That is to say, it had its strong moments and then weak moments. I didn’t really like the ending that much either. The acting was pretty stellar though. I love Ryan Reynolds! And his little girl was super cute. I can’t talk about it all that much without getting spoiler-y, but basically I wasn’t super thrilled with how it turned out. 1) I thought it was super abrupt 2) The buildup was a little drawn out at times. I did think it was a cute idea though, it just had some weak spots. I wish it had felt more like an unreliable narrator since it was supposed to be the dad telling the story (like How I Met Your Mother did). That probably would have improved it greatly. 6/10

Down With Love

In the 1960's, author Barbara Novak writes a best-selling book "Down With Love" which encourages women not to fall in love, to pursue independence and careers in place of serious relationships. This upsets the entire male population including ladies' man magazine writer, Catcher Block, who decides to make her fall in love with him and write an exposee on her as a fraud.
Alright, this one had a very promising set-up and was pretty good for the majority of it, but then totally lost it by the third act. It had the stupidest, most outlandish twist and insufferable ending. I was expecting it to be a "liar reveal" story where a character lies throughout most of the narrative, is eventually found out, then the other character(s) mope about it for a time, but then they realize they want the liar in their life after all and they all live happily ever after. This was surprisingly not the case, it was a lot weirder. I honestly would've preferred the cliche because what they did was too ridiculous. I can't discuss it without spoiling it, but... maybe if they hadn't gone SO far with the twist. It was such a huge jump for both characters and it was super out of place. Anyways, it was a good setup and I enjoyed the first 2/3s of it a bit (I would've liked to see Catcher actually falling in love with her a little more instead of being so manipulative). Also, the stylistic choices were very on point.  It was homaging 1960s romantic comedies, which to give it credit, it did a very good job; the costumes, the certain type of sexual tension, the obviously fake backdrops, the music, etc. it was a very well-made movie. However, I’ve never been a huge fan of older rom-coms. They’ve always seemed a lot more convoluted and forced than more modern ones. I suppose that’s why I didn’t like this one that much. It was too much like an old rom-com. So props to the movie for doing a good job, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. 5/10.

Fever Pitch

Ben has been a devout Red Sox fan for twenty-three years, but when he starts dating Lindsey, he must choose between her and the team he has loved his entire life.

I was surprised how much I liked this one. I was actually hesitant to watch this one at first because it didn’t sound all that compelling, but my curiosity to see Jimmy Fallon in an acting role overpowered everything else, so I watched it. And, like I said, I really liked it. It was different than a lot of rom-coms I’ve watched because it wasn’t about a couple getting together. It was portraying a couple and their struggles working together. I thought it was fascinating how it portrayed a relationship with ups and downs and compromises. I really liked it. My roommate pointed out how it was difficult to choose a side because both characters had valid points, but then they also had their defects. It was just like a real-life couple. It was also very funny and entertaining. 8/10.

How Do You Know

Professional softball player, Lisa, has just been dropped from her team; she begins a relationship with a clueless baseball player Matty while at the same time, she goes on a blind date with a business man, George, who is in trouble with the law for fraud.

This movie was all over the place. It wasn't completely terrible, but it seemed a little unfocused. The fact that Lisa was a softball player who was dropped was barely addressed and was pretty much completely forgotten by the end of the film. There was a lot of focus on George's business failings, which was fine, but it made it seem like he was the main character... which he wasn't. The beginning of the film was setting it up to make Lisa the central focus, but by the end, she was practically a side character. It was all very jumbled. It also did seem to drag on for a little too long. It should've been shortened or some subplots should've been added and/or focused on more. Also, the idea of "how do you know?" wasn't really addressed, which was weird since that was the title of the movie. Only once did Matty bring it up towards the beginning. But, I was still pretty entertained by it and I was actually in suspense for a while about who she would pick. 6/10.

Just Friends

In high school, Chris was friend-zoned by his best friend, Jamie. Ten years later, Chris returns to his hometown as a successful music executive and meets Jamie again, this time determined to win her affections.

I did not like this one hardly at all. When it started, I thought maybe it would get better towards the end... it didn’t. I think I hated it more by the end. The two lead characters had absolutely no chemistry and I was not rooting for them to get together at all. The only reason I wanted them together was because I didn’t want her to end up with the other guy. I wished that the movie had showed them actually be friends and then slowly move out of the friend-zone, but no, it just jumped right in and hardly gave us any background on these two characters’ history. Anyway, the only saving grace was Ryan Reynolds. His facial expressions and reactions to things were hilarious. It was exactly my reaction to some of the weird crap that was going on. I was laughing out loud sometimes at his deadpan delivery and horrified/disgusted reactions. Other than that, I don’t think this movie had much to offer. 4/10.

