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How To Be Hilarious and Quick-Witted in Everyday Conversation (How to be More Likable and Charismatic Book 14)

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Written by

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Patrick King,  narrated by russell newton.

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What Makes Things Funny?

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“Funny” is a bit like “sexy” or “cool."

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It’s pretty hard to nail down a concise definition,

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but you absolutely know it when you see it.

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And you know when it’s not there!

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That said,

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humor is predictable enough for us to notice a few recurring themes.

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Think about it right now—what was the last thing that made you literally

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laugh out loud?

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If you think back,

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you can probably also imagine a time when you nearly fell over laughing at

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something that somebody else merely rolled their eyes at.

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Maybe you love watching those ultra-mean “insult comics” or celebrity

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roasts,

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but can’t understand why anybody would laugh at someone slipping on ice.

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There is certainly a trend for which comedy videos go viral;

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this means there are just certain patterns that tickle our funny bones.

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It goes without saying - there are different ways to be funny.

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Now,

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this isn’t set in stone,

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but there are broadly three different theories that explain why something is

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funny.

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Theory 1 .- Humor Relieves Psychological Tension.

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You know how people say tragedy and comedy sit really close to one another?

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So much humor rests on the release and relief of things in life we ordinarily

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think of as scary,

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unpleasant,

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or stressful.

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To laugh out loud is to let go of some pent-up psychological and nervous

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energy—or so the theory goes.

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Let’s say you turn up to the office one morning after a car accident and a

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colleague sees you and exclaims in surprise,

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“Oh no!

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And you’ve even got a black eye!"

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You could reply in a deadpan voice,

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“Shh,

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not so loud or everyone will want one!"

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It’s funny because it releases the tension of what could be quite a sad or

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uncomfortable moment.

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According to the theory,

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the funniness increases in proportion to the amount of nervous energy released.

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Picture a terrifying earthquake hitting and demolishing the inside of a house,

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leaving the occupants reeling in the few quiet seconds afterward.

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Now imagine someone making a tiny fart in that very moment.

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What makes it funny?

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This theory also explains the humor in the “relief” people get from being

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brutally honest,

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relaxing their inhibitions,

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or saying the thing that everyone was thinking.

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In this case,

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the tension could arise from everyone strenuously following some social rule or

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nervously monitoring themselves.

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Breaking or bending those rules is like a reprieve that makes everyone feel

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good.

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Theory 2 .- Superiority.

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A man slips on ice quite badly,

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then instantly stands up again and takes a bow before casually walking away.

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People might laugh at this because his little joke releases the tension of what

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might have been a serious and dangerous accident.

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But of course,

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there are some people who will be laughing not when the man gets up,

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but when he falls ...  Pies in the face.

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People falling or failing.

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Jokes that make fun of someone else or their suffering.

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Every “yo momma’s so fat” joke falls in this category,

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along with all those YouTube pranksters who rile up others for a laugh.

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Imagine an annoying kid is getting ready to fling a water balloon at you,

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even doing a little victory dance waving it around in front of you—right

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before the balloon explodes on them.

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We laugh at his shocked expression for one reason—it makes us feel better

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about ourselves.

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This isn’t as unkind as it sounds.

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Mankind has been laughing since time immemorial at others’ misfortune.

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Slapstick humor is funny because we unconsciously think,

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“Thank god that didn’t happen to me!"

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Theory 3 .- Surprise And Incongruity.

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One final theory says that we laugh at what we do simply because it’s

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unexpected.

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We go along with our daily life and things are humdrum and predictable,

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and out of the blue something bizarre happens.

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This doesn’t mean a ham sandwich has to fly through your office window one

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Tuesday afternoon (although that would probably be pretty funny)

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but merely that your perception and perspective do a sudden 180-degree turn.

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“My grandfather died peacefully in his sleep.

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But the kids on his bus were screaming."

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“I can’t believe people don’t eat the crusts!

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It’s nutritious.

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It tastes great—in fact,

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I think it’s the best part of the watermelon."

