[Humorous Comedy, "Yin-Yang Rose Pen", "Kill Two Birds with One Stone", "Mixed Amusement and Embarrassment"]

Nantai

Humorous comedy is even more challenging to craft than satirical comedy. Satirical comedy often involves twists and turns, but typically only one twist, aiming to "hit the nail on the head" with sharp criticism. In contrast, humorous comedy employs what can be described as the "Yin-Yang Rose Pen"—a technique that achieves "killing two birds with one stone." It often presents a duality of perspectives, as if "a single stroke divides Yin and Yang, laying bare the dual paths of black and white before one’s eyes," evoking a feeling of "neither purely black nor white, yet both black and white; seeming black yet resembling white." This leaves the audience chuckling at the crossroads of these dual paths, marveling at the author’s ingenuity in "killing two birds with one stone."

Take, for example, a plot from the humorous comedy novel Having No Choice but to Be an Official. The protagonist, Gao Ju, is originally an incompetent good-for-nothing. By chance, he marries the older unmarried niece of a member of the county standing committee. With the care and support of his young father-in-law, he lands a lowly, insignificant official position. However, everyone looks down on him. Determined to prove his worth, stand out, and win the respect of those who disdain him, he racks his brains for ways to excel. But his muddle-headed mind (referred to humorously as his "Q-brother brain," implying muddled thinking) fails to come up with any good ideas. In the end, he resorts to changing his name to "Gao Ju [Uphold] the Great Red Flag of ××× Thought and March Forward Courageously"—a 15-character name, the longest in the entire county. Finally, he claims a "county-wide first," only to be met with widespread ridicule when he reveals his new name.

Observe this: Gao Ju’s desire to excel is like a blooming flower (a positive intent); yet, his attempt to turn this "flower" into tangible success ends in humiliation—a reflection of the "rose with thorns" in the "Rose Pen" metaphor. His aspiration to improve himself is the "Yin" (positive side), while his ridiculous method inadvertently sullies his image, representing the "Yang" (negative side)—thus embodying the "Yin-Yang Pen." This single plot accomplishes two things simultaneously: it reveals that the protagonist is not a bad person and still harbors the ambition to make progress; yet, it also exposes his ignorance and incompetence, as his attempt to be clever backfires, leading to greater embarrassment. This is precisely "killing two birds with one stone."

Such is the "Yin-Yang Rose Pen" that achieves "killing two birds with one stone." Most people might find this plot similar to the example cited earlier when discussing "satirical comedy." So, what distinguishes the two—why is one called satire and the other humor? The key lies in the difference between "catching one fish with a single hook" (satire) and "killing two birds with one stone" (humor). Consider Fan Jin (from classic Chinese satire) refusing to use ivory chopsticks: his goal is to pretend to be a filial son, yet he proceeds to stuff shrimp meatballs into his mouth. This allows readers to see through his pretense as hypocrisy—his stated goal and the outcome observed by readers align, both conveying a negative judgment. This is "catching one fish with a single hook." In contrast, Gao Ju’s goal is a sincere desire to excel and stand out, but the result only highlights his foolishness. His goal and the outcome are contradictory, achieving "killing two birds with one stone," and the portrayal carries neither pure negation nor pure affirmation.

"Killing two birds with one stone" is more difficult than "catching one fish with a single hook," which is why humorous comedy is harder to create than satirical comedy. However, the most challenging of all is the "praise-through-play comedy," which aims to "shoot three arrows or catch four eagles with one bow" (achieving multiple layered effects).

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67, Ningxia, March 27, 2025, 05:52