We discussed how Vaudeville lost its popularity as broadcasting became central to American culture. Which genres of television seem most influenced by Vaudeville and how? How do you relate this week's screenings to the types of performances exhibited here? Feel free to share a clip of a contemporary show that exhibits some of these influences and compare the two types of entertainment.
While Vaudeville lost its popularity long ago, it has influenced many genres of television today, specifically those that fall under the category of variety shows and late night comedy shows. The television program today that seems to be the most influenced by Vaudeville is “America’s Got Talent.” The acts performed in this talent competition are very similar to the ones depicted in the above clip and include performances with animals as well other “circus-like” acts like juggling, swallowing knives, and playing with fire. The “pranks” shown in the above Vaudeville clip can be compared to those played on reality programs like “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” where old people play pranks on youngsters. Additionally the comedic sketches performed on shows like Saturday Night Live are similar to the comedic clips of Vaudeville performances. All of these modern shows are performed live and in front of an audience and include the spontaneity and excitement that was pioneered by Vaudeville. This week’s screenings were somewhat reminiscent of Vaudeville, especially the Milton Berle Show. The trampoline act from the Milton Berle show was very similar to the Vaudeville acts depicted in the above clip such as the one that shows a dog jump roping. Additionally the live sketches performed by Berle, such as the one where he dresses as Carmen Miranda are very similar to the extremely comedic and over-the-top Vaudeville acts.
Vaudeville shows were very influential to variety-type television shows. In our screening this week we watched an episode of the Milton Berle Show, which showed many connections to early Vaudeville performances. In both this TV show and Vaudeville shows, there were several different talent-based acts that were not really connected in any way, other than the fact that they were entertaining. There was also a host (Milton Berle), like in many Vaudeville performances, who kept the show going. However, in the Milton Berle Show, he inserted himself into all of the different acts throughout the show. The Milton Berle Show also indicated a lot of ties to the contemporary TV program The Tonight Show. Throughout its run, The Tonight Show has had a few different hosts, but their introduction has stayed consistent through the years. Both shows begin with a comedic monologue from the host to get the show going. Then, it launches into sketches or interviews with visiting performers and celebrities. Like Milton Berle, Jimmy Fallon also inserts himself in different sketches through out the show. Here is an example of one recent show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcKT0vbMhkU Both The Milton Berle Show and The Tonight Show rely on the reactions from their live studio audience. This is similar to the live acts of Vaudeville and their reliance on the audience as well.
The examples of Vaudeville shown in this clip seem to have influenced two types of television shows that are on the air today, the first being talent shows, such as "America's Got Talent", and the second being late night talk shows and sketch comedies, such as "Saturday Night Live", "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon", and many others. Much of the sketch performances in the clip rely heavily on slapstick comedy, and we see this type of humor a lot in "Saturday Night Live", as well as in many sitcoms currently on the air. Slapstick comedy is appealing to the masses because it transcends socioeconomic boundaries, as well as cultural ones. Regardless of age, generation, or primary language, everyone has the ability to find Vaudeville-esque performances entertaining on some level. The show most similar to Vaudeville that we watched during the screenings was the "Texaco Star Theatre". It incorporated a combination of skits and variety show performances, and it was very clearly filmed live. "Captain Video and his Video Rangers", on the other hand, included the least amount of Vaudeville elements, and was more similar to the sci-fi TV series that we have today, such as "Lost", albeit far less realistic. "The Burns and Allen Show" was more like a sitcom, but still included elements of a live performance, most notably when George Burns directly addresses the audience. However, it is much more like the sitcoms that begin to appear with shows like "I Love Lucy", and it immerses the audience into the suburban life of George Burns and Gracie Allen. Finally, "The Martha Raye Show" is also a combination of sitcom and variety performances. A notable difference is that Martha Raye provides the variety entertainment, along with an ensemble, rather than several guest stars. The show is really about her performance, rather than her performance as supported by many other people.