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“I was raised as an only child.

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I gotta say,

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my siblings took it pretty hard."

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“I just watched that new Chernobyl documentary.

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I’m actually from the area and grew up there in the eighties,

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and I was able to count at least eight historical inaccuracies on just one

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hand."

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You can probably see how this shapes up in practice - you set up a situation

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where your audience is expecting something,

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only to surprise them with a twist that completely subverts that expectation.

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In this book,

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we’re going to be looking at tips,

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techniques,

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strategies,

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and principles that come from each of these theories—sometimes all of them at

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once.

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How to use this in daily life .- Start paying attention to all those things in

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your world that make you laugh.

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Notice what stands out to you as funny and then ask yourself,

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what makes it so funny?

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Using the above three theories,

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try to see if you can identify which best explains the humor in what you’ve

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observed.

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There’s no need to get all forensic and technical about it,

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but think of it as gradually developing a humor sense (not a sense of humor!)

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where you are tuning into the deeper level of what makes some things hilarious

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while others aren’t.

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Gradually,

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you’ll develop an inner intuition for how to use these theories yourself,

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but for now,

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simply see where you can observe them “in the wild."

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You’ll develop a “style” of your own sooner or later,

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but it takes some keen observation to know what tickles you.

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Know Your Humor Style.

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While there are definitely predictable patterns to what people find funny,

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that doesn’t mean that every individual person has to be funny in the same

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way.

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After all,

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famous comedians wouldn’t be able to capitalize on their unique voice unless

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people appreciated that difference.

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Humor can be very intellectual and “clever,” it can be rude and raunchy,

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it can be goofy and silly,

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it can be physical and slapstick,

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or it can be cringe-inducing and awkward.

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But while comedians vary in the content they use,

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they also vary in the way they use humor.

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You use humor in your own individual way too.

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If you can tap into your own unique style,

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you’ll be far more comfortable and natural in yourself and able to make the

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most of your inbuilt humor.

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In 2003,

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Martin and colleagues published a paper in the Journal of Research in

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Personality and proposed their Humor Styles Questionnaire,

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outlining four main types -  Affiliative humor is when we use humor to make

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other people bond with us.

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This means fun banter between friends and relatable jokes.

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Self-enhancing humor is used almost as a coping strategy and is commonly called

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being able to “laugh at yourself."

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This is humor that pokes fun at absurd or difficult situations in order to

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lighten the mood and make us (and everyone else)

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feel better.

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Aggressive humor is what you might guess—teasing,

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sarcasm,

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playful criticism,

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and being a bit rude.

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Like affiliative humor,

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aggressive humor is also designed to get others to like us,

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it just uses a different approach.

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Self-defeating humor is not unlike aggressive humor,

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but it’s directed toward ourselves rather than toward others.

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Making fun of ourselves and self-deprecating can be extremely charming and

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funny when done right.

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Importantly,

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all these types of humor have one purpose—to get others to like us.

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Be honest,

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isn’t that why you’re reading this book?

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Even if it’s done through gentle teasing or playfully putting ourselves down,

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the end result is that humor binds us closer together,

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makes us feel better,

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and hopefully,

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makes others think better of us.

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Looking at it another way,

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we can tell when humor hasn’t succeeded - it fails to win people over,

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or even worse,

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it makes others actively dislike us.

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Do you identify with one type or another?

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There are no razor-sharp lines between these types.

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We list them only to get a better understanding of what humor is and how it

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works.

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What’s important is that the how may change,

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but the why doesn’t—we want to be funny because we want others to enjoy

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themselves and,

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as a side effect,

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like us.

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How to use this in daily life .- Think back to times in the past where you have

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made people laugh and see if you can identify any of the above four types.

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Which form of humor did you use primarily?

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Which kind of jokes and observations tended to get the most reaction from

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people?

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This gives you a clue about your own innate sense of humor and what you’re

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naturally most geared toward.

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Another thing you can begin to look at is how the same joke can be told

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multiple ways.

