Straight man
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in preparatory dialog with the principal comedian; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy. |
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The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, a straight man's response may range from aplomb to outrage, or from patience to frustration, but never laughter, making the partner look all the more ridiculous by being completely serious. The ability to maintain a serious demeanor in the face of even the most preposterous comedy is crucial to a successful straight man. Whatever direct contribution to the comedy a straight man provides usually comes in the form of deadpan. A straight man with no direct comedic role has historically been known as a stooge.
In vaudeville, effective straight men were much less common than comedians. The straight man's name usually appeared first and he usually received 60% of the take. This helped take the sting out of not being the laugh-getter and helped ensure the straight man's loyalty to the team. Abbott and Costello, one of America's most popular comedy duos of the 1940s and 50s in radio, film and television, began as nightclub performers when the straight-faced Bud Abbott contrasted against the bumbling Lou Costello.
The role is still found today in sitcoms. In the manzai comedy of Japan, the straight man is called tsukkomi.
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Examples
Film
- Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues in The Blues Brothers
- Dan Aykroyd as Sgt. Joe Friday in Dragnet
- Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz in Ghostbusters
- Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Emil Sitka in various productions of The Three Stooges
- Graham Chapman in the Monty Python films and television show
- Jay Baruchel as Kevin Sandusky in Tropic Thunder
- Julia Sawalha as Ginger in Chicken Run
- Ng Man-tat in every Stephen Chow's mo lei tau films (up to Shaolin Soccer)
- Ray Romano as Manny in Ice Age film series
- Zeppo Marx of the Marx Brothers
TV and radio
- Alex Karpovsky as Raymond "Ray" Ploshansky in Girls
- Andre Braugher as Captain Ray Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Andy Griffith (as Sheriff Andy Taylor) of The Andy Griffith Show
- Andy Lee of Hamish and Andy
- Audrey Meadows (as Alice Kramden) in The Honeymooners
- Bea Arthur (as Dorothy Zbornak) in Golden Girls
- Bernardine Flynn (as Sade) on Vic and Sade
- Bert, Kermit the Frog, Mr. Johnson, and Prairie Dawn of Sesame Street
- Bert Newton in The Graham Kennedy Show
- Bob Balaban in Waiting for Guffman
- Bob Newhart (as Dr. Robert Hartley) in The Bob Newhart Show
- Bud Abbott of Abbott and Costello
- Cathy Lewis, both as Jane Stacy on My Friend Irma and as Molly McGee on the television version of Fibber McGee and Molly
- Charles McCord on Imus in the Morning
- Cheryl Hines as Cheryl David in Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Chester Lauck (as Lum Edwards) in Lum and Abner
- Christopher Ryan as Mike "The-Cool-Person" in The Young Ones
- Clive Swift (as Richard Bucket) in Keeping Up Appearances
- Dan Rowan of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
- David Mitchell as (Mark Corrigan) in Peep Show
- Dean Martin of Martin and Lewis
- Dermot Morgan as Father Ted Crilly in Father Ted
- Dick Smothers of The Smothers Brothers
- Don Lane in The Don Lane Show
- Ernie Wise of Morecambe and Wise
- Gary Sandy (as Andy Travis) in WKRP in Cincinnati
- George Burns of Burns and Allen
- Hannibal Buress of The Eric Andre Show
- Harvey Korman often played straight man to Tim Conway, on The Carol Burnett Show, although Korman was notorious for barely being able to restrain his laughter at Conway's performances.
