The Humor Cure: Three Satirical Tales from Woody Allen

You may have a lot of opinions about Woody Allen as a persona and an actor; whether they be good, bad, or no opinion at all, if you have not experienced his satirical writings, as a literature-lover I can safely say you are missing out. Although he is best known for his classically strange or obscure movies, Allen’s prose has something for all to enjoy.

In an age where political correctness in the halls of academia, Hollywood, and even amongst those in the literary craft may have gotten the better of us all, Woody Allen’s stories are a welcome vacation from our abidance to such parameters, and reminds us, though the world is full of a plethora of serious topics, it is still okay to seek out the humor in life. And from a personal perspective, being from New York, I have found a modicum of inspiration from the idea a quirky kid from Brooklyn could make such an impact on satirical genre.

Woody Allen has written a number of stories, and by no means is my aim to list these three as the best. Frankly that is something I would rather allow a person to judge for themselves. My purpose is to bring to light the work of a man, which has not been cast in as bright a spotlight as his movies have, but should be enjoyed just the same.

Count Dracula

If there are any vampires in the audience I apologize in advance, but this particular story by Woody Allen is certain to make you smile. Count Dracula, in search of his next pair of victims, unwittingly rises from his crypt thinking the sun has gone down. However, he soon finds out night has not actually fallen, and it was merely a solar eclipse giving the appearance of night. Being previously invited to have dinner with the baker and his wife, Count Dracula heads to their domicile with the full intent of drinking their blood.

Once he becomes aware night has not come and it is simply a brief solar eclipse, the Count proceeds to hide in the baker’s closet and refusing to come out. Though the baker finds the Count’s shenanigans funny, they grow tired of him, and when upon opening the closet door the vampire is instantly vaporized by the sun.

As humorous as the story becomes, Allen’s story of the absent-minded Dracula shows that passion alone cannot be the sole force to drive us, and that equal measures of intelligence must accompany it. Such a tale also reminds us that those whose intent is to do harm, will often find their very actions will become their undoing.

Notes from the Overfed

In this tale, Woody Allen narrates as a morbidly obese man. “I am fat. I am disgustingly fat. I am the fattest human I know.” At first glance, the story itself looks to be a means of poking fun at overweight people which, if anyone has ever seen Woody Allen, knows he is far from. Yet before those who advocate for the overweight can get into too much of an uproar, Allen’s character attributes his condition to God.

So is Woody Allen’s intent to poke fun at religion. Well…yes and no. Allen’s true target in this tale is gluttony. His satirical look at how a person associates his overeating to gaining a life closer to God, acts more as a metaphor for the necessity of moderation, and how trading one addiction for another is never a means for salvation. Notes from the Overfed in a sense becomes a comical twist on an Aesop-like fable intended to entertain, as it is to teach a lesson in life.

A Look at Organized Crime

This story appealed to me by being a life-long New Yorker. If you are in college now, it is likely many do not know that at one time organized crime, namely the Mafia ran roughshod over the city and many of its business interests. In fact, there was a time organized crime had such a stranglehold on the city; labor unions, construction jobs, cartage removal, the fish market, and other industries were under the explicit control of these criminal elements.

A Look at Organized Crime is a delightfully satirical look at a serious problem which plagued the city for decades, and how it took massive efforts by the FBI to curtail it. Being a New Yorker himself, Woody Allen experienced this time in New York City’s history that now, seems far into its past. Although organized crime was a serious detriment to the city through extortion, racketeering, gambling, prostitution, and even drugs, Allen shows that even the most serious topics can be made fun of, and how in many aspects, one way to address serious issues is to seek solace in humor.

The true enjoyment of Woody Allen’s writing is in his ability to remind us all that laughter and humor, still is things we should embrace. Every situation is not a call for political action or for advocacy groups to be formed, and that humor provides an objectivity many of today’s issues are lacking. Perhaps this is why we still find shows like Family Guy, Seinfeld, or South Park entertaining, because while not all subjects should be satirized, humor can still provide a reasonable amount of fair-minded introspection.