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If you notice yourself making a joke,

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pause to see what “style” you’ve chosen,

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and then see if you can retell the same joke but in a different way.

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You can also take a pause and try to integrate the other humor styles into your

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repertoire to make sure that you’re not just a one-note piano.

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Finding The Humor In Everyday Life.

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Okay.

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Let’s dive into the nuts and bolts.

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One surefire way to be a funnier person is to find funniness all around you.

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You get better at entertaining others when you yourself practice being

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entertained.

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See the humor in everyday life—there’s plenty when you start looking,

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trust me!

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There are two good reasons to start living life with more playfulness and humor.

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1)

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You’ll relax,

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get more comfortable with the funnier side of life.

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There’s lots to appreciate in even a simple slice of life,

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and it’s likely that you just aren’t viewing things through that filter.

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So of course you won’t be as funny.

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A pineapple is just a pineapple,

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but it can be so much more.

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Consequentially -   2)

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You’ll identify loads of awesome and humorous observations to share with

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others,

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i.e. you’ll be more relatable,

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and nothing is more impactful than speaking universal truths.

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A primary aspect of humor (especially affiliative humor,

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discussed above)

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is being able to share your feelings with someone and find that you are both on

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the same page.

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You might have the same thoughts as they do about electric cars,

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or you both might hate the same types of yoga.

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Either way,

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humor is a strong emotion,

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and it creates a robust feeling of connection.

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Being relatable in humor means finding commonalities that create real bonds.

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We live in a world filled with real and perceived social distances,

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and it's common to feel like you're drifting through many different social

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spaces completely alone.

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It's easy to feel alienated and disconnected.

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When a well-timed joke lands with someone else,

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we realize other people can relate to topics,

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situations,

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and issues like we do,

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and this sense of isolation or alienation disappears for a bit.

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That feels good.

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No matter who we are or how different our lives may be,

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we all laugh ...and we often laugh at the same things.

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Relatability taps into our innate human need to belong to something greater

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than us.

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Learn how to connect this way and people will automatically like you—and

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they’ll like themselves more when being around you,

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which is pretty powerful.

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Relatability is hilarious because of the shock involved in discovering that

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something you thought only you knew or had experienced is shared in a big way.

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The subject matter is not necessarily what's important.

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The humor lies in the fact that you and that person now share a perspective.

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For example,

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everyone has experienced burning the roof of their mouth with hot pizza because

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they were being too greedy and impatient to wait for the pizza to cool off.

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00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,720
If you were to bring this anecdote up,

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it's going to be funny because it’s happened to other people in the past as

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00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:26,200
well.

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The key here is to come up with an experience that is universally relatable.

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00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:36,040
Let’s make a list of other things people hate.

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00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,960
•Breadcrumbs in jam or butter.

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00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:43,720
•That moment when you’re walking toward someone but you’re unsure of when

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00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:44,680
to make eye contact.

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00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:50,240
•The awkward feeling when you say goodbye to someone and then proceed to walk

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00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:51,240
in the same direction.

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00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:56,560
•Honking angrily at someone in your car and then pulling up next to them at a

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00:13:56,560 --> 00:13:56,920
stoplight.

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00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,680
•When you start the chain reaction of a set of dominoes,

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00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:03,560
but it stops halfway through.

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These are inherently funny because everyone can relate to the feelings involved.

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There’s an element of relief here.

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That isolation we mentioned?

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00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:18,400
You offer relief from that isolation because you’re offering people a way to

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agree and shout,

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00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:20,200
“Hey,

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00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:20,760
me too!"

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00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,240
Not only will you succeed in stirring up that emotion,

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00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:29,360
but people are more likely to feel that you "get them" and you understand them

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00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:30,200
on a deeper level.

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00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:36,720
Here’s how to do it - Step one - find something small that annoys you on a

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00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:37,600
daily basis.

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00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,920
The smaller and more insignificant,

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00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:40,200
the better.