Just Go With It

A plastic surgeon pretends to be married in order to pick up women (pretending to be in a bad marriage in order to get sympathy). One day, he meets the girl of his dreams and decides he wants to settle down... until she finds his fake wedding ring and thinks he is actually married. He recruits his assistant to play his wife in order to convince her that they are divorcing. Complications continue to arise as his assistant's kids get involved and a family trip is planned.
I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed this one. I thought it would get under my skin with all the lies and deception like these stories sometimes do, but it actually managed to be really sweet and fun. It was also very funny and had me laughing out loud at parts. It did get a bit raunchy at times, but I wouldn't say it was anything TOO extreme. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston surprisingly had very good chemistry. Points because I was really rooting for them to get together. I was also very impressed that when the ruse was eventually up, it didn't turn into a liar-reveal story. 8/10. 

Just Like Heaven

A widowed man moves into an apartment only to find it haunted by the spirit of its previous tenant who insists that she is still alive.

I loved and adored this movie! Holy cow! It sounds like kind of a strange concept, but it was conveyed very well. The two leads pulled it off and I was in suspense the whole time. They had such cute banter and I loved the slight mystery surrounding everything (mystery is always extra points in my book). I have to say, a lot of the time, memory loss is handled poorly in movies and TV, but this one managed to pull it off. I loved all the connections made throughout the film that came into full circle by the end. It was such an adorable flick that I just can’t go into detail about without getting spoiler-y. Basically, it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy by the end. 9/10.

Kate and Leopold

An 18th century duke falls through a portal in time, meets a 21st century woman, and they fall in love. 
I really liked the concept (and Hugh Jackman is a babe), but this movie was just sort of average. It was largely boring for a lot of it. The stuff not involving the duke was pretty dull and not very compelling. Kate was not a super interesting character, but the duke, Leopold was hilarious. Every scene involving him was my favorite. I loved seeing the fantasy that every girl has of meeting a guy with old fashioned manners. But, like I said, it was just sort of average. It wasn't THAT funny or interesting, but just interesting enough. 6/10.

Never Been Kissed

A young, socially-awkward reporter goes undercover at a high school and experiences the horrors of becoming unpopular all over again.

This movie was pretty much everything I expected. It was super cute, but also super awkward. (Not like awkwardly made, just like awkward situations and stuff.) It did hurt my soul sometimes. The secondhand embarrassment is very strong. I mean, I was literally covering my face at times because I couldn’t take it. There’s some stuff in there that if you think about it... it’s kind of weird and creepy, but in this scenario, it’s perfectly fine. Man, if you watch the movie, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. I still really liked it. It was cute and relatable. 7/10

What Happens in Vegas

Down on their luck, Joy and Jack go to Las Vegas to forget their troubles. They wind up meeting and getting married on the same night. The next day, they agree to get an annulment, but after they hit the jackpot at a slot machine, complications arise. The judge at their hearing sentences them to six months of marriage before settling the matter of their money.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I was really invested in the characters which I feel a lot of rom-coms lack. It was definitely one of the funnier ones I watched (I enjoy some good slapstick and screwball comedy which this was full of). I think it did a fairly decent job of having the characters actually fall for each other over time instead of it just abruptly happening after disliking one another for the majority of the film (which is the bane of these types of movies). I also enjoyed the battle of the sexes, the quote straight from the film "men and women were not meant to coexist" got me laughing. Even though there were a few things that fell flat, I still enjoyed the film a lot. 7/10.

27 Dresses

Jane has been in 27 weddings, but none have been her own and she is in love with her boss who doesn’t give her the time of day. One day, her little sister comes into town and her boss falls hard for her. Meanwhile, Jane repels the advances of a newspaper columnist who wants to write about her perpetual bridesmaid-ness.

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to watch this one, but here we are. I liked this one quite a bit. It wasn’t as funny as a lot of the other ones on this list, but it was very cute and extremely relatable. I don’t know what there is to say about it except that. I was in so much pain with the main character as she watched the man she loved get engaged to her little sister. And like I said before, it was very relatable. I felt for the main character. 7/10.

Just Let Me Be Legally Blonde

I remember when I was a kid, there was this pullout shelf in our entertainment unit full of what I considered “adult” movies. There were video cassettes of films like The Mask, Runaway Bride, While You Were Sleeping, The Mummy, The Sixth Sense, and many others. All the “kid” films like our Disney movies and stuff were kept in a separate cupboard that was more easily accessible. I actually didn’t know this pullout shelf existed for several years. I was hardly interested in it though. I was perfectly content watching all my own movies. I didn’t much care for live action movies for a long time, much less these weird grown-up ones. I did sometimes like to pull out the shelf and just look at the covers. I don’t really know why; I guess I just thought they were kind of interesting because they were so different from the family-friendly, Disney-esque covers I was used to. Eventually as DVDs became a thing, those were added to the collection as well, but even then, I was still uninterested in these “adult” movies.

