AbFab

I know I've heard of Absolutely Fabulous and seen clips of it (for the DVD set, yours today for only $29.99!), but I've never actually watched it.  Oh my goodness was I missing out!  That episode, "Fashion," was hilarious!  I loved it.  I was completely amazed that the first "line of dialogue" (if you could call it that) from the main character on the first episode of the first season of the show, was her blowing a giant raspberry.  Holland says that Freud would argue one cause for laughter is, "the use of the sound instead of the sense of a word" (48).  Personally, I was expecting a verbal answer to her wake-up calls, but was put entirely off guard when she instead blew that raspberry!  It was certainly a joke in Freud's terms. 

Freud also claims that in the comic, "we see an expectation defeated" (50).  I found the mother-daughter relationship particularly funny.  This is because the general expectation is that the mother will be the responsible one, keeping her teenager in line.  In Absolutely Fabulous, however, just the opposite occurs.  The daughter calls for her mother to wake up, makes breakfast, makes coffee, and urging her mother not to drink.  She even goes so far as to threaten punishment (moving out) if her mother does not quit drinking.  Of course, in a different context, this could be quite a sad story, but the attitudes of the characters and the mood of the story (aided by the unceasing one-liners) invites the audience to remove our emotions of concern and pity and to just laugh. 

Holland explains Freud's theory that "In tendentious joking, not only do we get the pleasure of the word play or jesting, but we also gratify forbidden impulses" (48).  I was quite stricken when I read this section because of the simplicity and obviousness of it.  Of course that's why we like to joke!  Of course that's why we think things are funny!  Because we can't actually do them!   Michael (of the American Office) is so hilarious because he's so wildly inappropriate!  No boss would ever be allowed to do what he does, and no employee would ever want to work for him, yet millions of Americans tune in every week and crack up laughing.  AbFab is the same way.  No one really wants to be a crazy, irresponsible lush who is also completely self involved.  But part of us does.  Maybe just for a day or an hour, but we laugh at her because we want to be her!  She's hilarious because she is what we want to be, again, at least for a little while.  She's confident, she seems to be enjoying her life, she doesn't care what other people think or say.  She's her own person and she's, well, fabulous!  What more could you want? 

By the way, I'm sorry this is late.  I ended up passing out last night before I finished.  One thing I keep forgetting to add, Netflix has the old Hitchhiker's Guide TV show which is, so far, surprisingly accurate.  It's almost line-by-line, which I never imagined could be done.  Anyway, if you have a chance, check it out.  It's on instant play.  Finally, have a Happy Thanksgiving!