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Maddie: “There isn’t enough money in the world.” Moseby: “I’ll pay you triple your salary.” Maddie: “Apparently there is enough.”

❀❀NEW TAG❀❀ “Instant Hypocrite” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

Wow, this scene is full of examples of tags I hate in the modern shows, but actually done well. Disney overuses “instant hypocrite” jokes so much that you can basically never believe what any character says until you wait to see if there’s a punchline proving them wrong.

So, there’s something that catches my attention pretty often in these shows, and it’s that the actors are, a lot of the time, way better than the script. Now, not to say the script here is bad, but Ashley Tisdale’s performance definitely elevates it to one that makes me laugh every time. We’re gonna see examples of this where the joke is truly horrible and the actor tries their very best, to no avail. That’s why I like to separate “Disney sitcom” from “Disney actors” because the actors are usually a lot more talented than people give them credit for.

#Instant hypocrite #suite life of z and c #disney channel

(before this clip) Maddie calculated the change needed faster than this dinosaur register was able to. Moseby: “You beat the cash register!” He examines the open textbook on the counter. “And you read!”

This is a surprisingly unique example of a type of humor very prevalent in the modern age shows as well.

❀NEW TAG❀ “List Humor” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

Yes, this is a rare case of the 2-item list joke. These are gags that take formats like Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick; Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs; and stuff like that. They’re very simple because they set up your expectations in the format itself. We expect every item on a list to be related under a common theme, and to have either the same impact as one another, or to follow a natural progression either increasing or decreasing severity/importance/whatnot. Almost always, it takes at the very least 2 items to set up an expectation, and a third one or more to knock it down. In this case, however, Mr. Moseby’s excellent delivery of the lines fills in for what’s missing from the text of the joke. From the way he says “You beat the cash register” and then looks at the book (which is hidden from the audience) and starts to say another exclamation, we are meant to expect that whatever Moseby saw in the book impressed him even more about Maddie than the cash register thing. When the thing Moseby is so impressed about turns out to be so mundane, we laugh. That’s good humor.

But don’t you dare think I forgot the subtext of this joke! I will never in my life miss a London Is Dumb!

London Is Dumb +1 Even when she’s not saying anything, she’s getting picked on by comparison. Moseby is impressed with Maddie for reading because London set the bar so unbelievably low. Also, huzzah, the tag takes the lead with 3!

I know, I know, there's another laugh track in this, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why they laughed at “you beat the cash register” initially. Besides that he says it funny, but that’s too broad and vague a category. So I’m going to do the next best thing and categorize it as “stating the obvious.” However, thinking it over, I’m pretty sure that 90% of “audience surrogate” jokes are stating the obvious anyway, and the tags would overlap to a ridiculous degree, so I’m shoving it there.

Audience Surrogate +1

Man oh man, let me tell ya. The crinkle of that brown paper textbook cover brings me way back... They were so much better than those stupid stretchy covers you have to buy! Also, I love Maddie’s expression at the end of the clip :3

#List Humor #London is dumb #Audience surrogate #suite life of z and c #disney channel

London: “When is he gonna realize that education and me... just don’t mix.” Maddie: “Education and I...” London: “Hello! This isn’t about you.”

❀NEW TAG❀ “Wordplay” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

If it would be extremely difficult to impossible to translate the joke into another language, chances are it’s wordplay! And mmm, I love a good wordplay.

And, of course, the second joke is that London misinterpreted Maddie’s line.

London Is Dumb +1 Oh boy, oh boy, this is gonna rocket to the top of the charts in no time!

I really want to say that wordplay is Disney’s strong suit, but their more recent shows have had the disturbing trend of making dorky characters say a deliberately mediocre pun, and then the mediocre-ness itself is the butt of the joke in a weird, half-assed attempt at cringe comedy (which is also much more prominent now iirc). We’ll see though. Regardless, this right here is how you do wordplay! (I like this joke)

#Wordplay #London is dumb #suite life of z and c #disney channel

Moseby: “You are to cease all social activities until your grades improve.” London: “That is so unfair! I have to keep my grades up, but his new wife is allowed to drop out of college?

There are two jokes here, as you can probably tell rather easily: The bait-and-switch of Mr Tipton having a college-aged wife, and London being too stupid to realize why that’s strange.

❀❀❀NEW TAG❀❀❀ “Classic Bait and Switch” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

The bait: “his new wife” The switch: “college”

I specify “classic” because most comedy could be described as some sort of bait and switch, but I want to refer to just this specific type. No gimmicks, just a standard format gag. I guess that would make this, the 9th joke of the show, our very first orthodox joke. And coincidentally, it will also be my first entry into Comedy Canon. That’ll be another just-for-fun tag, meaning basically the exact opposite of the Not A Joke tag. This tag is reserved for goofs that I feel are indisputable. There will be.... not too many of these, I think. It takes more than me laughing to get that tag. This one earned it with its simplicity and uncharacteristically mature subject matter.