There was one DVD that always stood out to me whenever I pulled out the shelf; it had a very blonde woman wearing a shockingly scandalous, bright pink dress, she walked a Chihuahua on a pink leash and had this carefree smile on her face. I didn’t have the slightest idea of what this movie was about, but I had absolutely no interest in seeing it just based on the cover. I hated the pink dress and it looked like some stupid movie about a blonde ditzy fashionista girl getting into trouble. I had absolutely no interest in it whatsoever.

If anyone doesn’t know what the movie was that I was looking at, it was Legally Blonde. Looking back now at my original judgement of the movie is extremely ironic because the whole point of the movie is not to judge a book by its cover.

I freakin’ LOVE AND ADORE this movie! The more I think about it, the more I love it. It is by no means perfect, there are a lot of contrivances and cliches, but holy cow, I love its morals and ethics. I particularly recommend this film for girls who are trying to find their way in life, especially if they just got out of a relationship. However, it is applicable to pretty much everyone, even guys. This movie shows you that there is more to life than finding a significant other, everyone has way more potential than they think, and you don’t have to be what everyone expects you to be.

For those who don’t know the story, I’ll quickly summarize:

Elle Woods is the president of her sorority, Delta Nu, and expecting her long-time boyfriend, Warner, to propose. However, instead he dumps her, explaining that she is not “serious” enough for him since he plans on becoming a lawyer. At first, Elle is heartbroken and depressed, but then she decides to pursue him to Harvard Law School. She enrolls and is accepted in the school where she sticks out like a sore, very pink and blonde, thumb. She faces all kinds of challenges and discriminations in her new school as she struggles to win back her man and simultaneously become a successful law student.

I think this movie is interesting because it takes the average story that’s been told a thousand times (about being misunderstood, being the “ugly duckling”/fish out of water, etc) and putting a twist on it. Usually its an awkward, unattractive person who is judged for their looks and then has to prove everyone wrong by breaking out of their shell and/or displaying their great personality and skills. This movie does that except Elle is extremely not unattractive. She is judged for being too attractive. She is made fun of for being a sorority girl, for not being “smart” enough, for being too perky, for her non-traditional/non-conservative fashion choices, her too perfect figure and blonde hair, and so on. I connect to it on some level. While I am certainly not a sorority girl and super sexy-attractive like Elle, there are struggles that come from being too much of something. People like to tell attractive people they have it easy, but in all honesty, there are struggles that come with it. Also, it’s hard having a label put on you just because your majority group have a bad reputation (ex: sorority girls, white people, etc). 

You be you! Elle has absolutely no problem with just being herself. While she does get upset through the film with the discrimination against her, she takes it like a boss and decides to prove everyone wrong. She doesn’t let it tear her down, she let’s it build her up. There are some fish out of water stories where the person has to recreate themselves in order to fit in. This is not the case here. Elle changes her priorities, but not herself. She remains constant throughout and it ends up working. 

Another reason Elle is queen is because she is just so nice through the film. She is super perky and excitable like a sorority girl is, but she’s not a vindictive jerk like they are often portrayed. She is super happy, sweet, and selfless. She is nice to everyone, even if they don’t really deserve it-- not that she actively seeks out mean people and is nice to them, but if they’re there. But she’s not a pushover either. She knows exactly how to balance nice with being acquiescent.

This movie is also so quotable and funny. There are some movies that are funny and/or sweet, but don’t have that great of lines. This one is not one of those movies. It’s got a great script. 

ELLE: “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.”

EMMETT: “I can’t believe you called me a butthead. Nobody’s called me a butthead since the ninth grade.”

ELLE: “Maybe not to your face.”

POOL BOY: “Don’t stomp your little last season Prada shoes at me, honey.”

WARNER: “You got into Harvard Law?”

ELLE: “What, like it’s hard?”

MR WOODS: “Oh, sweetheart, you don't need law school. Law school is for people who are boring and ugly and serious. And you, button, are none of those things.”

ELLE: “Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed.”

TV: “I love you.”

ELLE: *throws chocolate at it* “LIAR!”

I love that this movie shows that there is more to life than finding a significant other. That is to say, if you want to find your significant other, you need to focus on bettering yourself. Elle was a perfectly fine individual, but then as she followed Warner to Harvard, she discovered she could become even more and decided she didn’t need him in her life and pursued her own goals. Then, so many other things became available to her by doing so (and not to get too spoilery, but if you watch enough chick flicks, you ought to know that there is someone else that comes along. But that’s not the main focus, come on! It’s all about Elle and her awesomeness!). 

Legally Blonde: The Musical

I love how everyone is proven wrong in the end. Everything just comes into full circle. All the irony and karma! Yusss! 

