Why is puke funny?


I have never understood why vomit is so hilarious to people these days. I realize that the gross out factor is funny sometimes, but I find that movies like this that have repeated scenes of projectile vomiting take what could have been wonderful & funny and turn it into cheap laughs or even utter garbage. I wanted to like this movie so much, but the oceans and oceans of puke just ruined it for me. I can't see how the movie was made any better by adding all of that. Why couldn't it have just been a little bit of barf in that beginning scene, instead of such a grotesque regurgitation, seemingly of everything the girl had ever eaten in her life? Just my opinion, but I'm sure someone will have to comment & say I'm wrong. Oh well.

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I didn't get it either - but then, the whole field of "potty humour" isn't really my thing no matter the context. Particularly, it seemed like an odd thing to do to stick a clearly "hyperbolic special effect", to coin a phrase, which one generally only ever sees in works which have a fantasy component throughout, such as over-the-top action movies or horror-comedies, into a film that's otherwise perhaps sometimes a bit improbable but very much set in the real world.

Makes no sense.

Now, Lilly's "puke-angel", I did find mildly funny-while-gross. Perhaps because that off-note of unreality was absent; perhaps because an actual idea was present, rather than just the exaggerated depiction of a bodily function - I dunno. :)

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puke is only "potty humor" if you have good aim...



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I guess neither of you seen Exorcist? That's just sad

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So, you're asserting that the puke scenes in "Pitch Perfect" are supposed to derive their humourous value more from that pop culture reference and less from a puerile gross-equals-funny mindset? If I missed your point, please elucidate.

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Do you think actual person vomit like that?

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Do you not understand the meaning of words like "grotesque", "hyperbole", and "exaggeration"?

No, never mind - whereas I'm sure we could keep this facetious, pseudo-Socratic exchange going indefinitely, I'm thinking that if you'd relent and simply explained your thinking in a bit more detail, you'd stand a better chance of carrying your point. Pretty please? :)

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Why wouldn't you think Exorcist style of vomiting "hyperbole," and "exaggeration" is funny.

You asked why is puke funny?
The answer would be: Because it's in Exorcist style of vomiting, or if you prefer it's portray as "grotesque", "hyperbole", and "exaggeration." That's why it's funny. I could only assume that one haven't seen Exorcist or do not care for that types of humor to be asking this question. HOwever, if one has seen Exorcist, I would assume they could figure out the vomit is a homage to Exorcist as it has became quite an iconic vomit style, or as your like to say "pop culture." Therefore, you must haven't watched the film, which is quite sad.

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Assumption -> Conclusion -> Assertion.

That's what you're doing there, over and over. No corroboration, no consideration of alternatives. Children and politicians can get away with that mode of thinking and "reasoning", but it's a bit pathetic in anyone else.

Surely you can do better?

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Do better than what? I was explaining why I wrote the post, as you were asking for it. Basically, you wrote you don't know why the puke is funny and I gave you an answer.

Now, why would someone not understand why Exorcist style puke is funny? As it has been done before in bunch of other comedies.
Is the person unintelligent, illogical, lack imagination? I sure hope not. So I gave you the benefit of doubt and wrote....ahhhh they just haven't watched the original, Exorcist, yet, again that would be sad.

Apparently I was wrong to gave you the benefit of doubt, it seems like you are aruging you have seen the movie. Then, well sure you could do better than that. Do your own analysis next time, think before you write. It'll work out much better, given that you are able to do the analysis yourself, hopefully.

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Yes, I have seen the Exorcist, as a matter of fact. However, I didn't think it was funny in that movie either. I think there was too much vomit in that movie as well, although (in my opinion) puke is more suited to a horror film than a comedy, so it fit better in that movie. But just because a gimmick or effect was in a movie of cultural significance before, that doesn't automatically make it funny... Not to me, anyway. That would be like saying that since the original "I Spit on Your Grave" had a woman slicing off a man's penis, that it would be funny to show it in a movie now.

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Also I feel that it is a little insulting to people in general, as if the writer/director is thinking that society is so un-evolved and moronic that the only kind of humor we can "get" are pee, poop, and puke humor. Of course, I wasn't expecting Woody Allen-type, tongue in cheek, dry humor from a movie like this, but damn... I just think they overdid it.

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Projectile vomiting is one symptom of a brain tumor.

