 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2023) |
A blackout gag is a kind of joke in broad, rapid-fire slapstick comedy. The term is derived from burlesque and vaudeville, when the lights were quickly turned off after the punchline of a joke to accentuate it and encourage audience laughter. It may use a shock value to define the joke, and may not be initially noticeable to all viewers if it is a very fast joke.
"A blackout gag and a moment's silence provide the transition to the next scene"[1]
It is distinguished from an iris shot, frequently used in the silent film era, where a black circle closes to end a scene.
The term blackout gag can also apply to fast-paced television or film comedy, such as Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, where there may not literally be a blackout, but a quick cut to the next gag.[2]
- ^ Salda, Michael N. (31 July 2013). Arthurian Animation: A Study of Cartoon Camelots on Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-7468-4.
... A blackout gag and a moment's silence provide the transition to the next scene: a pile of scrap armor that fills the screen as Freleng and Pierce recall Twain's grotesque "The Battle of ...
- ^ Shull, Richard K. (November 30, 1991). "Williams Was Mainstay Of 'Chiefs'". Ocala Star-Banner. Ocala, Florida. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
Recently I saw him on TV in a blackout gag. Pizza deliveryman asked. "Who had anchovies and who had plain?" Herve stepped forward and declared, "De plen! De plen!"