Throughout, “Phoenix Nights” satire is used a source of amusement. An illustration of this is in Blackpool, a close up shot is used to show flowers with a card stating “ In memory of Alan” referring to the death of Alan in Coronation Street. This satirises the British public and the seriousness of soaps to them. This tells the audience Peter Kay is ridiculing the way people can show sympathy for characters in soaps yet can be unsympathetic to real people.for example when potter shows no sympathy towards jerry when he burns his hand. Another example is the scene where Jerry is shown trying to entice customers to buy a product by singing,“ come and get your black bin bags”. Supermarkets are satirised by Peter Kay and the embarrassing lengths supermarkets will go to sell boring products. Humour is created as a result of the horrendous rhyming and dim-witted content of these types of songs, which is exaggerated throughout the use of inappropriate language and descriptions. Satire in “Phoenix Nights” is successful; as audiences can relate to the situations, although they are exaggerated. Trademarks and in-jokes are two memorable comic conventions Peter Kay uses throughout “Phoenix Nights”, will these be able to produce the same exceptional humour as satire.
Trademarks and in jokes are used in “Phoenix Nights” to set the standard of humour and establish the audience. The “disabled boy” is an extended trademark used throughout the first series of “Phoenix Nights”. In the first opening shot, highlighting is used to signify the immensity and importance of the disabled boy. The disabled boy is given numerous establishing shots to reminisce the audiences’ memories from past series. A dog is later used in Blackpool to imitate the disabled boy, furthermore it guides as a link between the Phoenix Club and La Ponderosa. Another trademark commonly used in “Phoenix Nights” is “Garlic Bread”, an extremely prominent trademark by Peter Kay. In a scene Brian expresses “garlic bread is the future”,.By people’s reactions this reveals to the audience Peter Kay is trying to insert humour by criticising and parodying British culinary delights. Trademarks and in jokes at the moment are quite successful and inject a sense of humour. Although, in a few years perhaps the humour will have been exhausted from trademarks and in jokes in “Phoenix Nights”. Maybe stereotypes and exaggeration are more effective in “Phoenix Nights”.
During “Phoenix Nights”, Peter Kay uses stereotypes to amuse and relate to the audience by mimicking everyday people and situations. At the beginning, a close up is used to show Den Perry – Brian Potter’s largest rival. The close up proves to the audience that Den Perry is a wanabee small town gangster, as he is presented as being gruff, with a cigar. The humour is created through the audiences’ knowledge that really he’s not tough or a gangster, although he believes he is. This reinforces the idea that many of the characters think they’re higher up in society than they actually are. Another example is Ray Von, his name “Ray Von” is a pun and homonym related to an eighties phrase. Ray Von is presented as a DJ who’s stuck in the 80s; this is created by his cheesy sayings. Additionally his clothing is very 80s style although its exaggerated, Comedy is created as older audiences can relate to him through their childhood. Finally, Peter Kay exaggerates the idea Kenny being a compulsive liar to create humour. An example of this is in the courtroom scene where Kenny is shown wearing medals on his jumper. This has the reverse effect on the audience and enhances Kennys stereotype as being a liar, although he thinks it makes him look more believable. Kenny’s stereotype formulates humour from the way in which he tries to lie to fulfil a higher place in society, but in reality it has the opposite effect on the audience. Overall, stereotypes are rather successful in “Phoenix Nights”, but to maintain its comedy values new characters may have to be brought in. The next comedy convention I’ll be analysing from “Phoenix Nights” is parody and see if this technique is as successful.
Parody is used throughout “Phoenix Nights” as a mocking imitation of other characters. Character parody is used in “Phoenix Nights” as a source
of amusement. The majority of characters in “Phoenix Nights” are based on different aspects of people’s personalities, and the comical points of which are exaggerated. For example, Jerry is presented as a hypochondriac or Den Perry, the big business man and ‘gangster’. Peter Kay does this as it means the audience can relate to some of the characters and maybe even distinguish themselves in some characters. Throughout, phoenix night Brian Potter is seen parodying politicians and their speeches e.g. “I believe that children are the future”. Brian Potter treats the children to a portable toilet transformed into a playroom named big pink paradise, this is laughable as he just described children as the future but then gives them a health hazard. As with other politicians Brian Potters speeches are full of empty promises and one liners used to stir the crowd that will never be used again. This is humorous as Brian is rather comparable to other politicians as they make promises they know cant keep similar to Brian Potter. Finally, in “Phoenix Nights” parody is used towards situations and people’s reactions. One of the only characters not included in the character parody is Brian Potter. Parody in “Phoenix Nights” comes not from the character itself but from the way people react to him. His disability is mentioned throughout phoenix night but it’s peoples reactions to it that is truly humorous. For example, their insensitivity towards Brians wheelchair. An example is in the courtroom scene where Brian is seen not managing to get up the stairs and no passer bys help him. Generally, I think parody is quite successful in “Phoenix Nights” and can be maintained in years to come. Finally, the last comic convention I will be analysing is puns and innuendos and observe if this can successfully create humour in phoenix night.
Puns and innuendos are used in many different comedy for example in friends Ross and Joe express “its over” this is an innuendo as it makes them sound homosexual. British find innuendos more amusing than other cultures perhaps because the British don’t opening talk about sexual subjects. Throughout “Phoenix Nights” using puns and innuendos creates humour. “Disguarded fag” is an example; the fireman says a “fag” was the cause of the fire. This is humorous because of Brians misinterpretation of the word “fag” he thinks its referring to an homosexual as he says “a queers burnt the club down” although Brian doesn’t realise he has misinterpreted it. Overall, the humour of this scene is from the successful big lead up and how it shows the contrast in age physically and mentally. Additionally, in Blackpool a innuendo is used “your working him from behind” this is a juxtaposition and shows the difference between what you see and what you hear, as your more likely to hear this phrase from younger people. A midshot is used so that the audience can focus on what the characters are saying and not the surroundings. Brian misses the innuendo there could be two possible explanations for this either Brians silly and didn’t get the innuendo, or he is so used to this kind of conversation. Cohesion is also used as Brian mocks homosexuals right through but there he is talking in a homosexual manner. In general, Peter Kay uses puns and innuendos to successfully create humour, although sometimes they’re politically incorrect this is the reason why innuendos are funny as it’s the only time many British people can laugh and talk about subjects they wouldn’t normally discuss. All of the comic conventions in “Phoenix Nights” are successful in their own ways.
Overall, “Phoenix Nights” is a humorous, comical comedy with great comic techniques that amuses many different audiences. Since “Phoenix Nights” more comedies have started as a result of it e.g. “Max and Paddy”. Maybe this is due to the popularity of some characters or the reason that all the other characters had been stretched to the maximum. In my view peter Kay has used some techniques in a more clever subtle way to make it amusing, whereas some techniques are used in a more obvious to make it hilarious. Consequently, I think maybe some of Peter Kays humour could be exhausted in years to come, in addition some of his comedy may perhaps insult people the further Peter Kay makes his comedy politically incorrect or perhps, as a society, we are becoming boredof this kind of “correctness”.
