Melee_Sovereign wrote: ↑Thu May 30, 2019 2:32 pm
ABED wrote: ↑Thu May 30, 2019 2:22 pm
Why wouldn't you include the rest of the story as part of your argument?
Because I also don't do that to label DB as funny. And neither do you, for that matter. So I say, keep the criteria consistent (or better yet, nonrestrictive) for all offhand adjectives.
Nonsense. It's not about being restrictive, it's about not dropping context. If someone asked me if I thought DB was funny, I would say yes. If they asked for more, I might say "it's more gag driven in the beginning, becomes more earnest over the course of the series, less reliant on overt gags, but still very quirky, until the final arc when it becomes balls out bonkers - pink bubble gum monster, kids who fight using weird exploding ghost attacks, and one of the heroes turns into a candy and still beats the hell out of the villain." If someone asked if it was dark, I would say "there are darker stretches, but overall, it's a fairly light hearted, silly show with a lot of action". That gives a more complete and accurate picture than a terse "It's fairly dark."
There's a hell of a lot more reason to think DB as funny than think it's even just "fairly dark". Toriyama names his characters after food and underwear. A wise old martial arts master thinks puns are the heighth of comedy.
Who would you be keeping the criteria consisent for? When I say DB is funny it's because I think throughout the run of the story, it's very funny. If someone asked me if Breaking Bad was funny, that would be different. I would assume they know it wasn't a comedy and were asking if there was enough levity. Saying "yes" wouldn't be enough. I would have to clarify my statement and say "It's a very dark show and there's enough humor in it and where it's appropriate to keep it entertaining, and not existentially depressing."
It's not about consistency, it's about context and assumptions.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take - Wayne Gretzky" - Michael Scott
Happiness is climate, not weather.