It doesn’t happen just like that either, it’s a gradual adjustment. And it all starts with a change of mind. It just shows that all that we have to do is change our mindset and adjust our priorities, then we can achieve anything. Seriously, this is an amazing movie! 

Reese Witherspoon is great in the role. I have to appraise her performance for a moment. She is by far the most standout part of the movie as the main character. 

So, if anyone has not watched this movie, I highly, highly recommend it! 

P.S. There is a musical too. I think I like the movie slightly better just because it gets the morals and stuff across better, also Elle is just portrayed as a better character overall. But there are things I appreciate about the musical more too (for example, they gave the character Emmett a bigger part. I always thought his role in the movie was a little too small. Also, awesome music!)

TRAILER

Will Jerome Become the Joker? (Gotham TV Show)

I watch the TV show Gotham. For those who don’t know what it is, I’ll just give a brief overview before I begin this post.

It is basically the background on the Batman comics before Batman became Batman. How all the villains became villains-- their backgrounds and origins, as well as Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming the Dark Knight; however it mainly focuses on Jim Gordon (future commissioner) while he is still a detective in the police force handling all these situations. 

*P.S. If anyone is interested in watching this, I do highly recommend it because it is a lot of fun, very intense, well written (usually), and interesting especially for Batman/comic book fans. However, I should put a warning label on it that it can get a little violent and graphic. Only bloody-type graphic, there's no sex scenes or anything, but if you can't handle people getting stabbed in the eye, fingers getting chopped, people getting beaten by baseball bats, getting chopped in half or beheaded, or stuff like that (and you actually see it happen), then this might not be the show for you.

Anyways, as I said, the show gives a lot of the villains a history and origin story. Most of the villains/characters in the comics have an established backstory, but the show has taken many liberties and has reinvented most of the characters’ origins (which gives the show an edge and mystery). The end result for the characters will obviously be the same or at least very similar to what everyone is familiar with, but the journey getting there is usually different to what was recorded in the comics. 

The Penguin and the Riddler have already had a tremendous amount of focus (they have practically been main characters). Other villains have been coming into play also. While watching, you can usually tell who the villain will be, either by their alias (ex. “Jervis Tetch” is the Mad Hatter or “Edward Nygma” is the Riddler), there are some hints to their backstory, costume, and/or props (ex. the Scarecrow is developing fear gas or Mr. Freeze has a frozen wife), or they flat out tell you who they are and what they do. However, every once in a while, it is a little vague, thus coming to the point of this post.

Jerome Valeska (played by Cameron Monaghan)

The one Batman villain who has an obscure past and no alias is ironically the most famous one: the Joker. In the famous comic, The Killing Joke, a backstory was offered up, but the Joker himself admitted that his memory of it might be fuzzy or even completely made up. So, the writers of Gotham have free reign on Batman’s arch nemesis here. And this is where my frustration lies.

WARNING, SPOILER ALERT!!!

Back in season 1, a character, a teenager, was introduced-- Jerome Valeska. He was young (just a few years older than Bruce) and he murdered his mom, then was sent to Arkham for the deed. Before anyone found out it was him that killed her, he played the innocent, mournful, caring child. As soon as he was discovered, he dropped the act completely and displayed his cold, psychotic, unfeeling side while laughing maniacally at his deed. He showed up again later after being broken out of Arkham and went on a killing spree, all the while completely enjoying it and laughing. There is a sort of method to his madness. His father who is a psychic, tells him he will be a scourge to Gotham. He is killed eventually, but even in death, he is still smiling.  

Films of his murders and laughing inspire a murderous cult following. One of his most devout followers finds his body tries to resurrect him. When it doesn’t work, he cuts off his face to wear as a mask so that their "leader" can speak to the masses. However, the resurrection does end up working eventually and Jerome goes out for revenge. He staples his face back on, giving him a permanent, deranged-looking smile. He goes after Bruce who eventually bests him, punching his face off. Jerome is then put into Arkham again.

This guy sounds like a potential Joker, right? The Joker in the comics has no alias, so why couldn't it be Jerome Valeska? Plus, the show is perfectly free to make up any backstory it wants and this seems to be leading somewhere. So what am I frustrated about?

