History Main / BlackCOmedy

Black comedy, also known as black humor, dark comedy, dark humor or gallows humor, is a sub-genre of {{comedy}} and {{satire}} where topics and events that are usually treated seriously are treated in a satirical manner, while still being portrayed as the negative events that they are. Typical targets are death, violence, crime, murder, suicide, insanity, disability, environmental disasters, political corruption, poverty, famine, disease, drug abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, rape, pedophilia, castration, cannibalism, war, terrorism, racism, sexism, homophobia, stereotypes, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking line-cutting]].

This trope is [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant not to be confused]] with BlackSitcom ([[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks though overlap is]] [[WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow not unheard of]]) or UncleTomfoolery. It's also not exactly about comedians with the surname "Black" (such as Creator/JackBlack and Creator/LewisBlack), or comedians who have Black African ancestry (i.e. Creator/RichardPryor, Creator/EddieMurphy, or Creator/ChrisRock), although they all may occasionally engage in some dark humor.

* BlackComedy/RealLife

This trope is [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant not to be confused]] with BlackSitcom ([[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks though overlap is]] [[WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow not unheard of]]) or UncleTomfoolery. It's also not exactly about comedians with the surname "Black" (such as Creator/JackBlack and Creator/LewisBlack), or comedians who have Black African ancestry (i.e. Creator/RichardPryor, Dick Gregory, Creator/EddieMurphy, or Creator/ChrisRock), although they all may occasionally engage in some dark humor.

Black comedy usually derives humor from such topics either through cartoonish exaggeration (without entering the domain of uncomfortable realism) or sheer bluntness. A stellar example of the former is a scene in which an animal-loving assassin accidentally runs over an old woman's dog in ''Film/AFishCalledWanda''; the reveal of the dead dog was originally filmed with realistic gore effects, which audiences found uncomfortable and unfunny. The scene was then altered to have the dog simply be flattened a-la [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndRoadRunner Wile E. Coyote]], which removes the disturbing realism and becomes darkly hilarious instead (said animal-loving assassin's inevitably horrified reaction to the event further aids in this).

Black comedy usually derives humor from such topics either through cartoonish exaggeration (without entering the domain of uncomfortable realism) or sheer bluntness. A stellar example of the former is a scene in which an animal-loving assassin accidentally runs over an old woman's dog in ''Film/AFishCalledWanda''; the reveal of the dead dog was originally filmed with realistic gore effects, which audiences found uncomfortable and unfunny. The scene was then altered to have the dog simply be flattened a-la Wile E. Coyote, which removes the disturbing realism and becomes darkly hilarious instead (said animal-loving assassin's inevitably horrified reaction to the event further aids in this).

!!{{Subtrope}}s:

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!!Examples:
[[index]]
* BlackComedy/{{Advertising}}
* BlackComedy/AnimeAndManga
* BlackComedy/{{Comedy}}
* BlackComedy/ComicBooks
* BlackComedy/ComicStrips
* BlackComedy/FanWorks
* [[BlackComedy/AnimatedFilms Films — Animated]]
* [[BlackComedy/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
* BlackComedy/{{Jokes}}
* BlackComedy/{{Literature}}
* BlackComedy/LiveActionTV
* BlackComedy/{{Music}}
* BlackComedy/TabletopGames
* BlackComedy/{{Theatre}}
* BlackComedy/VideoGames
* BlackComedy/VisualNovels
* BlackComedy/WebAnimation
* BlackComedy/{{Webcomics}}
* BlackComedy/WebOriginal
* BlackComedy/WesternAnimation
* BlackComedy/OtherMedia
* BlackComedy/RealLife
[[/index]]

* PovertyForComedy: [[PovertyTropes Being poor]] is funny.

** AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: [[AssholeVictim Someone dies]], and the characters around them react with happiness.

** MisplacedSorrow: A character mourns someone's death not because they're upset that their friend has died, but because of a very selfish reason (such as the deceased owing them money and never paying them back prior to their demise).

** TheyKilledKennyAgain: When a character gets [[DeathIsCheap repeatedly killed and inexplicably resurrected multiple times]].

** LaughablyEvil: A bad guy is depicted in a humorous manner, despite (or perhaps ''because of'') his villainous actions against others.

** MantisMatingMeal: The [[SomewhereAnEntomologistIsCrying "fact"]] that female praying mantises eat their mates is almost always PlayedForLaughs.

* MisplacedSorrow: A character mourns someone's death not because they're upset that their friend has died, but because of a very selfish reason (such as the deceased owing them money and never paying them back prior to their demise).

* MantisMatingMeal: The [[SomewhereAnEntomologistIsCrying "fact"]] that female praying mantises eat their mates is almost always PlayedForLaughs.

** UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The main character is a [[HeroicComedicSociopath bad]] [[VillainProtagonist person]], but that's okay. The fun is in seeing him get screwed.

** UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The main character is a bad person, but that's okay. The fun is in seeing him get screwed.

* AnimatedShockComedy: A popular genre of animation aimed at adults and teenagers, featuring tons of black (and/or {{vulgar|Humor}}) comedy to ensure that it's as family-unfriendly as possible.

!!{{Subtropes}}:

!!Example subpages:

!![[SubTrope Sub-tropes]]:

* AdolfHitlarious: When UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler is mocked in a non-serious way.

** BlackComedyPetDeath: Jokes about pets dying.

* BlackComedyRape: Jokes about [[SexualHarassmentAndRapeTropes rapists and people suffering sexual assault]].
** ComedicLolicon: Jokes involving pedophiles.

* ComedicSociopathy: When a character's {{lack of empathy}} and callous treatment of others is played for laughs.

** SuicideAsComedy: Jokes revolving around people killing themselves.

* ShockSite: Showing to someone something sexually or violently disturbing out of nowhere on the Internet is portrayed as funny.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The main character is a bad person, but that's okay. The fun is in seeing him get screwed.

* BlackComedy/{{Film}}

* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The main character is a bad person but that's ok, the fun is in seeing him get screwed.

!!Sub-tropes:

* AdolfHitlarious: When Hitler is mocked in a non-serious way.

!!Examples:

* {{BlackComedy/Advertising}}

* {{BlackComedy/Comedy}}

* {{BlackComedy/Film}}
* {{BlackComedy/Jokes}}
* {{BlackComedy/Literature}}

* {{BlackComedy/Music}}

* {{BlackComedy/Theatre}}

* {{BlackComedy/Webcomics}}

** Comedic Lolicon: Jokes involving pedophiles.

* VillainProtagonist: When played for laughs.