Somewhere down the line we replaced gags and jokes with “relatability” as a stand-in for humor

    • [deleted]@piefed.world
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      2 days ago

      It is more about the shift in how the humor is presented than it going out of date. For example, therr are several comics that are just animations of someone having social anxiety with zero punch line. That’s fine if that is what they are going for, but a well done comic being presented as a four panel set up and punchline seems like there should be some kind of humor to it and not just setup and I have social anxiety. There could be some subversion or twist or anything that makes it clever and not just I have social anxiety as the entire thing over and over again.

      Yes, people with socisl anxiety should have a comic that appeals to them, but it is an example of leaving out the humor and just being relatable. Heck, if the characters did something over the top in the final panel instead of just stating their emotions it could be funny and not just an illustrated thing that happened.

      • Vespair@lemmy.zipOP
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        2 days ago

        Personally, I am genuinely glad people have relatable content, especially people from niche demographics who don’t often get to feel included and represented. This is good. I am only remarking on and somewhat baffled by how this has become the new de facto norm. It’s not about complaining about the new crop as it is lamenting the loss of a once a beloved artform that seems to have largely left the field; I’m not upset at the new occupants to have filled the vacated space, not directly at least.

        And to be clear I’m not trying to suggest you’re saying against any of that, just using your conversation as a opportunity to clarify my position ✌

        • paraplu@piefed.social
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          2 days ago

          It doesn’t just seem to pervade webcomics. I think this is part of what makes memes so off-putting to me. Relatable is not a characteristic I pursue in media.