Shocked But Connected: Notes on Laughter

by Michael Roemer

Why do funny movies make us laugh? In this thoughtful essay, by turns stimulating and meditative, distinguished filmmaker and Yale professor Michael Roemer shares his musings on what causes us to chortle, snort, and guffaw when we watch antics onscreen or onstage. Roemer keeps us chuckling as he dissects punchy one-liners, Shakespearean plays, and everything in-between. Incorporating theories from such great thinkers as Sigmund Freud, Charles Baudelaire, Henri-Louis Bergson, and Soren Kierkegaard with the work of classic comedians like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and the Marx Brothers, Roemer examines the purpose of comedy in our lives and in society. Shocked But Connected provides a serious reflection on a lighthearted subject.

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Michael Roemer was a film director, producer, and writer. He won several awards for his films, which include Nothing But a Man and The Plot Against Harry. He was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. A professor at Yale University for over 50 years, he was the author of Telling Stories.

Reviews

[Carlos Valladares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ignore “Lynne” and “Austin” with their silent, ignoble one-stars of this beautiful book. Michael’s my favorite lit theorist, next to Trotsky, sexy Barthes, Terry E, and Mr. Jameson. Great wisdom-for-the-ages on what makes comedy work. Cut deep: make me laugh and cry and I can’t tell which.