Let me tell you: There is no confirmation that Jerome will actually be the Joker. In fact, early on when he first appeared, it was hinted more that Jerome would inspire the future Joker and not become the Joker himself. This seemed to be the more likely case with his death and the whole cult following thing. Even his father's words about him becoming a scourge to Gotham replayed as a voiceover as the cult slowly formed. I was so bummed out because originally when I heard those words, I thought "Oh! Because he's going to become the biggest, most threatening super villain in Gotham: the Joker!" and got super excited. But no, then it started to hint that he was only inspiring the future Joker.
But seriously, how could they DO that? He is literally the perfect Joker! I think the creators began to realize that, which is why they brought him back and didn’t kill him off again (apparently he was going to get killed again in his face-off [haha!] with Bruce the last time he was seen instead of getting put back into Arkham). But that doesn’t seem like an official confirmation. Something really needs to happen with him that feels more Joker-like in order to make me feel more at ease. 
So far he’s been a complete psycho, killing people, laughing maniacally, even setting up murder amusement parks, and so on. But that could still just be leaning towards him inspiring the future Joker. He even has a personal connection with Bruce Wayne and Bruce is traumatized by his encounter with Jerome. I could totally see that playing into their interactions in the future. But... still. I could easily see this show throwing that all away and punching me in the gut like that. The future Joker reminds Bruce of his encounter with Jerome, but worse or some nonsense like that.

This is why I need some reassuring hint that Jerome will be the Joker for sure. I don’t think anything big needs to happen just yet, like his hair doesn’t have to turn green or anything (I think that should be reserved until close to the end of the series when Bruce officially becomes Batman. Because Batman and Joker go hand in had, so I think both their transformations should come about the same time). However, I still think that there should be some bigger hints of where his path is headed. I do not like feeling aorund in the dark like this. 

The show has replaced actors with new ones before. Like they did with Poison Ivy. At first I was like "what?"with that choice because I liked the idea of Ivy being closer to Bruce's age and slowly growing from that awkward, weird little girl into what everyone knows as Ivy. Making the jump like that surprised me and I wasn't ready. But I really like the new actress so far (of course, not a lot has been done with her yet, so...). That's why I know the show is not afraid to just replace characters with other people.

I will be sorely disappointed if Jerome is not the Joker. He is SO good! He combines traits from Ledger, Hamill, and Nicholson all into one. I am seriously attached. I honestly don’t think they could just get rid of him and replace him with anyone else at this point and have him do any better. It would be like trying to replace the Penguin. 

So... that’s all I have to say about that. My fingers are crossed. Jerome for Joker!

SCENE- Jerome Killed His Mom

Great piece of acting. The first glimpse of his Joker-esque side.

SCENE- Who's the Boss?

Another great scene. Jerome and a fellow escaped Arkham 

inmate compete for the leader role in their new gang through

a game of Russian Roulette.

My Favorite Scripture Stories

Even if you aren't religious, these are some great reads.

I have a lot of favorites, but these are the ones I managed to narrow it down to. My ultimate top favorites! Also, I'm not including parables, but real stories that actually happened. So here we go in no particular order:

JOSEPH IN EGYPT (Genesis 37, 39-47)

SUMMARY: Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob and was "highly favored" by his father. This made his older brothers extremely jealous. What made it worse is that Joseph had dreams where he ruled over not just his brothers, but everybody. Finally, his brothers had enough and they sold him into slavery then told their father that he was killed by wild animals. Meanwhile, Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to the captain of the guard, Potiphar. Over the next several years, Joseph rose in Potiphar's house and soon ran the entire household. However, he also attracted the attention of Potiphar's wife. She repeatedly tried to seduce him, but he rejected her. One day, she grabbed him and demanded he sleep with her, but he ran away, leaving his coat with her. She used the coat as evidence to "prove" he attacked her. Joseph was thrown in prison. 
He was in prison for three years and while there, he became head of the prison. One day, Pharaoh's wine bearer and baker were locked up. They had strange dreams which Joseph interpreted correctly; the wine bearer would be set free and the baker would be hanged. He asked the wine bearer to tell Pharaoh about him, but he forgot. 
Sometime later, Pharaoh had very strange dreams that troubled him greatly. Nobody could interpret them and his wine bearer recalled Joseph. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh and he interpreted the dreams: seven years of plenty were coming followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh decided to put Joseph in charge of storing grain, making him ruler over all Egypt "only Pharaoh will be greater." 
When the famine came, other countries came to Egypt to buy grain. One day, Joseph's brothers came, but they didn't recognize Joseph. Joseph accused them of being spies and kept one in prison while they went back to get their youngest brother, Benjamin (Joseph's only full brother). Jacob was reluctant to give up Benjamin, but he eventually gave in after they ran out of grain. When the brothers returned to Egypt, Joseph invited them to a feast. He decided to test his brothers' hearts and put a silver goblet into Benjamin's share of grain. He accused them of stealing and found his cup in Benjamin's grain. He moved to arrest him, but the brothers would not let him take him. Joseph realized that his brothers had changed and finally revealed himself. His entire family was invited to come to Egypt.

Where do I begin with this one? It has everything any good story needs. It follows the “Hero’s journey” which most excellent stories/epics follow (even today’s stories: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc.). There’s the call to adventure, the crossing of the threshold, challenges and temptations, the revelation/abyss, the transformation, the atonement, and the return. The hero’s journey is actually based on the journey of man (which is why it’s so compelling to most people). Also, Joseph’s story is symbolism for Christ’s journey so blatantly, it’s ridiculous. There’s symbolism EVERYWHERE!

