Deadpan Snarker

Some men laugh in the face of danger. Some yell and scream, and some face what may be their demise with quiet dignity.

And then you have the guy that doesn’t just laugh in the face of danger, he gets in on the joke. People face stress in different ways, and one of the more interesting coping mechanisms is to joke at horribly inappropriate times. This usually happens when someone is bad at handling a negative situation, and would much rather laugh than cry about it. This has a bit of a polarizing effect when applied to writing a character. They tend to be popular with readers that have a dark sense of humor, and often become fan favorites for that kind of audience. Of course, this can just as easily go the other way, alienating many readers with a joke that simply comes off as tasteless in an otherwise light setting. Use this at your own discretion, and know your target audience if you plan on making one of your characters a Deadpan Snarker.

This trend has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the push to make movies, television, and even books darker and edgier. The success of movies like Deadpool prove that there is definitely a demand for the type of character that shoots insults and bad jokes as often as bullets. Sometimes, it’s just the way the character is. All the nervous energy has to go somewhere, and they really don’t have much of an internal filter. Other times, though, it’s a calculated move from an intelligent character to throw their opponent off, or make them think that they aren’t being taken seriously. Of course, there’s also the distinct possibility the character is just an asshole. If you watch the opening scene to The Boondock Saints, there are examples of all of these character types within the first few minutes. One of the first few lines of dialogue has a young man make a domestic abuse joke towards a very butch, very belligerent lesbian in an incredibly misguided attempt to lighten the mood. Predictably, this ends badly. The following scene has the brother of the first guy crack a Star Trek joke when a Russian Mobster by the name of Chekov busts through the door of their local pub on St. Patrick’s day in an attempt to strongarm the owner out of business. The joke completely flew over the heads of the mobsters, but took a lot of the tension out of the other bar patrons. A few minutes later, the smartass sidekick of the brothers tries to follow suit, and decides it’s a good idea to insult the Russian’s mother. All this accomplishes is making the Russian angry, and getting the sidekick punched in the face, setting off a bar brawl.

As you can see, this trait isn’t limited to just one kind of character, but it’s important to keep it believable. The hulking minion that bears more than a passing resemblance to a neanderthal isn’t about to make a joke about your superhero’s taste in spandex, and, conversely, Hannibal Lecter wouldn’t be caught dead making a ‘Yo Momma’ joke. Take the time to figure out where your character’s sense of humor is. After all, a well-rounded character should feel like a real person. Make sure you know what tickles their funny bone.