285
00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,440
You can't talk about a topic that’s too big,

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00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:44,920
like government corruption,

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00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:49,680
because there are simply too many shades of gray and too many heavy opinions

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00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:50,480
attached to it.

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00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:54,240
Think instead of those small annoyances and pet peeves.

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00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,640
Burning your mouth on hot pizza.

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00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:57,920
Losing your keys.

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00:14:57,920 --> 00:14:58,240
Or,

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00:14:58,240 --> 00:14:58,680
you know,

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00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:03,040
accidentally turning your phone’s front camera on and being confronted with a

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00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:08,200
vision of yourself looking like Jabba the hut (a little self-deprecation thrown

296
00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:08,760
in for good measure ...)

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00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:16,280
Step two - exaggerate in a vivid way how much pain that small thing caused you.

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00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:17,960
For example,

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00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,920
you could go on a big rant about how you’re surprised all three of your chins

300
00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:24,720
have ever managed to fit on a Zoom call.

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00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:29,120
Maybe the pizza was so hot it melted your face off,

302
00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,560
or maybe you were thinking about calling in sick to work because you spent

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00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:37,280
entire geological eons looking for your keys,

304
00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:41,400
when they were on the hook where you usually keep them in the first place

305
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,120
(we’ll look at comedic exaggeration in another chapter).

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00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,400
Step three - connect the two.

307
00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:51,320
You can say,

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00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:55,960
"I really hate it when pizza burns the roof of my mouth.

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00:15:55,960 --> 00:16:00,960
This pepperoni pizza was like taking a bite of delicious acid."

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00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,480
When you exaggerate,

311
00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:08,160
you draw parallels and an analogy to something that people can relate to.

312
00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:12,120
You come off as funny because you're referring to things they’ve experienced

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00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:14,160
in an exaggerated and vivid way.

314
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:20,240
Here’s another example - "Ikea furniture is like a puzzle that’s missing

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00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:21,680
twenty pieces at the beginning."

316
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,480
Step four - use it.

317
00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:26,920
For example,

318
00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,200
“That driver was so rude.

319
00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:31,880
I hope he gets arrested.

320
00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:32,920
No,

321
00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:33,800
worse than that.

322
00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,800
I hope he goes home and burns the roof of his mouth on some,

323
00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:38,240
like,

324
00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:39,800
really hot pizza."

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00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:44,160
You have essentially prepared these funny,

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00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:45,560
relatable jokes beforehand,

327
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:50,240
and now you can pepper them into your speaking to be more colorful,

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00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:50,640
witty,

329
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,000
and funny at the appropriate time.

330
00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:59,080
How to use this in daily life .- The next time you’re out taking a walk,

331
00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:03,520
put on your “comedy goggles” and start to see things around you through the

332
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:04,560
eyes of a comedian.

333
00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,920
Look for relatable things in boring,

334
00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:08,600
day-to-day life.

335
00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,720
Imagine how a funny skit would play out in the coffee shop you’re sitting in.

336
00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:18,000
Imagine that something unexpected and hilarious happens when that old lady with

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00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,240
the beagle crosses the road.

338
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,000
At this stage,

339
00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,080
you’re not actively cracking jokes,

340
00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:24,760
but still in observation mode.

341
00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:28,320
You’re simply getting used to being in a certain frame of mind.

342
00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:32,120
Consume More Comedy.

343
00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:35,320
There’s humor everywhere.

344
00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,240
It’s there not just in the fun stuff,

345
00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:40,960
but in all those annoying things we have to deal with,

346
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:41,240
too.

347
00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:42,680
On your commute,

348
00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:43,520
at work,

349
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:44,480
at the shops,

350
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:45,440
at school.

351
00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:47,640
(Woody Allen once said,

352
00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,120
“Some guy hit my fender the other day.

353
00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:53,280
I told him to be fruitful and multiply,

354
00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,760
just not in those exact words.”)

355
00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,200
Seek it out.

356
00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:03,680
Watching comedy is a great way to get a feel for all these tactics and

357
00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:04,600
approaches on the ground.