I agree with much that has been said regarding the type of contemporary television shows influenced by Vaudeville such as “SNL” or “America’s Got Talent”. I also think there’s a couple shows that may not come to mind right away - such as “Wipeout” or “Dancing with the Stars”. Although both of these shows are based on competition, the entertainment factor is similar to Vaudeville. Both shows still serve a purpose of entertaining the audience in some extreme way that the audience is usually not exposed to. Wipeout functions on the premise of individuals competing in over-sized obstacle courses. This is much like some of the circus acts of Vaudeville because the competitors don’t always make it through the course, and more often than not, they smack into the obstacles, or fall over, thus subjecting themselves to be treated as a humorous circus act. “Dancing with the Stars” features entertainment in the form of an exotic, unique world, seeing as each week, the contestants are required to perform a different style of dance. “Dancing with the Stars” also relies on reactions of judges and a live audience, which like Shannon mentioned, compares to Vaudeville as it also relied on the reactions it received from a live studio audience. Some of this weeks screenings - such as “Texaco Star Theatre” relate to the screenings exhibited here. The act in the short clip where two people are juggling a barrel with their feet is similar to the trampoline act in “Texaco Star Theatre”. They both serve a purpose of entertaining for entertainments sake and providing a “wow factor” for the audience to observe. The motor oil skit is also similar to the prank in the clip where someone ties a string to a mans chair and pulls it until he falls over. These skits carry over to contemporary shows such as “SNL” or “Jimmy Fallon” as mentioned previously, and even “Ellen Degeneres” where Ellen constantly hosts mini-competitions, dances with her audience, and even pulls pranks all in front of a live studio audience.
Like all of the comments above, I feel it's pretty safe to say that although Vaudeville has disappeared as a popular form of entertainment, the specialty acts of these theatrical productions that were so popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, have influenced many television shows and movies, old and new. The screenings from last week show us that even in the early stages of broadcast television, these shows used comedy and a variety of amazing acts to entertain their audiences, and it worked. So much, that we still see this today on shows like "America's Got Talent" and any late night show you can think of, whether it's a talk show like "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" or a comedic variety show like "Saturday Night Live". Yet, another genre that showcases hints of Vaudeville are award shows. From the Grammys to the MTV Music Video Awards, these shows have a host, similar to the "ring master" of Vaudeville shows, which is given the task to entertain the audience in the room and the millions of people watching at home throughout the entire show. They usually start the show off with a monologue, similar to that of Milton Berle on the Texaco Star Theater. Between their jokes, stunts and the actual awards, there are also performances, which are usually extravagant and over the top. Another Vaudeville quality of award shows, is the fact that most of the time, they are broadcasted live. So, just as Milton Berle made countless mistakes in his sketches with the different acts, mistakes do happen on these grand award shows. From teleprompter errors, camera glitches, and word slip-ups, presenters, performers and the show's host must improvise during the show if a mistake ever happens. Thus, adding to the overall entertainment of the event. It's clear that Vaudeville has influenced many genres of media over the past century, and it will continue to be an integral part of the entertainment industry, so long as people continue to enjoy a variety of amazing acts and showcases of comedic talent.
While Vaudeville lost its popularity long ago, it has influenced many genres of television today, specifically those that fall under the category of variety shows and late night comedy shows. The television program today that seems to be the most influenced by Vaudeville is “America’s Got Talent.” The acts performed in this talent competition are very similar to the ones depicted in the above clip and include performances with animals as well other “circus-like” acts like juggling, swallowing knives, and playing with fire. The “pranks” shown in the above Vaudeville clip can be compared to those played on reality programs like “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” where old people play pranks on youngsters. Additionally the comedic sketches performed on shows like Saturday Night Live are similar to the comedic clips of Vaudeville performances. All of these modern shows are performed live and in front of an audience and include the spontaneity and excitement that was pioneered by Vaudeville. This week’s screenings were somewhat reminiscent of Vaudeville, especially the Milton Berle Show. The trampoline act from the Milton Berle show was very similar to the Vaudeville acts depicted in the above clip such as the one that shows a dog jump roping. Additionally the live sketches performed by Berle, such as the one where he dresses as Carmen Miranda are very similar to the extremely comedic and over-the-top Vaudeville acts.
ReplyDeleteVaudeville shows were very influential to variety-type television shows. In our screening this week we watched an episode of the Milton Berle Show, which showed many connections to early Vaudeville performances. In both this TV show and Vaudeville shows, there were several different talent-based acts that were not really connected in any way, other than the fact that they were entertaining. There was also a host (Milton Berle), like in many Vaudeville performances, who kept the show going. However, in the Milton Berle Show, he inserted himself into all of the different acts throughout the show. The Milton Berle Show also indicated a lot of ties to the contemporary TV program The Tonight Show. Throughout its run, The Tonight Show has had a few different hosts, but their introduction has stayed consistent through the years. Both shows begin with a comedic monologue from the host to get the show going. Then, it launches into sketches or interviews with visiting performers and celebrities. Like Milton Berle, Jimmy Fallon also inserts himself in different sketches through out the show. Here is an example of one recent show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcKT0vbMhkU
ReplyDeleteBoth The Milton Berle Show and The Tonight Show rely on the reactions from their live studio audience. This is similar to the live acts of Vaudeville and their reliance on the audience as well.