All the intrigue with the backstory, the reasoning behind everybody’s actions is so interesting. Why does Jacob favor Joseph (and Benjamin) more? Why does Joseph pick certain brothers to stay behind when they come to Egypt? Why does Judah sacrifice himself for Benjamin? Joseph’s mother was extremely beautiful, it can be assumed Joseph got some of those genes, so of course Potipher’s wife came after him. People often think Joseph was a completely innocent figure who was mistreated by his brothers, but LOOK at the text! He was 17-years-old, favored/spoiled by his father, he tattled on his brothers when they didn’t do their jobs right, he talked about ruling over his hardworking brothers right to their faces. I mean, Joseph was kind of a punk! Not that he deserved to be sold into slavery, but he probably wasn't 100% innocent either.

This story is so inspiring to me. To think, Joseph went from the lowest of the lows to the highest of the highs. He did (practically) nothing and had no idea why he was put in all those circumstances, but he trusted in God and eventually saw that it was all for a greater purpose. Literally everything that happened to him was leading up to him ruling over Egypt and saving not just his family, but the world.

Also, who doesn’t love Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat? That is one of my favorite musicals of all time! Awesome music! Not to brag, but I can name all the colors of the coat in order ;P

(If anyone wants a good read about this story, check out Joseph: A Story by Terri L. Fivash. It’s SO good and really captures the essence of the story while tying in all sorts of interesting historical facts and excellent character development.)

THE CONVERSION OF ALMA THE YOUNGER (Mosiah 27:8-37, Alma 36)

SUMMARY: The prophet Alma's eldest son, Alma went through the land with King Mosiah's four sons doing very wicked things. They led many people away from the church. They were the worst of the worst. Alma the Elder and the believers prayed for them in anguish. Persecutions became so bad that King Mosiah had to put out a proclamation forbidding it. Finally, one day while the five young men were walking, an angel suddenly appeared to them and rebuked Alma in particular for his actions. He told him off and then warned him to "seek to destroy the church no more" or else he would be cast off. After the angel left, Alma became so paralyzed with fear that he passed out and did not move. The sons of Mosiah brought him to his father. Alma the Elder actually rejoiced, recognizing that it was the power of God. He gathered everyone together to pray for his son, hoping that he would be able to overcome whatever he was going through. Finally, after three days, Alma awoke and declared himself repented. He apologized for everything he had done and vowed to go out and attempt to fix all the wrong he had done and to spread God's word.
Alma later gave an account of what he was going through while unconscious to his son, Helaman. He was in endless torment and believed he would be cast off forever. He remembered every single one of his sins and how he had dragged so many others down to destruction with him. He wished that he could be destroyed rather than face his maker with all that was weighing on him. For three days, he felt the torture of a damned soul until finally, he remembered his father's teachings about Jesus Christ who would one day come into the world. He desperately cried out to Him for help and as soon as he did, he was instantly relieved. His pain was suddenly replaced with joy.

I’ve loved this story ever since I was a kid. When I was young, I probably couldn’t really tell you why I liked it so much, but it just stood out to me. Now, (like Joseph’s story) I think there is something very inspiring about it. 

I think some people kind of have this misconception of Alma that he was just this troublemaking kid that was going around like a modern day rebellious teen would; graffitiing landmarks, stealing from stores, speaking out against the church, doing drugs, and whatever. However, the Book of Mormon clearly states that Alma was a “very wicked man and an idolatrous man” and “a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God” (verses 8-9). In fact, angels never appear to men unless the work of God is actually in peril and/or needs assistance (think about it; Joseph Smith, Laman and Lemuel beating Nephi, Mary, etc). So his damage must have been THAT bad. 

I think his example of going from THAT bad to one of my favorite, most righteous prophets is super inspiring. 

Harrow

I also think his description of his experience while he was unconscious is extremely interesting and descriptive. He uses phrases like “wracked with eternal torment” and “my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree” and “the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror” and “that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.” It’s pretty intense. For those who don’t know, a harrow is that thing that farmers use to dig up the dirt. It stabs into the ground and then is pulled along (nowadays by a tractor, but back in old times, by an ox or a horse) tearing apart the ground and loosening the dirt. Imagine your soul being ripped to shreds like that.

I love this imagery Alma gives of what it’s like to sin greatly and then face repentance. People love to live in the moment and never think of the consequences. But as Alma says, the consequences sure go beyond physical ones. 

Lastly, to contrast Alma’s vivid descriptions of his tormented soul, he manages to remember his father’s teachings about Jesus Christ. Then, when he helplessly cries out for His mercy, he is instantly relieved and his torment is replaced by joy. I LOVE that!