- James May in Top Gear
- Jason Bateman (as Michael Bluth) in Arrested Development
- Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld
- John Krasinski (as Jim Halpert) in The Office (U.S. TV series)
- Julian of Trailer Park Boys
- Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog in The Muppet Show
- Joel McHale (as Jeff Winger) in Community
- Lamont in Sanford and Son
- Lars Mjøen on KLM KLM (humortrio) Template:Interlanguage link multi
- Marian Driscoll Jordan (as Molly McGee) on Fibber McGee and Molly
- Mark Duplass (as Pete Eckhart) in The League
- Martin Crane of Frasier
- Martin Freeman (as Tim Canterbury) in The Office (UK TV series)
- Mary Tyler Moore (as Mary Richards) in The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Mike Grady as Ken Mills in Citizen Smith
- Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy
- Patricia Heaton (as Debra Barone) in Everybody Loves Raymond
- Rashida Jones (as Ann Perkins) and Adam Scott (as Ben Wyatt) in Parks and Recreation
- Richard Deacon (as Mel Cooley) in The Dick Van Dyke Show
- Richard Karn (as Al Borland) of Home Improvement
- Rodney Trotter and Herman Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in Only Fools and Horses
- Roger Barkley of Lohman and Barkley
- Ron Landry of Hudson & Landry
- Sadie Marks (as Mary Livingstone) on The Jack Benny Program
- Scott Adsit (as Pete Hornberger) in 30 Rock
- Seth Macfarlane (as Brian Griffin on Family Guy
- Simon Bird (as Will McKenzie) in The Inbetweeners
- Stephen Mangan (as Arthur Conan Doyle) in Houdini & Doyle
- Steve Blackman (with Al Snow) in the World Wrestling Federation
- Steve Snapper Jones of NBA on NBC
- Stewart Lee of Lee and Herring
Comic strips
- Asterix in Asterix
- Blondie Bumstead in Blondie
- Blondin in Blondin et Cirage.
- Sergeant Chesterfield in Les Tuniques Bleues.
- Chick Bill in Chick Bill.
- Darryl McPherson in Baby Blues
- Fantasio and later Léon Prunelle in Gaston.
- Piet Fluwijn in Piet Fluwijn en Bolleke.
- Léonie Gratin in L'Élève Ducobu.
- Hannes in De Geuzen.
- Hobbes in Calvin and Hobbes.
- Hendrik Ijzerbroot in Agent 327.
- Jon Arbuckle in Garfield
- Johan in Johan and Peewit.
- Jommeke in Jommeke.
- Gil Jourdan in Gil Jourdan.
- Lucky Luke in Lucky Luke.
- Piet Pienter in Piet Pienter en Bert Bibber.
- Fritzi Ritz in Nancy.
- Shermy, and later Franklin, in Peanuts. (As the humor of Peanuts was always low-key, most of the characters could serve as a straight man in any given situation.)
- Spirou in Spirou & Fantasio.
- Suske in Suske en Wiske.
- Tintin in The Adventures of Tintin.
- Tom Puss in Tom Puss.
- Detective Van Zwam in The Adventures of Nero.
- Wanda McPherson in Baby Blues
- Zoon in Vader & Zoon.
Animated cartoons
- Belldandy and Keiichi Morisato in Oh My Goddess!
- Boo-Boo Bear in Yogi Bear.
- Edd ("Double D") of Ed, Edd n Eddy
- Fee Anderson of Oh! Family
- Cornfed of Duckman
- Frylock of Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- Gromit of Wallace and Gromit franchise
- Kurogane of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
- Lana Kane of Archer
- Raven of Teen Titans Go.
- Rito Yuuki of To Love-Ru
- Mickey Mouse in eponymous film and television series
- Midori Yamabuki in Dr. Slump
- Bob Belcher in Bob's Burgers
- Benson Dunwoody in Regular Show
- Diane Nguyen of BoJack Horseman
- Porky Pig in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies
- Russel Hobbs from Gorillaz
- Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons
- Marco Diaz of Star vs. the Forces of Evil
- Shinpachi Shimura in Gintama
- Morty Smith in Rick and Morty
- Mr. Gus of Uncle Grandpa
- Lincoln Loud in Loud House
- Rocky the Flying Squirrel of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
- Jerry Smith in Rick and Morty
- Lori Loud in Loud House
- Squidward Tentacles of SpongeBob SquarePants
- Stan Marsh and Kyle Broflovski of South Park
- Hissy in Puppy Dog Pals
See also