The examples of Vaudeville shown in this clip seem to have influenced two types of television shows that are on the air today, the first being talent shows, such as "America's Got Talent", and the second being late night talk shows and sketch comedies, such as "Saturday Night Live", "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon", and many others. Much of the sketch performances in the clip rely heavily on slapstick comedy, and we see this type of humor a lot in "Saturday Night Live", as well as in many sitcoms currently on the air. Slapstick comedy is appealing to the masses because it transcends socioeconomic boundaries, as well as cultural ones. Regardless of age, generation, or primary language, everyone has the ability to find Vaudeville-esque performances entertaining on some level.
ReplyDeleteThe show most similar to Vaudeville that we watched during the screenings was the "Texaco Star Theatre". It incorporated a combination of skits and variety show performances, and it was very clearly filmed live. "Captain Video and his Video Rangers", on the other hand, included the least amount of Vaudeville elements, and was more similar to the sci-fi TV series that we have today, such as "Lost", albeit far less realistic. "The Burns and Allen Show" was more like a sitcom, but still included elements of a live performance, most notably when George Burns directly addresses the audience. However, it is much more like the sitcoms that begin to appear with shows like "I Love Lucy", and it immerses the audience into the suburban life of George Burns and Gracie Allen. Finally, "The Martha Raye Show" is also a combination of sitcom and variety performances. A notable difference is that Martha Raye provides the variety entertainment, along with an ensemble, rather than several guest stars. The show is really about her performance, rather than her performance as supported by many other people.
I agree with much that has been said regarding the type of contemporary television shows influenced by Vaudeville such as “SNL” or “America’s Got Talent”. I also think there’s a couple shows that may not come to mind right away - such as “Wipeout” or “Dancing with the Stars”. Although both of these shows are based on competition, the entertainment factor is similar to Vaudeville. Both shows still serve a purpose of entertaining the audience in some extreme way that the audience is usually not exposed to. Wipeout functions on the premise of individuals competing in over-sized obstacle courses. This is much like some of the circus acts of Vaudeville because the competitors don’t always make it through the course, and more often than not, they smack into the obstacles, or fall over, thus subjecting themselves to be treated as a humorous circus act. “Dancing with the Stars” features entertainment in the form of an exotic, unique world, seeing as each week, the contestants are required to perform a different style of dance. “Dancing with the Stars” also relies on reactions of judges and a live audience, which like Shannon mentioned, compares to Vaudeville as it also relied on the reactions it received from a live studio audience. Some of this weeks screenings - such as “Texaco Star Theatre” relate to the screenings exhibited here. The act in the short clip where two people are juggling a barrel with their feet is similar to the trampoline act in “Texaco Star Theatre”. They both serve a purpose of entertaining for entertainments sake and providing a “wow factor” for the audience to observe. The motor oil skit is also similar to the prank in the clip where someone ties a string to a mans chair and pulls it until he falls over. These skits carry over to contemporary shows such as “SNL” or “Jimmy Fallon” as mentioned previously, and even “Ellen Degeneres” where Ellen constantly hosts mini-competitions, dances with her audience, and even pulls pranks all in front of a live studio audience.
ReplyDeleteLike all of the comments above, I feel it's pretty safe to say that although Vaudeville has disappeared as a popular form of entertainment, the specialty acts of these theatrical productions that were so popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, have influenced many television shows and movies, old and new. The screenings from last week show us that even in the early stages of broadcast television, these shows used comedy and a variety of amazing acts to entertain their audiences, and it worked. So much, that we still see this today on shows like "America's Got Talent" and any late night show you can think of, whether it's a talk show like "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" or a comedic variety show like "Saturday Night Live".
ReplyDeleteYet, another genre that showcases hints of Vaudeville are award shows. From the Grammys to the MTV Music Video Awards, these shows have a host, similar to the "ring master" of Vaudeville shows, which is given the task to entertain the audience in the room and the millions of people watching at home throughout the entire show. They usually start the show off with a monologue, similar to that of Milton Berle on the Texaco Star Theater. Between their jokes, stunts and the actual awards, there are also performances, which are usually extravagant and over the top. Another Vaudeville quality of award shows, is the fact that most of the time, they are broadcasted live. So, just as Milton Berle made countless mistakes in his sketches with the different acts, mistakes do happen on these grand award shows. From teleprompter errors, camera glitches, and word slip-ups, presenters, performers and the show's host must improvise during the show if a mistake ever happens. Thus, adding to the overall entertainment of the event.
It's clear that Vaudeville has influenced many genres of media over the past century, and it will continue to be an integral part of the entertainment industry, so long as people continue to enjoy a variety of amazing acts and showcases of comedic talent.