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Pirates: Perfect Comedic Foil
by Cameron Hatch | February 24, 2004

Judging by the title you might think that I am making a pun about an oversized, burly, one-eyed pirate running around his ship with some kind of ridiculously tiny, plastic sword of such whimsical appeal that it instantly makes you burst into laughter. Let me assure you that this is not the case. The focus of this article, instead, will be to examine why the pirate is such an efficient instrument in comedy, especially in the role of comedic foil.

Before advancing my argument, I will define my key terms for this article. First, in my use of the word foil I do not mean the flexible-bladed fencing sword. By foil I mean something that serves by contrast to set off another thing. Secondly, being that there are many forms of pirates and piracy, I want to specify that the pirates to whom I am referring are of the Seventeenth Century Caribbean variety.

Having laid that ground work allow me to move on to the theoretical discussion at hand. First and foremost among the reasons for the pirate's effectiveness in humor is that he is a familiar, yea, even almost universally understood icon. Referencing previously held knowledge is an important part of making something funny, to use the technical term. One danger, however, with instant recognition that is tied to a particular moment is that it can cause things to lose their humor value as pop culture changes and thus renders it obsolete. The other danger is that something might become an overused joke and thereby lose the novelty of its humor value (i.e. midget porn). Just as pirates are not susceptible to most tropical diseases, they are also impervious to the two aforementioned dangers. The fact that the pirate persona is timeless adds to its appeal, as does the fact that its chronic under-use makes it a veritably vast and virtually untapped resource.

Furthermore, it is this instant recognition as a cultural icon that makes it perfect for the role of foil. Other concepts, especially modern ones, contrast sharply and clearly with pirates. Additionally, any comparison with things modern instantly renders pirates an anachronism, which can of course be bent to serve humoristic purposes, be they good or evil. Lastly, humor involving pirates works on so many levels. But enough with the pseudo-intellectual pleasantries. Let's move on to concrete examples to illustrate my point.

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Pirates and My Little Pony figures
Your initial reaction is to laugh because the plastic toy aboard a pirate ship is such an anachronism. You laugh again when you picture a scenario where one pirate is playing with his My Little Pony in the ship's hold and another pirate walks in on him. The second pirate had come to call the first to take his turn keeping watch in the crow's nest. But upon finding his shipmate with a My Little Pony he proceeds to ridicule him for playing with a girly toy. But then, after the first pirate leaves, the second pirate proceeds to pick up the dolls and play with them himself, which adds one more layer of humor along with a sense of pirony.

Pirates and Care Bears
Your first reaction is similar to the one in the case above. Your second reaction is to realize that picturing pirates force such a bunch of loving little stuffed animals to walk to plank creates several very humorous dichotomies: cuddliness vs. coarseness, compassion vs. cruelty, extroversion vs. introspection.

Pirates have played many roles over time, but perhaps the most important role that pirates play in modern society is that of the comedic foil.