For all the parents out there who have rebellious/inactive children, it’s a lesson for you, that if you have taught them well and even continue to attempt to teach them and it seems to fall on empty ears, perhaps one day, they will remember. Those teachings never really go away.

(Again, a reading recommendation: Alma the Younger by Heather B. Moore. It really digs into Alma’s backstory and reasoning for falling away, then it gives you a sense of what his wickedness was like and how it affected not just him, but everybody around him.)

THE TITLE OF LIBERTY (Alma 46)

SUMMARY: A large man, Amalickiah, desired to be king and gathered many followers through flattery and cunning. The use of monarchy had become extinct and had proven harmful in the past; the Nephites no longer had kings. Amalickiah led the people away not just from their people, but from their God. Chief Captain Moroni, the leader of all the armies, got wind of what was happening and got very upset. He tore his coat and wrote "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children" on it then fastened it to a pole, creating a flag and calling it the Title of Liberty. He put on all his armor and marched through the city, calling out for followers of Christ and freedom to come with him. People ran out with their armor on and followed him. They even tore their own clothes and threw them at Moroni's feet as a covenant. They went after Amalickiah and his followers and captured most of them, but Amalickiah and a small band escaped.

I’m summing up this section of the Book of Mormon into the Title of Liberty because it’s one of the most standout parts, but I do actually like all the stories with Captain Moroni. He is my favorite scripture character, for realsies. What a boss! I can describe pretty much all the battles/stories from the War Chapters in detail because I love them so much.

But as for the Title of Liberty, it is definitely a great story. The politics of that time are interesting to look at, especially in relation to the wars. If you really think about it, the idea of judges were still a new concept, so Amalickiah had a pretty good window to slip right in there and stir things up. I really appreciate the Title of Liberty because it’s so relatable yet fantastical at the same time. How much political corruption and turmoil are we in today? Wouldn’t it be just awesome if we had a modern-day Captain Moroni who could rally the people and remind them what they stand for? “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” Amen, brotha! Captain Moroni is having none of this rebellious, sinful nonsense! He rallied the people and led them against the rebels, prepared to kill Amalickiah (and possibly his followers) if they didn’t recant their ways. Moroni ain’t messin’ around! 

I love all the detail Mormon puts into this story about what Captain Moroni did in an effort to prevent this rebellion; how he prayed, how he put on his armor, how the people came and declared they would not forsake Christ, how Moroni tore his coat and turned it into a flag, how Amalickiah fled from them. I love it all!

QUEEN ESTHER (Book of Esther)

SUMMARY: King Ahasuerus needed a new wife and all fair maidens were brought before him, including a Jewish girl, Esther. Esther was eventually chosen as queen and the king loved her above all others (but he did not know of her heritage). Shortly after their marriage, Esther's cousin, Mordecai, uncovered a plot to assassinate the king, but it went unrecognized.
Meanwhile, a member of the court, Haman, was having some drama. He was recently promoted to some high position that required all to bow to him. However, Mordecai refused to do so which enraged Haman. He decided to have not just Mordecai, but all the Jewish people killed for the insult. He went to the king and petitioned to have the Jewish people exterminated on a certain day. He managed to convince the king and the petition was passed. Mordecai sent a message to Esther about the petition and asked her to go to the king and ask to have it repealed. The law of the land was that no one could go in unto the king without being summoned or else they would be put to death. Esther decided to do it and asked everyone to fast for her.
She eventually went to the king and he allowed her to come. He asked her what she desired and offered her anything she wanted. She invited him and Haman to a banquet. Haman believed he was being favored by being invited to the banquet, so he prepared to have Mordecai hanged by having an extremely tall gallows built, 50 cubits high.
That night, the king had trouble sleeping so he had the royal records read to him. It reached the point in the records where Mordecai uncovered the assassination plot and the king realized that he was never rewarded. He called Haman in and asked him how he would reward someone who delighted the king. Haman, believing the king was talking about himself, began listing off all sorts of things he wanted. The king was satisfied with all this stuff and told Haman to do all these things to Mordecai himself, shocking Haman.
Later, Haman and the king attended Esther's banquet and the king asked what she wanted. She finally told him about the petition and her heritage, accusing Haman of starting it all maliciously. The king left in shock and anger. Haman tried to plea for his life with Esther, but the king came back, finding him practically on top of her. It was enough for the king and he arrested him. A servant suggested hanging Haman on a new gallows that had just been built, 50 cubits high, to which the king agreed. Mordecai was honored and promoted and the Jews were saved.

This is an excellent standalone story. Even with no religious background, this is a great story to read. It’s got twists and turns, irony, romance, humor, suspense, and all those good things. Plus, it’s a great example of faith.

