Literally about literalism in improv & comedy

Looking at how a common neurodivergent trait, literalism, affects our writing and scenes. This article includes a special nod to improv.

Do you take things literally sometimes, when you weren’t supposed to? We all probably do sometimes, but it’s a rather common trait amongst neurodivergent humans.

This week I take a look at how literalism - yes, it’s a studied thing - affects scene work, especially in improv. And I provide a few tips and some of the research to check out.

In this Newsletter:

• Literalism in comedy and improv

• Links to research on literalism and neurodivergent brains

• A new comedy audio drama, and its animated sidekick

Neurodivergent Minds in Comedy are sometimes literal

Being literal can be funny.

It might provide game, for free.

It can also be frustrating.

Literalism can be especially frustrating when it's unintentional and causes misunderstanding and a confusing scene. For example, I might play the scene’s game fine, but figure out what the actual joke was well after… even if I was the one who made the move. Oops. We were talking about a sex thing that whole time? Oh!

Most of the time we might get it. But sometimes we might not.

And that’s the thing: sometimes taking something the wrong way can be confusing and frustrating, sometimes it’s a good game, sometimes it just doesn’t matter either way. And you facepalm internally while the scene just plays out as it would have regardless of what happened.

Hey, you heightened it exactly the same way you would have if you got it initially. It can be weird how that can work out, and kinda fascinating too. Brains are neat. Scene partners have backs.

Literalism is a common trait in neurodivergent humans, but many humans can take things literally when that was not the intent sometimes. Maybe you are simply someone who has this trait, or perhaps it is part of a neurodivergence. Either way, let’s look at literalism.

Hold up… what is literalism?

Literalism is a cognitive and linguistic tendency to interpret language at its most direct or explicit meaning. When such interpretations are made, humans might disregard implied, figurative, or contextual nuance.

This happens due to various processing challenges involving metaphors, idioms, sarcasm, or irony. Literalism affects social communication, and as such can make scenes with indirect or figurative language difficult to navigate.

Okay sure, how about an example

There are many common examples of literalism that affect neurodivergent humans at different ages. For example, you might have thought at some point that “let’s all bring something to the table” meant bring a snack or something to the class instead of ideas to brainstorm. Until you learnt the turn of phrase meant something else, patterns in context clues, and how to recognize when certain phrases stand out and might mean something else entirely.

But even after you learnt the phrase, the literal interpretation might be the first thing you still visualize, for a second. And this brief reaction might affect a scene, because of the way improv works. Someone saw that subtle look, or how you started the sentence before shifting over. And they played with it somehow.

Literalism can affect your scenes in other ways. For example, a turn of phrase you never knew about, sarcasm, or irony. And for whatever reason, sometimes, you take what was said or happened in the scene literally.

Styles of comedy can hit different on this

Scripted comedy writes everything out, and you have time and direction to avoid many or most literalism challenges. Stand-up comes from you. But other types, like improv, don’t have those advantages… and you are figuring things out in the moment.

Some styles of improv - this can be regional, culture, form, or theater dependent - use more subtext, subtlety, or implied messages than other styles. Or more sarcasm. Let you be coy, or tell you to cut the coy.

Some styles direct you to say everything out loud, and generally avoid subtext. Neat. If you’re newer to improv, make sure you explore as much as you can to find where you’re the most comfortable (or maybe make a space and use a style that is).

And taking something literally, “inappropriately”, is a type of comedy (or scene) as well. Maybe you “made it worse” to heighten that way. But that’s your character. It’s honest. You can roll with it! But if that doesn’t work for you, it’s fair to keep that kind of move off the table.

The main thing is - does the communication with your scene partners, and your team, work for your scenes. Does the game work, if you’re using literalism to make something funny.

This is a good thing to learn about the humans you are playing with, and your audience. So have the conversation with them and/or your coach. And pay attention to how others respond to the literalism, if you can. It always helps inform you about your options.

Is being "too literal" a problem for others?

You can always be honestly you in a scene. You can play it real. You can play yourself or a heightened version of you. It’s allowed.

And sometimes literalism will just happen to anyone - it doesn’t take neurodivergent wiring to take something literally when our scene partner didn’t intend for it to be.

You might get a free laugh or game, or perhaps not. Maybe literalism complicates the scene and communication.

But your honest reaction can ALWAYS be your character as long as you just react truthfully as that character, and not give up or check out in the scene. Commit hard to honesty.

As a community, we want to be careful not to punch down on neurodivergence, to make our traits a punchline. BUT… it can be cathartic and even empowering to laugh at our own traits in a supportive and beneficial environment.

