Post #1: Asian Provocateur

When asked to find one single clip I've watch recently to write about, it took me a long time to settle on one, however, Asian Provocateur, a British show affectionately named after the lingerie brand, ended up being the best choice. This show is about Romesh, a comedian son of Sri Lankan immigrants who has lived in the UK his entire life. The series revolves around him going on a trip to his parents' home country, where in learning the culture he runs into crazy relatives and, obviously, crazy situations. Romesh's dry delivery and obvious disinterest in what is going on around him makes the show uniquely hilarious. One of the most memorable of these antics is when he learns, at the insitance of his mom, to learn to drive a tuk-tuk, a very common form of transportation in Sri Lanka. While learning to drive the tiny vehicle, Romesh comments on the rundown nature of the vehicle and keeps a straight face as the driving instructor tells him he will have to use his smart phone as a side mirror.

Reading the articles, especially the "theories of humor" article, helped show me why I though this scene was funny. There were elements of the superiority theory, in both thinking about someone like Romesh, a man who doesn't seem to find much joy in anything, having to participate in an especially dreadful situation. As well, seeing someone like Romesh so out of his element does also interplay with the incongruity theory.

The link below is to the clip of Romesh learning to drive, however, if you can, find the whole show online. It's hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6vMMug-nJo