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I do not see it as a reference to "The Exorcist" either. And it is not funny in "The Exorcist". There have been other films that have used vomiting as "funny". This is closer, in reference, to Monty Python.

It's a matter of opinion whether or not this kind of humor is funny. Sometimes it makes me laugh, but usually not--as in this case. For those who find bodily functions comedic, I am guessing this was a laugh riot.

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I'm sure Pitch Perfect was directing itself to a demographic of film enthusiasts who have seen the Exorcist and make the direct conclusion that the scene is in some way paying homage to it.

Lets be honest they were trying to make 12 year old kids laugh.

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I guess neither of you seen Exorcist? That's just sad

So are you saying that you thought the scene in the Exorcist was for comical value? Did you actually watch the whole movie?

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Yeah, I agree. The vomit scene at the beginning was fine and worked because we didn't really see much of it. But the one towards the end was just stupid.

Puke/puking can be funny, if done right. I think just near puking/gagging is even funnier, at least in the two examples I can think of: Dumb & Dumber, with Lloyd, and especially It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia where Dee almost vomits on stage while doing stand-up. I still crack up at her fighting the urge to throw up.

The Aubrey scene was ridiculous and not even remotely amusing.

Couldn't you do something less drastic than sleeping with her? Couldn't you just kill her?

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I totally agree! It's like that saying, "there's a time and place for everything". For example, in Identity Thief, when Melissa McCarthy's character is being arrested and she throws up on the officers, that didn't gross me out hardly at all. Two reasons: One, because it was an appropriate amount, not buckets and buckets. Two, it was such a bright green it looked like she was spitting antifreeze instead of vomiting. It was as tastefully done as it could've been while still actually showing it.

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The over-exaggeration of the sheer amount of vomit was what made it funny. Anyway that was just one joke, and comprised like 30 seconds of the movie, how could it "ruin" the whole thing?

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It ruined the movie for me personally because it made me feel nauseated for hours. And there was more than one instance of it in the movie, not just one. I felt like it was a huge detracting factor in my enjoyment of the movie. But as I said originally I know other people might find it funny, but I really don't. I just find it gross. Usually, when something gross happens in movies such as vomit or diarrhea, it can be funny because people can identify & relate to having experienced that before. But I have never ever puked that amount/volume of vomit before and I've never seen anyone puke that much at one time either (thank goodness).

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Count your blessings, In the last year I've developed stomach problems of some sort. I have very much puked that amount at one time, also projected much like that. Although mine was much more miserable and not funny at all, it is a realistic possibility of puking that much.

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When I see a similar scene I feel like my intelligence is being insulted.
"Do you seriously expect me to be amused by that? Come on! You're not even trying!"
It just ruins my mood thereby ruining the overall experience.

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I don't get it either, but yes comedies have been including it lately(eg. Bridesmaids, What to expect when you're expecting etc.) It just grosses me out. If the second scene wasn't included it would've been so much better.

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who said that the puke was supposed to be funny. I think it was a device to show that aubrey does not necessarily in control but then to show that she could lose control she puked again

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No one said it, but obviously, modern comedic movie writers must think it is, seeing as how the majority of comedies I've seen in the past ten years or so have at least one vomit scene. To be honest I wouldn't have so much of a problem with it if it was at least kept to a believable amount. As I said in another comment, I've never puked that gigantic of an amount of vomit, and never seen anyone else do it either. There's a limit to the amount of liquid/solid matter that the human body can hold, and having an ocean of vomit coming from one person is just not realistic and done specifically for the gross-out factor. I personally find it to be in very poor taste.

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This is how I see it.


On-screen vomiting = Utterly disgusting

Off-screen vomiting = hilarious

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I agree!

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I wouldn't say it ruined the movie but it did detract from my enjoyment. It seems to now have become obligatory to have a puke scene in comedies for the under 30 crowd. I don't get it either.

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I agree and don't get it either.
But I remember a pretty disgusting and seemingly unending vomit scene in Problem Child 20ish years ago (it's the only scene from the movie that has stuck with me - I'm not sorry I've forgotten the rest of that film, but definitely sorry I still very unfortunately remember that scene - I guess it was just /that/ traumatizing) - didn't get how that was supposed to be funny either, but it seems to be a lingering trend. Stop the madness, people! ;)



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