Do glasses make you funnier? (Guest)

(Thanks to Victoria for this guest post)
Do glasses make you funnier?
According to a report in March, some of Britain’s top comedians are earning up to £20million a year. With such enormous success, it’s easy to notice just how many of these funny stars wear glasses. For all celebrities, creating a memorable look can be essential for gaining popularity a good reputation. Could their glasses be partly a reason for their success? Let’s take a look at the top comedians and their choice of glasses...
Harry Hill has enjoyed years of success and gained a reputation as a quirky oddball with a unique zany sense of humour. For Harry, his clothing and overall image are a huge part of his slapstick comedy act, such as his platform shoes and oversized shirt collar. His glasses are no exception to this character and add to his wacky image. He favours a pair of semi-rimless frames in a winged black shape.
Next up it’s Stephen Merchant, best friend of Ricky Gervais and all-round funny guy. Stephen always plays the geeky character, and his glasses fit this style perfectly, but unlike Harry’s more extrovert frames, Stephen prefers the basic rectangular frame shape. For Stephen, his comedy act largely relies upon his nerdy character, so a pair of simple frames is the perfect addition.
Renowned as one of the kings of early comedy, Ronnie Corbett’s recognisable look is due partly to his eyewear. The times may have drastically changed since his comedy debut in 1970, but Ronnie’s glasses have largely remained the same. Ronnie likes the large round lens shape of glasses in a classic retro style. Ronnie is often characterised by his height and dark glasses frames, so perhaps creating a unique and recognisable look is one way to begin a successful comedy career.
For the female comediennes such as Sue Perkins and Sarah Millican, a narrow rectangular glasses frame is the style of choice. Sue and Sarah are universally popular for their acute sense of wit, so their eyewear needs to be taken seriously. Unlike the quirky slapstick humour of Harry Hill, these comediennes rely on intelligent observations and anecdotes for their acts, so simpler frame styles suit them perfectly.
Alan Carr is famous as much for his look and voice as he is for his chatty, frivolous sense of humour. Alan is never seen without his black rectangular glasses frames and having won over 10 awards for his comedy act, it is clear that the right pair of glasses can help secure notoriety as a memorable comedian.
With so many successful celebrity comedians choosing spectacles over contact lenses, perhaps it is worth asking whether glasses really can make you funny. But whether they rely on slapstick humour or witty observations, the right pair of glasses can be the ideal tool to mould their chosen image.
Victoria writes for Direct Sight, a site to buy glasses online.