Research Proposal (Revised)
Originating as far back as Ancient Greece, comedy is a popular and long-standing form of entertainment that has branched out into numerous subgenres. Like many people, I have developed an interest in comedy. Although I do not really have plans to try to perform in something comedic, I still enjoy watching and experiencing it because I like to laugh. Due to things like Chappelle’s Show, Monty Python, and Saturday Night Live, sketch comedy has become one of my favorite forms of comedy. As I have a close friend who is currently a member of a sketch comedy team at the University of Florida, I plan on researching what her team does to communicate within itself and with its audience. The question I am researching to answer is “What important texts are within the sketch comedy community at UF, what genre do those texts belong to, how do they function within the community, and what kind of impact do they have on the community and its audience overall?” To start my research, I plan on interviewing my friend and hopefully a few other members of her team that have been on the team longer and potentially more involved with its communication. The interview(s) will help me learn more about the community from a more personal perspective and help me identify some important texts. From there, I will be able to research the more specific things I will learn about the community so that I will be able to answer my question.