In the last few days, as I stated before, I have been interviewing different performers of comedy, both professional and amateur, and covering them as re-energized my passion for the world of humour. It will take time to transcribe and then edit these interviews but the effort will be worth it. I have watched and spoken with 50-year veterans of manzai, a foreign amateur rakugoka (storyteller), and even went to see a comedy show held at a public bath. I will also soon talk with a female rakugoka (a rarity in a male-dominated art) to get her perspective, It just shows me once again how varied the comedy world can be and how different people connect with the art, as performers and audience members. Humour is indeed an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Toward the end of my effort to earn a PhD I found myself bogged down by theory and seemed to loose my way. Theory certainly has it's place in research and new discoveries require it but I found myself cut-off from the performers and audiences that were so much behind my reasoning to choose the comedy world as my realm of research. I can't wait to get these interviews down and share their unique viewpoints! Time to get back to work.
To tide you over until I get them uploaded here is a hilarious skit by the duo Rose Hip Funny Funny act out an epic battle between a sushi chef and a kappa, a mythical (or is it?) Japanese creature who loves cucumber and lives in rivers.