Aaand, on the other side of the spectrum...

❀❀NEW TAG❀❀ “London Is Dumb” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

This one’s title isn’t self explanatory like all the rest, but the full explanation wasn’t catchy enough. I’m going to use this tag for jokes that ultimately boil down to a single punchline based on a character’s overly-exaggerated trait. Like, that one girl in A.N.T. Farm with the photographic memory. In this show, the punchline will almost always be “London is dumb” or “London is vain.” You see why I decided to just make the name “London Is Dumb”? Rolls off the tongue a lot better than “Overused character trait running gag” anyway...

My current theory is that this tag will be at least top 5 by the end of this show’s 5 seasons. If we don’t see at least one of these every time London has dialogue, I’ll be surprised.

I don’t think “London Is Dumb” can ever be funny on its own (prove me wrong, Disney!) but when it’s supporting something like this classic bait and switch, I can forgive it. I mean, I’ve placed it into Comedy Canon. Of course I forgive it.

#classic bait and switch #Comedy canon #London is dumb #suite life of z and c #disney channel

London: “I’m off to a gala premiere.” Mr. Moseby hooks her by the arm and they perform a left arm swing as he says... Moseby: “Oh no you’re not...”

Readers, you’re in for a treat. Because this scene is much, much better than the totally disjointed and not too funny cold open. That’s probably because Mr. Moseby has more lines than just screaming in terror. I’m also a fan of all 5 jokes featured within (#8-12). Unless I change my mind before writing those posts, that is.

When looking at examples of [comedy style that must not be named], this kind is overwhelmingly my favorite. The kind where it’s two actors doing something coordinated together. Like the best friends handshake in Spiderman: Homecoming, and I’m sure a ton of other things too. Feel free to message me other examples! Anyway, this little routine Moseby does here and also in the next episode (is it a recurring thing? I don’t remember) is really cute and funny!

Oh wait, I’m doing this in the wrong order. I need to categorize the joke first.

I’m tempted to just make a category called “Mr. Moseby” because the man is so funny on his own most of the time. But that would be a cop out. Well... what I came up with isn’t too much less of one...

❀NEW TAG❀ “Coordination” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

I know it’s lame, but don’t blame me for the things the execs choose to push the laugh track button after. Unless my memory is betraying me, it’s not that infrequent for actors to be doing something particularly coordinated, like a special dance move they practiced together, and the laugh track will go off even when there was no joke. Since this one is actually funny, it’ll reign over all the other weird non-jokes that are soon to populate the category. For now though, it is a lonely kingdom. Metaphor over.

I kind of said my thoughts about the joke prematurely, but I’ll repeat it for the sake of the format I decided to use for these posts. I think it’s real funny and endearing. Mr. Moseby really is the best character. He doesn’t deserve all the shit he has to endure.

#Coordination #suite life of z and c #Mr moseby is the best character in this show #disney channel

Esteban: “Ooh, I can hear the ocean!” Brothers: “Let me hear! Let me hear!”

Ooh, another favorite! (not mine, the writers’) Completely random non sequiturs!

❀❀NEW TAG❀❀ “Non Sequitur” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

To be honest, I think a part of Esteban’s comedy is supposed to be his accent, but that kind of feels like actually mocking someone for something they can’t control, so I want to ignore it.

Final thoughts: It’s not that I think all “so random” humor is bad... But this one kiiind of is. Also, to change the subject, I’ve now finished the first scene before the opening song! We will look back on this moment as historical, you mark my words!

#Non sequitur #suite life of z and c #disney channel

Esteban: “If you thought that was impressive, Mr Moseby... Watch this.” Esteban flips the vase into the air with one hand, causing everybody else to flip as well. Esteban catches the vase flawlessly with the same hand.

Sigh... Maybe it was a bad idea to include Physical Comedy as a category. It’s going to absolutely DOMINATE the charts at this rate. Granted, it is an entire field of comedy unto itself, but I’d assumed there wouldn’t be quite this much... You know what? It’s too easy to write off a lot of jokes as physical comedy, and I’m not going to let myself take the easy road! I’m gonna stop this before it gets too out of hand. Physical comedy, you are officially banished!

Phys com is just a type of comedy anyway, and always needs something else to make it funny. I was naive to include it in the first place.

But now, we move on, into our new physcom-free era of the internet! Phys-what? I already forgot it exists.

(This post is getting out of hand. Quick, Steak, reel it in...)

