Comedy Analysis: Dark humour

Also known as black humour, this is a type of humour that makes light, an otherwise serious or depressing situation. It is closely related to gallows humour. Dark humour works because of cynicism and satire, often related to matters like death or disease as well as taboo subjects. In recent years STDs and HIV/AIDS have become increasingly popular subjects for dark humour. Dark humour is however generally not obscene and not intended to insult or offend people. Blue humour is a type of humour derived from and interrelated with dark or black humour which is usually less subtle and more obscene.

Dark humour is often considered to be a classic part of British comedy. Even though this is not necessarily untrue, it is not by origin British: the term was first coined in 1935 by the Frenchman André Breton (humour noir) who credited Irishman Jonathan Swift with it's invention. Since it has been adapted in British humour, American humor, and many other schools of comedy. Famous dark comedians include Dane Cook, Monty Python, M*A*S*H and Louie C.K.

Dr. Strangelove

A prime example of a dark humour film is Dr. Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick. This 1964 film deals with the threat of annihilation of the Earth due to nuclear war. Although films with this subject are generally dark, serious and treat the subject with gravity, this film doesn't. For instance the safeguards to prevent nuclear war in Dr. Strangelove are exactly the causes which trigger the war.

A more recent film utilizing dark humour is Horrible Bosses, which is a 2011 film. The film deals with 3 men who decide to murder their respective bosses. Although this is a heavy subject, bordering on the morbid, it is treated in a light-hearted and sarcastic way, which makes it enjoyably funny.

Although dark humour is a relatively young type of humour, it has secured it's place in the world of comedy. With much more yet to come no-one knows where it's gonna go from here.