Laugh Your Stress Away With These TV Shows

The current pandemic has been very stressful for many people around the world. Uncertainties in employment, increased job stress, academic stress and worry about the spread of the coronavirus and contracting the disease have been a few worries plaguing the minds of many people across the globe. Too much of stress and worrying is bad for both the physical well-being of the body and mental health of the psyche.

It is important to occasionally take a step back from the various problems and worries in life and destress. What better way to do it than with some laughter? The saying ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’ is actually more than just that. Some of the benefits of laughter are:

It is a mood booster– Laughing releases endorphins. Endorphins are hormones which are responsible for the feeling of happiness and pleasure. The more a person laughs, the more endorphins get produced, which consequently lead to more happiness
It protects the body from effects of stress– When you laugh, your body’s stress response gets activated and then gets reduced. This causes a increase and subsequent decrease in the blood pressure and the heart rate
It gives a boost to the immune system– Prolonged stress and tension can compromise the immune system. Laughter decreases its effects thus strengthening your immune system
It protects the heart– Laughing lowers blood pressure, increases blood flow and improves the functioning of blood vessels.

Laugh your way to good health with these five American sitcoms:

Friends

No list of the best American sitcoms would be complete without this iconic series. ‘Friends’ narrates the story of a group of six friends – Monica Geller, Rachel Green, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Ross Geller. The series follows their daily ups and downs. The series ran for a decade- from 1994 to 2004. Although some of the jokes and situations may be lost to a lack of relevancy in current times, the humorous situations the characters go through will make you laugh out loud.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Ever thought that a comedy cop series couldn’t exist? Brooklyn Nine-Nine is here to prove you wrong! As the name suggests, it’s based in the fictional 99^th precinct of Brooklyn, as follows the daily lives of a group of New York Police Department personnel. The shenanigans they get into will have you in stitches the whole time! Season 8, which will also be the final season, comes out on the 12^th of August, you might want to catch up on the story till then!

Modern Family

Tired of seeing dramatic family soap operas? Itching for a family-based show with laughter, heartfelt moments and light-heartedness? Give Modern Family a chance. The show follows the life of the families of Jay Pritchett, his daughter Claire Dunphy and his son Mitchell Pritchett. The show is filmed in a mockumentary style, which further enhances its comedic value.

The Big Bang Theory

Love science? Love comedy too? Don’t worry, the Big Bang Theory’s got you covered! This sitcom is centered around five friends- physicists Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter, their neighbor Penny who is an aspiring actress and their co-workers, astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali and aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz and the various humorous situations they experience with each other, their co-workers and other friends.

Young Sheldon

Couldn’t get enough of the Big Bang Theory? Loved Sheldon? Did you want to know more about him and want to see more of him? Watch Young Sheldon! The series is a spin-off acting as a prequel to The Big Bang Theory. The show is a narration of Sheldon about his life as a kid. Follow the hilarious interactions of the child genius and socially inept Sheldon Cooper as he tries to navigate the world!

5 iconic comedy movies that should never have a remake

Our Bollywood Industry is making some groundbreaking films, while on the other hand some writers and directors are remaking the movies that we have grown up watching and ruining our childhood films, like most of them. Movies like Coolie No.1, Judwaa 2 and now Bhool Bhulaiyaa are the examples of recent remakes of the cult movies especially Coolie No.1 and Judwaa 2 are the two movies which were criticised a lot even after directed by the same director David Dhawan.

Though, Bollywood is never gonna stop remaking movies and songs, there are five iconic cult movies that should never be touched from anybody else as they are sheer perfection.

ANDAZ APNA APNA (1994)

This ‘90s multi-starrer is the kind of classic comedy that can be watched and re-watched a zillion times without ever getting bored. Middle-class Amar (Amir Khan) and Prem (Salman Khan) compete for the love of a millionaire’s daughter, Raveena, in the most hilarious of ways.

2. HERA PHERI SERIES

The iconic trio Raju (Akshay Kumar), Shyam (Sunil Shetty), and Baburao (Paresh Rawal) need no introduction. Their wretched plans of making easy money always get tangled up in a mess of their own stupidity, lack of coordination, and multiple groups of antagonists. Literally, every generation has grown up watching these.

3. MUNNA BHAI M.B.B.S (2003)

Munna and Circuit’s rib-tickling jodi is a comedy-drama with just the right amount of masala and romance. No wonder, it’s achieved a cult status followed by an equally hilarious sequel.

4. VICKY DONOR (2012)

Ayushmann Khuranna’s breakthrough into B-Town, Vicky Donor is an unusually funny movie with an equally unconventional plot. It’ll make your jaws ache with laughing too hard while also busting taboos around sperm banks, sexuality, and sexual health.