358
00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:08,120
Watch a range of comics with different materials and styles.

359
00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:11,200
If something looks really awesome to you,

360
00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:12,680
ask why.

361
00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,000
What made the joke land so well?

362
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,040
If you want to be funny,

363
00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,880
it's a good idea to study people who make their living being funny.

364
00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:26,240
These are the people who have spent years—sometimes decades—refining

365
00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,640
precisely those things that really reach into other people’s worlds and make

366
00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:31,240
them laugh.

367
00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:35,880
Professional comedians can teach you volumes about delivery,

368
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,480
finding openings,

369
00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,240
and playing with opportunities.

370
00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:43,120
You also get the chance to find a few humor role models.

371
00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:49,000
I get that not everyone is super loud and obnoxious—your style might be more

372
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:50,280
subtle and deadpan.

373
00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,640
Can you find any comics out there who hit the nail on the head?

374
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,200
As of the time of writing this book,

375
00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:01,040
Sebastian Maniscalco is my favorite comedian.

376
00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:02,120
He’s funny,

377
00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:05,880
but he also has well-defined personality traits.

378
00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:07,040
He’s cranky,

379
00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:07,760
critical,

380
00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:08,840
observant,

381
00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:09,600
petty,

382
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:10,920
easily annoyed,

383
00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:11,640
grumpy,

384
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,680
and easily indignant.

385
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:18,240
Having that list of adjectives makes it pretty easy for me to simply ask,

386
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,520
“What would Sebastian do in this situation?” or,

387
00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,880
“How might Sebastian respond here?"

388
00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:28,640
You can start looking at situations based on their perspective.

389
00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,080
By simply assuming their perspective,

390
00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:35,800
you're more able to find the humor in certain topics that you used to think

391
00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,080
were so serious.

392
00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,400
You’re able to step out of your mindset and into someone else’s.

393
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,600
Humor is a point of view,

394
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,960
and you are using another person’s.

395
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,320
Suppose it is Halloween night,

396
00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:48,920
and you’re wearing a vampire costume.

397
00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:52,120
It’s pretty easy to imagine how you might play that role,

398
00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:52,440
right?

399
00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:56,160
Everyone knows what vampires say in certain situations.

400
00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:01,080
Having a comedic role model does the same for you and makes it easy when you

401
00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:02,120
run out of things to say,

402
00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,360
or your mind blanks.

403
00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:03,880
Somehow,

404
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,680
it lowers the stakes a little.

405
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:10,480
You can step into their shoes and look at situations in a novel way,

406
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:11,920
and at the very least,

407
00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,960
you can find more options in how to approach humorous situations.

408
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,280
If I can imagine what Sebastian would say,

409
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:24,640
then I won’t have a blank mind or run out of things to say.

410
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:29,640
Don’t worry about being phony or not true to yourself—think of your comedic

411
00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:33,080
role models more as a crutch or inspiration.

412
00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,480
I can’t explain it,

413
00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:36,240
but sometimes,

414
00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,920
imitating your favorite comedians ends up making it easier to be yourself.

415
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,280
You’re just temporarily borrowing their confidence!

416
00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:51,800
How to use this in daily life .- You might also try consuming comedy you

417
00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:52,360
dislike.

418
00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:55,200
Ask why you didn’t laugh.

419
00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,320
How could you change the content or delivery to make it funnier?

420
00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:03,440
First watch a clip as an audience member and simply note your immediate

421
00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:04,040
response.

422
00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:08,080
Then watch the clip again imagining you’re a comedy expert,

423
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:09,800
and try to analyze what you see.

424
00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:11,720
How would you improve things?

425
00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,480
If you’re not morally opposed,

426
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:16,760
just give emulating them a shot.

427
00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:17,800
Go ahead,

428
00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:23,000
emulate one of their jokes out loud and see how it feels to intentionally try

429
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:23,520
to be funny.

430
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,000
It might be awkward at first,

431
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:25,640
but after a while,

432
00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,440
you should have a good idea for what comes more naturally to you.

