The absurd "comedic" elements ruined the movie

I disagree completely on the comedic aspects of Cabiria. It's a bit absurd sometimes, but it didn't ruin the film because the absurdity of her humor is supposed to be intentional. It's largely the reason why the other prostitutes see her as not fit for marriage. Even though there is mutual respect between them all, one can tell that she's not taken seriously as an adult, and her fits (resembling more like temper tantrums) go ignored by her peers. Cabiria's personality has some childishness to it, and this is not lost on the director, as is made clear by her temper tantrums, her tendency to randomly dance sometimes, and one specific scene midway through the film. The scene I'm referring to happens when the popular filmmaker walks Cabiria out of his extravagant home after she'd been forced to hide in his bathroom all night. As she walks out she sees his girl lying on his bed, and the cut back to her reaction lets us know that she is envious of her status. Cabiria sees her as a true woman but sees herself as a child in comparison. The shot that ends the scene solidifies this idea by showing her silhouette as she walks down the stairs. Her silhouetted form takes on the small appearance of a child, and indeed him handing her some cab fare makes it look like a father sending his child off for the day.

Also, was this your first Fellini film? I ask because you said you went into it expecting a serious drama. That's not what Fellini does. Make no mistake, there is great drama to be found in his films, but the drama never takes up the whole film; it's never layered on so thick that it becomes just another genre piece. Nonstop drama makes for a tiresome story, and Fellini likes to diffuse his drama with often ironic humor.

I hope my post helps in some way to clarify why the humor was the way it was.

I disagree. Her dancing at the club and in the streets was supposed to show us her character and the fact that she was unconventional in her outlook and behavior. Her dancing in the club was intended to show that she definitely did not fit in with the more staid, "cultured" people at the club. The scene reinforces to us that Cabiria is an outsider there, both in social status and in temperment.

My real name is Jeff

But isn't life absurdly comedic sometimes too? Why would it not get depicted on fim if it's part of life itself too? This movie is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, an icon in Film history.

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-You won't forget me now?

-No. I've got nobody else to remember.