Engineering:Blackout gag

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Short description: Comedy technique where a gag closes immediately after the punchline


A blackout gag is a kind of joke in broad, rapid-fire slapstick comedy. The term is derived from burlesque and vaudeville, when the lights were quickly turned off after the punchline of a joke to accentuate it and encourage audience laughter. It may use a shock value to define the joke, and may not be initially noticeable to all viewers if it is a very fast joke.

"A blackout gag and a moment's silence provide the transition to the next scene"[1]

It is distinguished from an iris shot, frequently used in the silent film era, where a black circle closes to end a scene.

The term blackout gag can also apply to fast-paced television or film comedy, such as Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, where there may not literally be a blackout, but a quick cut to the next gag.[2]

See also

  • One-line joke

Sources

References

  1. ↑ Salda, Michael N. (31 July 2013) (in en). Arthurian Animation: A Study of Cartoon Camelots on Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-7468-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=EWQsAAAAQBAJ&pg=PP1&dq=%22Blackout+gag%22&. "... A blackout gag and a moment's silence provide the transition to the next scene: a pile of scrap armor that fills the screen as Freleng and Pierce recall Twain's grotesque "The Battle of ..." 
  2. ↑ Shull, Richard K. (November 30, 1991). "Williams Was Mainstay Of 'Chiefs'" (in en). Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, Florida). https://books.google.com/books?id=VEQxAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=%22Blackout+gag%22. "Recently I saw him on TV in a blackout gag. Pizza deliveryman asked. "Who had anchovies and who had plain?" Herve stepped forward and declared, "De plen! De plen!"" 

External links