433
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:34,920
Just don’t judge yourself by the first run and give up completely when even

434
00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:37,640
your dog turns away from you in disappointment.

435
00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,360
Takeaways -

436
00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:43,640
•There are three main theories of humor,

437
00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,840
i.e. what makes things funny.

438
00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,840
The first is that humor is a release from psychological tension,

439
00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:54,800
the second is that humor allows us to feel a sense of superiority relative to

440
00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:56,560
others (who we’re laughing at),

441
00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:00,240
and the third is that humor arises from a sense of surprise,

442
00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:01,240
novelty,

443
00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:06,600
or incongruence—on realizing an absurd or unexpected contrast,

444
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,120
our reaction is to laugh.

445
00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:10,920
Humor can be a blend of all three!

446
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,080
•It’s important to know your own humor style so you can work with it.

447
00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,320
Humor can be affiliative,

448
00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:17,520
aggressive,

449
00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,080
self-enhancing,

450
00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,280
or self-defeating—but in every case,

451
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,320
it gets others to feel good and like you.

452
00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,320
This is the ultimate goal of being a funnier person.

453
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:32,560
•Funny people naturally find humor in everyday life.

454
00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,400
Humor succeeds when it’s relatable,

455
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,680
so look around your world for things that other people might relate to.

456
00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:41,840
Identify a minor annoyance or observation,

457
00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:46,280
then exaggerate it for comedic effect to create familiarity and closeness.

458
00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:51,120
•You can develop your own sense of comedy by deliberately seeking out

459
00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:52,920
material from professional comedians,

460
00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:55,280
especially those you like the most.

461
00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:59,160
Become curious about why something lands as funny,

462
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,840
and see if you can replicate the same thing in your own life.

463
00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:02,880
Chapter 2.

464
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,560
The Basics.

465
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:07,680
Puns And Dad Jokes.

466
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:08,680
There’s no one joke that is universally funny,

467
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:09,040
right?

468
00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:10,400
Wrong!

469
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:11,240
There is,

470
00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:16,640
and this is it - Two hunters are in the forest when one of them stops breathing

471
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:17,600
and passes out.

472
00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,360
The other hunter gets his phone and calls 911.

473
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:21,200
"Help!

474
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:21,960
My friend is dead!

475
00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:22,640
What should I do?"

476
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:24,440
The operator tells him,

477
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:24,960
"Okay,

478
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:25,760
calm down.

479
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:26,720
I’m here to help.

480
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:27,560
First,

481
00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:29,320
let's make sure he's dead."

482
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,440
There’s a brief silence,

483
00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,800
and the operator hears a loud shot ringing out.

484
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,360
The hunter comes back on the phone and says,

485
00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:38,200
"Okay,

486
00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:38,760
now what?"

487
00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:40,760
Okay,

488
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:41,040
okay,

489
00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:42,640
save your rotten tomatoes.

490
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,560
Richard Wiseman (not “wise guy”)

491
00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,520
is a humor researcher and has been interested in the ways that sex,

492
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:50,120
age,

493
00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:51,440
nationality,

494
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,440
and culture affect what we find funny.

495
00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:58,200
In his extensive humor research trying to understand the funniest jokes in the

496
00:23:58,200 --> 00:23:58,560
world,

497
00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,840
Wiseman found that shorter was better,

498
00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,880
and that jokes like the above scored highly.

499
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,160
Whether you like the above joke or not,

500
00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,720
you probably see that funniness is complex;

501
00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:15,040
it’s not about the material but the way the listener’s attitudes and

502
00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,560
perspectives make them see that material.

503
00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,880
Let’s take a look at that classic and ancient art form,

504
00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:23,680
the noble dad joke.

505
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,480
Don’t know what a dad joke is?

506
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,600
Here you go - Q .- What’s brown and sticky?

507
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:32,200
A .- A stick.

508
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:36,960
If you made an audible groan when reading that one,

509
00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:37,920
congratulations,

510
00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:40,640
you now understand what a dad joke is.