The characters’ reactions to the throw are undoubtedly the comedic ground zero, so to speak, and none of our existing categories will accept it into their exclusive comedy clubs. You know what that means... (Or not, you probably don’t if you’re seeing my blog for the first time)

❀❀❀NEW TAG❀❀❀ “Sudden Mood Swing” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

Moseby, Mom, and Cody (and Zack, sort of) go from relieved at the vase’s initial rescue → HOLY SHIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING → Relieved again in the span of like 2 seconds.

There are also a lot of very poorly delivered “mood swing” jokes in later shows like a girl getting suddenly angry for a line, or something. Yeah... I have a feeling this tag is gonna get sour fast.

I hardly think this even qualifies as a “joke” really... But it’s not stupid enough to deserve the “not a joke” tag, but I don’t have anything to say about it. So I’ll just... end the post.

#Sudden Mood Swing #suite life of z and c #i wonder if adding real tags will get people to look at my blog #disney channel #dare i use the plain disney tag?#i think i do dare #disney

Zack’s backwards dance accidentally knocks over an expensive-looking vase. Esteban, the doorman, lunges after it with a weird yelp, lands on his back, and catches the vase perfectly.

Physical humor +1 But why...? Is it just Esteban’s weird yelp? The suddenness of his reaction? The unorthodox manner in which he catches the vase? I think it may be the last one, which would mean that we are already done with this entry. I feel weird classifying anything as just physical comedy, but I mean... there’s not much else to this, is there?

To be honest, though, it is a pretty funny way of catching a vase.

EDIT: Emergency broadcast! I decided that “physical comedy” is not a category of joke, but rather just a “type” of comedy, and if left unchecked, half the jokes would just be physical comedy. It is now banished forever. Kindly forget that I ever wrote about it.

...Which means, I need to think harder about this joke. Hmm... Okay, I’ve thought enough.

Ignore Social Niceties +1

Shut up, this is good enough. I was originally gonna make a new category “boorish behavior” but I realized it would overlap too much with this one... so I’m fine with including stuff here like Esteban not acting like an ordinary doorman.

Good grief, this project is going to give me many headaches...

#Ignore social niceties #suite life of z and c

Mom: “We’re here to stay now.” Zack: “Not if you use those moves...” He does an imitation of Mom’s earlier dancing.

Please! Let’s rehash that hilarious joke from 20 seconds ago! >_>

Let’s get the obvious addition out of the way... Physical Humor +1

Er, wait, I think that’s all of it. I think that’s the whole thing. That’s not just me being lazy, I really think that’s the only source of this joke’s comedy. But some small part of me is saying that’s not enough, so I’ll add another category that I know will pop up relatively frequently...

❀NEW TAG❀ “Mockery” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

For when a character imitates the mannerism or speech of another character for humorous effect.

I didn’t really think the original bad dancing was all that funny, preferring to think of the kid’s reactions to it as the first joke of this blog, so this reference was just kind of... eh, to me. But here’s something to get your blood pumping! Mr Moseby, our beloved butt monkey, is so close to appearing on screen! Don’t change that channel!

#Physical comedy #Mockery #suite life of z and c

Mom: “Why don’t you guys invite over some friends from school?” Cody: Sarcastic. “That’s a great idea.” Zack: “Too bad we don’t have any.”

Sometimes I’m really grateful for the laugh track on this show, because it’ll laugh at something that I didn’t even realize was supposed to be a joke. This is one of those times. Is it funny because Mom somehow didn’t know her kids are losers?

To be a bit frank, I think this “joke” is just the writers trying to get in some quick exposition, but still formatting it like a joke by making Mom, quite unrealistically, assume her children have friends whom she has never heard about nor met before, just to set up the “betrayal of expectations” that the friends don’t exist. Cue laugh track. It’s very weak. I regret where I’m about to shove this “joke” because the other joke in that category was actually pretty good...

Paradox +1

There. Done. Get me away from this “joke.”

Except wait. I want to introduce the concept of “just for fun” tags that I won’t keep track of, but will be fun ones to browse maybe... This will be our first “Not a joke” (I reserve all rights to proclaim a joke “not a joke”).

Addendum: I wanted to introduce “just for fun” in my last post, but I forgot, so I’m giving it an honorary “Character sets up punchline at their own expense” tag because that’s a fun tradition. It’ll show up many times more.

You already know my thoughts about this... thing. I want to move on to the next one!

#Paradox #Not a joke #suite life of z and c

Mom: “What do you think?” Zack: “I think you should never do that in public!” Cody: Quick nod. “Or in private.”

I’m pretty sure that anybody looking at this joke can tell that Cody has the punchline, but the laugh track goes off pretty hard at Zack’s line, which I thought was a little weird, so let’s focus on that first.