5. DELHI BELLY

A film worth every last penny, Delhi Belly is downright sensible as well as hilarious. The performances by Tashi (Imran Khan), Arup (Vir Das), and Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapur) is absolutely flawless and the plot hysterical.

A special mention to a film that was first of its kind in India and there would never be a movie like that and there shouldn’t be one, :

GO GOA GONE (2013)

Bollywood’s first full-fledged zombie movie may not have been taken seriously but honestly, it wasn’t meant to be! This movie is every bit chuckle-inducing in the most millennial way and it’s adult content is very very enjoyable.

THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS

Movie : The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Director : Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast : Tim Blake Nelson, Liam Neeson, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Zoe
Kazan, Tyne Daly, Harry Melling, and Tom Waits
Genre : Drama, Crime, Comedy, Western anthology

Six interesting, humorous, grim, vile, and mysterious tales set in the post-Civil War West are gripping enough to carry one through the short stories with plenty of mixed emotions about each, with each having a stronger impact than the others. The theme is thoroughly enjoyable for someone who has closely followed and adored the Coen Brothers’ filmography, with their trademark humor, black as tar, and the intrinsically crafted script. Each tale has a distinct plot mood, ranging from sing-alongs to tender romances to harrowing deaths.

The film is wrapped in death, sudden and terrifying, and it’s very lovely. The tales are almost fantastical and similar to folklore, befitting the title of it being a “ballad,” just like the time and place it is set in. The eccentric Buster Scruggs is definitely memorable and entertaining, but the audience must be prepared for the rest, because none of them disappoint, and each tale has a different emotional tone. Each tale varies in length from 10 to 40 minutes, but each one evolves in terms of character and theme just as much as the others.

And it is the director/writer duo’s fun-filled mastery that they do not depart from the storey while also delivering unforgettable characters from each. The Ballad delivers what the Coen Brothers have delivered over the past three decades, masterful storytelling at its finest, from jolly singing to unsettling, and a beautiful ode to the classic westerns while still being a part of them.

COMEDY

Comedy is an art form to entertain people with funny content. Comedy makes people laugh or at least it removes the frown from a gloomy face. Comedy is often expressed in many forms mainly through books, theatre, film, television and stand-up comedy. Comedy is always done at the expense of someone or something. Sometimes the comedian makes fun of himself to make others laugh or he might make fun of someone else. So if comedy hurts your feeling in any way, laugh it off. Comedy too, has its limits on how far the comedian takes a joke. It must always be funny or at least help you relax but never make you feel uncomfortable.

Being a comedian is a tough task because he must always keep coming up with new ideas and not keep performing the same routine repeatedly. A comedian must have the ability to read the room and must always adapt instantly.

Comedy is of multiple genres based on the source of humor, the method of delivery and its context. Most of the comedy fits into multiple genres. Let us see few genres below:

Farce: Farce is a comedy that entertains people through situations that are highly exaggerated and improbable. It is characterized by physical humor, drunkenness and use of deliberate absurdity. It is usually written for the stage. Few examples in this category are mockery of rich people, mistaken identity and constant falling depicting that the person is drunk.

Comedy of manners: This comedy deals with the behavior of people. This type of comedy has a satiric tone to it. The comedian uses witty language to expose the unwanted hype and proudness of the upper-class society. The basic abstract of this genre in that even though the upper-class people give a vibe that they are better than others, they too are immoral; they too live a life full of scandals.

Burlesque: This type of comedy is intended to cause humor by mocking something or an issue with a serious note. Here the comedian imitates a serious subject in a comic and humorous way. Parody is the best example. This version has two types; high burlesque, where a dignified subject is portrayed as low or undignified version whereas the low burlesque portrays a subject of low importance as highly important. Some examples are parody movies, for example “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is an emotional movie whereas “The Epic Movie” is its parody version.

Satire: This category is something which is more witty than comical. Here the main purpose is to ridicule the actions of individuals, organizations or even government where the comedian is emphasizing on their mistakes and corrupt nature. This is meant as a constructive social criticism to draw attention from the concerned parties. This is achieved by ironic statements or statements that are sarcastic. This is often found in memes or television shows like daily news or other such programs.

Romantic Comedy: This is not a type of comedy that makes you fall down in laughter; this is more of a smile or slight giggle at the expense of two individuals involved in a romantic relationship. How they meet and how they get involved is the basic storyline. The plot is a lighthearted humorous plot. This genre always has a good ending, one which the viewer or reader desires. Rom-com movies or sitcoms belong to this genre.

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