There’s a lot of background that people often don’t consider when reading this story. The big one is what was at stake when Esther went in unto the king. People don’t realize how intense it actually was for her and how much her life actually was on the line. For one, people absolutely were not allowed to see the king without a summons, not even the queen. The king could be pressured by the court to follow the law and put her to death-- even if he didn’t want to-- in order to maintain his image or something. Something else to consider with this particular king, he had already banished/divorced his previous queen simply because she had disobeyed him. Taking that in mind, this king was either very merciless/easily offended or gave into peer pressure from the court very easily. 

All the stuff with Haman is excellent. All the irony stems from him (which if anyone knows me at all, knows that I LOVE ironic twists). He tries so hard to bring people down, counts his chickens before they hatch, tries to place himself higher than everybody, etc. and it all comes back and bites him in the butt in a hilarious and terrible way. 

(A reading recommendation: Esther the Queen by Heather B. Moore. It really personalizes all the characters and shows what was at stake for everybody, including the king and Esther.)

NEPHITES AND THE SIGN OF CHRIST’S BIRTH (3 Nephi 1)

SUMMARY: Five years previous, Samuel the Lamanite prophesied that on the night that Christ would be born, the sun would set, but there would be no darkness. With the time soon at hand, many people have begun to say that it is a foolish thing to believe in and have fallen away. In fact, many of the non-believers decided that if the sign did not come by a certain day, those who did believe would be put to death. The prophet Nephi worried about his people and prayed for deliverance. He was answered that the sign would come and that Christ would come into the world that very night. Just as was said, the sun went down that night and there was no darkness. The wicked became so afraid of the sign that they fell down and appeared to be dead.

For not being super detailed, this story is so intense! I could not even imagine being in this position. I mean seriously, imagine believing in something so extraordinary like that and then having your fellow men threatening to kill you if it didn’t happen by a certain date. I can just picture families and friends being torn apart because of fear. I always try to picture how the non-believers set up the eventual genocide. Like, did they gather them in the streets and surround them with their swords raised? Would it be similar to when Ammonihah killed all the believers there by fire? How did they prevent them from leaving before the assigned date? I kind of picture it like the French Revolution where they guarded the gates and people needed a pass to get out.

I also love it when the wicked are proven wrong SO hard! These wicked people fell to the earth from fear and “became as if they were dead” (verse 16) because they were so astonished and afraid. See, it’s things like this that kind of give me hope for wicked and rebellious people today. Because the chapter goes on to take about how they remembered the prophesies they had heard and how they knew that the Son of God would soon come. It goes to show that the wicked people deep down do know that what they’re doing is wrong and even if they claim they do not, they might believe in the teachings of Christ, especially if they once believed before. I just hope those people today can overcome their stubbornness and pride before these extraordinary things happen.

ELIJAH AND THE PRIESTS OF BAAL (1 Kings 18:14-40)

SUMMARY: After three years of famine, Elijah meets King Ahab and decides that he and the priests of Baal will have a face off. He declares that each side will have an altar with wood and a bullock, but no fire. Both sides will pray to their god for fire and which ever one brings fire is God. The people decide it is a good deal. The priests of Baal go first and they spend literally all day crying out to Baal to bring fire and take their sacrifice, but nothing happens. They jump on the altar, they cut themselves, they do everything they can think of, but still nothing happens. Elijah even mocks them a bit for all their efforts. Finally, they give up and it's Elijah's turn. He constructs his altar and prepares his sacrifice according to Jewish tradition. He then has buckets of water dumped on it repeatedly until it is running around the altar. He calls upon the Lord, asking Him to let the people know that He is God. Fire comes down from heaven and consumes everything; the sacrifice, the altar, and the water, everything. Everyone is amazed and believes. The people mob the priests of Baal and kill them.

This story cracks me up because Elijah is such a sass master. Also, like I said above, I love when the wicked are just proven SO wrong! 

The buildup to the story is great: Elijah had called a famine upon the land in order to compel the people to righteousness, therefore everyone is desperate. The priests of Baal believe that they must call upon Baal for rain, which is stupid because he certainly hasn’t done anything for them thus far and Elijah obviously made the famine happen right in front of everybody. Crazy Queen Jezebel is convinced Baal won’t give them rain because Elijah is alive and he wants him dead. That’s where the awesomeness of this story begins. 

I love how completely nuts the priests go in an effort to get Baal to take their sacrifice while Elijah just stands by laughing at them: “Oh maybe your god is on vacation”, “I don’t think you’re loud enough. Do you think he can hear you?” Haha! Great zingers!

Then Elijah “wastes” water by completely drenching his altar. Like, there’s no way he could cheat and secretly set it on fire. And then God sends fire and takes the bullock, the entire altar, AND every last drop of water with it. It’s just so epic!

(And then the priests of Baal are killed too, so you know.)