Honest and responsible representation of “us” is great, especially when the writing and acting comes from our own voices. Our voices should be seen and heard. So use literalism in your comedy (scripted or unscripted) when and how you deem it’s appropriate.

But what about if it’s a problem for YOU?

Of course literalism might make you feel self conscious if the scene you are in did not call for an honest literal take. Your first take might not impact the scene, it might become the game, or it might get a laugh. Or it could lead to confusion in the scene and for the audience.

How much you enjoy any of these things, or not, could have to do with your past, your individual support needs, how humans in your life has treated you, and where you’re at today (lived experience).

As an aside, it’s not always bad: some of us love the bomb.

There is such a variety in this space there is no one right answer (other than to encourage conversations, and patience, if you are in a position of leadership - communication is generally a good thing).

Mention your literal takes to the team?

Sure, do, if you feel the need and you’re comfortable bringing it up. And that might be a good choice if literalism is regularly causing miscommunication or confusion.

If you feel like you’re struggling with it on a regular basis and literalism is getting in the way of good communication, consider a discussion with your teachers, coaches, and/or teammates if you think it will be useful. Or work on it personally and discover the best practice for your brain in these scenes.

Note: There are some tips below about how to handle a literal take (or when you think you’re hitting one).

But you don’t have to bring it up. You don’t need to divulge anything to your scene partners. It’s fine, if you want, to wing it in the scene and run with whatever happened and just commit and move on. Love the bomb.

Either way, noticing how you react to your scene partners and information in the scene can be as good for your comedy practice as it is for your life.

While you can’t control the audience, you are allowed to make it the game of the scene, or not. What you do depends on your own experience and preference. The scene partners involved, including you, gets to make that choice of if any boundaries are needed.

Tip not just for this: Using pauses

If you end up noticing a pattern in the way you experience this trait within comedy, especially improv, it’s fine to support yourself in choosing your reactions. And one fun thing to play with in improv, and your acting practice, is pauses. In general, not just for this!

Letting your character pause is often good for acting. Stay in character, and take a little time. Just slow down while you absorb the information, and let your scene partners and the audience notice this.

This might give you enough time to move past a literal take, and make your character’s best, honest choice.

Another tip not just for this: Ask in character

If you have the time and opportunity, ask in character. Do this when you don’t understand something, don’t make it out, or are confused. The audience might be, too.

So if you aren’t sure what the subtext is, what the meaning was, or what’s going on - just ask in character. Simple as that. Not sure how? React honestly, and go from there. That’s what “having backs” is for.

Some References on Literalism to check out

Here comes science. Uh oh.

There are a number of studies on literalism that are somewhat to related to these kinds of dynamics. Autistic humans in particular tend to have this trait in greater percentages than the general population (due to our neural wiring and how we perceive and process information).

NOTE: There is often a problem with neurodivergent minds not being involved in the studies - such as their design, execution, or data analysis and conclusions. It is sometimes difficult to assess this particular aspect of the study design, but it’s something to keep in mind while reading them.

Literalism in Autistic People: a Predictive Processing Proposal covers how autistic humans interpret language in a literal way. The hypothesis is that the literalist bias is due to how the predictive processing system functions. The safest interpretation is the literal meaning, and due to an increased amount of uncertainty the most reliable (literal) version is preferred and used.

Emotional processing of ironic versus literal criticism in autistic adults studied the processing of emotional content in ironic and literal stories using eye tracking. Autistic adults read sarcastic comments received by characters in stories and experienced challenges distinguishing emotions and intentions in this non-literal language.

Being Literal in Autism – Psychology of Language this essay discusses how different tones used in communication can present challenges, such as sarcasm, and how autistic adults prefer literal interpretations. Yeah, it’s an essay all meta analysis style, but it includes a list of studies to reference as well.

Ok so that’s a bit on literalism and comedy. Let’s cleanse that palate of yours with kittens and… more comedy stuff made by an AuDHD brain.

Palate Cleansers and Comedy Plugs

There is a new scripted and improvised comedy podcast out called Unfuck Your Life: An Audio Drama. It follows the attempts of a new radio host, Tog Chesterfield, to get off of rock bottom.

There is a podcast version, and also a fully animated version of the podcast. Yeah. I’m animating the whole thing too. Because why not. It’s fun.

Trailer and first two episodes are up and start here (with… well, the trailer).

Join the StereoForest newsletter if you’re interested in not just episodes, but opportunities to guest in them too. And for a link to the animated series.

Another new series launches later this week. Both of these new series explore depression and mental health through the use of comedy.

Dr. Crepes loves to sploot. Inherited a nautical theme in this particular room - I think the floor is supposed to be like the ocean?

If these articles help you, support the continuation of this educational newsletter using the tip jar, here. Thank you!

Until next time,

Jen.

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