My first instinct was to just call it a continuation of the “Audience surrogate” moment before, but the more I thought about it, that made less and less sense. In cases like these, I try to think back to what exactly is the part that makes a line funny, and what I’ve dug down to here is something we haven’t seen yet (which is really easy, because this is only the second joke!).

❀❀❀NEW TAG❀❀❀ “Ignore Social Niceties” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

When someone asks “What do you think?” we don’t usually expect the response to be such a harsh shutdown. And probably the most well known adage about comedy is that that it’s all about “breaking expectations.” A lot of the time, it’s easy to play off of existing social expectations, so I predict we’ll be seeing a lot more of this in the future. This category can include gags like characters talking with their mouths full (yes, this constitutes a gag in many shows) and stuff like that as well.

Now, on to Cody’s punchline, which I actually like.

(It’s also kind of hard to categorize, and I’m not that well researched about comedy theory, so I might be explaining in a lot of words what could be said in fewer. So forgive me for that.)

Zack’s response of “you should never do that in public” leaves open the option of Mom doing that dance sometimes, which is simply not acceptable, according to Cody. So he, being practically minded, includes a second condition that covers every circumstance not covered by the first. The funny part in this is that when several conditions are mentioned, you expect there to be some course of action that would satisfy them all. Because otherwise, why not just say “Never do that.”

Side note: I believe that if this situation had been presented to Zack, he would have said something more like “What? She shouldn’t do it ever!” rather than logically add a second condition to the same effect.

I’ve been seriously racking my brain for how to categorize this joke in a way that’s still likely to be inclusive moving forward, but I think I’ve finally settled on something. And since this is my blog, I can never be wrong! So here’s the correct categorization!

❀NEW TAG❀ “Paradox” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

Yeah, I’m gonna consider this kind of thing as “paradox” humor. I know there are a lot of stupid jokes to come that’ll end up in this category, but this one was actually pretty cute.

I just spoiled my opinion, but I’ll say it again. I thought this joke was pretty cute, though Zack’s initial line didn’t quite tickle my funny bone as much as it did the audience’s. About the sequence leading up to this joke, which I promised to comment on here... I think the Z&C’s reaction faces set up this part nicely, and I also really like how their comedy is based on characteristics, rather than character traits. Savor it while you can, because the writers will all but abandon the concept in a handful of years.

#Ignore social niceties #Paradox #suite life of z and c #Character sets up punchline at own expense

“Moseby thinks I need some younger moves.” She does a weird dance. Cody looks on with concern, Zack with confused interest.

Welcome to this blog’s first post! And what a good joke to start with! ...Well, it’s an okay joke. The boys’ facial expressions sort of sell it. It also makes for a pretty good character establishing moment-

BUT we’re not here to talk about characterization! We’re here to categorize laughs!

I think the comedy in the dance is pretty obvious (physical humor), but Mom’s short preface “younger moves” gives it the additional element of “adult failing to be hip.” And the boys’ reactions pretty plainly add a third element as well, which I feel is best described with the term “audience surrogate.”

(I was thinking of doing this thing where it’s special whenever I open up a new broad category to count, but the specialness might be diminished a little since at the beginning there’s gonna be quite a lot of them in a short period of time… Oh well, here goes…)

❀❀NEW TAG❀❀ “Physical Comedy” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

I have to admit, I think Zack and Cody’s faces are more effective comedy than Mom’s bad dancing. The laugh track starts before it cuts to the kids, but I honestly think that their faces are the first joke. That’s still physical comedy though!

❀❀❀NEW TAG❀❀❀ “Adult Fails To Be Hip” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

This joke is always funny to kids. Nowadays I just sort of feel bad for the adult.

But seriously, who asks a 30s or so performer for “younger moves” and what does that even mean? Do you want her to breakdance for your fancy guests? (If this aired today, I wonder if she would have dabbed and twerked? Haha)

❀❀❀NEW TAG❀❀❀ “Audience Surrogate” ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

I’m going to use this tag for jokes where the humor is derived from the characters reacting relatably to the viewer. I think it works as a decently inclusive category. And of course, never forget that the audience is kids so the brothers looking incredulously at their embarrassing mother definitely fits into this category.

The way I’m going to end these posts is I’ll give a couple final comments about the joke, and then following a “keep reading” break, I’ll list category totals. You won’t want to open it on every single post, it’s just there for those who want to check.

So, thoughts about this joke. Well, it kinds of leads into the next one (despite being distinct enough to warrant two posts), so commenting on it in isolation is a little strange. How about I comment on both of them at the end of next post? Deal? Okay.

Ciao!

#Adult fails to be hip #Audience surrogate #physical comedy #suite life of z and c #Mom is the best character in this show

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