Umberto Eco’s definition of the ‘comic effect’ in relation to the carnival follows a specific formula based on the breaking of a certain rule by a somewhat ignoble character. The concept of a ‘rule’ is all-encompassing; these rules can be related to anything from social norms to genuine law-breaking. However, in witnessing this rule-breaking, the audience feels a certain superiority, and thus a subsequent welcoming of this rule-break. (2)
Upon reading this, I immediately thought of the character Matthew “Rickety Cricket” Mara from the satirical show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Matthew used to go to school with most of the members of the ‘gang’ – the recurring group around which the show is centred – and even had a crush on Dee. Regardless, all of the gang members are meant to represent the lowest rings of society, and as such, they often berate and try to humiliate Matthew. Once a priest, upon reconnecting with Dee, Matthew becomes part of their heinous misdemeanors, usually the only one facing consequences.
As seen in the clip, since his first appearance on the show, Matthew abandons his faith when Dee lies that she is in love with him – as he once was with her – so she can get him to buy her drugs, consequently he gets addicted to drugs, engages in a multitude of crimes, and many more grotesque behaviors.
The concept of the ‘grotesque,’ as applied by Mikhail Bakhtin in his Introduction, is yet another seemingly vague term, but it has its roots in a certain level of connecting to the more hidden parts of humanity: the idea of death, rebirth, engaging with all bodily capacities, and basically pushing all elements to the extreme (19).
Bakhtin discusses the grotesque’s transformative appeal, specifically regarding “degradation” (19). The physical and mental degradation that Matthew faces can be first exemplified through his dehumanization; yet another concept that Bakhtin argues as integral to the comic effect of the grotesque. Throughout the series, Matthew is mainly referred to as Rickety Cricket. This is a reference to the disability he had as a child, and quite simply a mean nickname from the gang. As the show continues, Cricket becomes covered in burns, has missing teeth, and is somehow constantly infected.
Whether the audience realizes it or not, it becomes easy to forget Cricket’s real name and even easier to become disappointed at the thought of his potential redemption. Therefore, Cricket’s arc adapts Eco’s logic succinctly, as his comedy is derived from humiliation, transgression, and the sense of an audience’s detached amusement.
Umberto Eco, “The frames of comic ‘freedom’,” Carnival (Amsterdam: de Gruyter, 1989), 1-9.
Mikhail Bakhtin, “Introduction,” Rabelais and His World (Bloomington: Indiana, 1984), 4-30.