511
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,760
Laughing out loud and cringing in embarrassment,

512
00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:45,280
it turns out,

513
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:46,040
are close cousins.

514
00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,840
Loved and maligned in equal measure,

515
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:55,080
dad jokes are usually based on cheesy puns and things that five-year-olds might

516
00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:55,720
find funny.

517
00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,640
Yet despite how corny they may be,

518
00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,400
there’s something endearing and comforting about a good dad joke.

519
00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:02,880
Okay,

520
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:04,280
despite the cover of this book,

521
00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:08,320
dad jokes are pretty solid in almost every situation.

522
00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,080
When you’re starting out on your mission to be funnier,

523
00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,840
a good place to start is with dad jokes (yes,

524
00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:15,240
really)

525
00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:16,520
since they’re easy,

526
00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:17,400
low risk,

527
00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:18,240
gentle,

528
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,600
and the least likely to offend.

529
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,080
What can I say,

530
00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:23,680
people can’t help but laugh,

531
00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,760
even when it’s decidedly “anti-humor."

532
00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:31,040
Q - “What did the farmer say when he couldn’t find his tractor?"

533
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,360
A - “Where’s my tractor?"

534
00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:36,440
To get better at dad jokes,

535
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,120
try spending more time around kids,

536
00:25:39,120 --> 00:25:46,240
who are experts at awful and unsophisticated wordplay (expect butt and poop

537
00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:46,600
jokes,

538
00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:47,200
also).

539
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,360
You don’t have to be clever or witty.

540
00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:53,160
You might think making a lame dad joke is embarrassing,

541
00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:58,240
but there’s a secret charm to this kind of humor - it disarms people.

542
00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,000
It lets them know that you don’t take yourself too seriously,

543
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,400
and invites them to do the same.

544
00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,360
There’s a comfort and familiarity in that,

545
00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:10,720
and it instantly breaks down barriers and creates more intimacy.

546
00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:14,760
It’s like taking a step away from all the stress and drama of life for a

547
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:18,280
moment and going back to a simpler (and yes,

548
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:19,960
slightly stupider)

549
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:20,240
time.

550
00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,520
This is important - sometimes,

551
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,400
jokes don’t even need to be funny to “work."

552
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:28,480
Dad jokes are warm,

553
00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:29,160
cozy,

554
00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,320
and inclusive,

555
00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,120
and there’s very little chance people won’t “get” it.

556
00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:35,040
At the same time,

557
00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:40,320
you get to self-deprecate as others groan and roll their eyes ...all while

558
00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:41,840
fostering a sense of closeness.

559
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:45,360
Remember that the point of humor is usually to get people to like you?

560
00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:48,600
The humble dad joke is a heavy lifter in this area.

561
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,640
It’s easy to get good at puns and wordplay.

562
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:58,360
It’s even easier to be slightly and hilariously bad at puns -

563
00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:03,160
•Look for double meanings so you can be deliberately misunderstood.

564
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:07,480
(“People are dying to get into that cemetery,

565
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:08,680
you know,” or,

566
00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:11,680
“Did you hear about the kidnapping at school?

567
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:12,920
It’s fine,

568
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:14,320
he woke up eventually.”)

569
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:14,320


570
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:18,880
•Look for simple words that sound the same.

571
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,480
(“What do you call a pig that does karate?

572
00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:23,160
A pork chop.”)

573
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:23,160


574
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:27,720
•Think about words that rhyme and put them together.

575
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:31,160
•Make up silly lyrics to well-known songs.

576
00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:32,840
(“Woah,

577
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:33,680
we’re halfway there,

578
00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:34,160
woah-oh,

579
00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:34,920
frilly underwear!”)

580
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:34,920


581
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:36,200
•Purposefully mispronounce something to humorous effect.

582
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,000
•Try spoonerisms,

583
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,640
where you deliberately mix up words or parts of words,

584
00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:47,800
e.g. saying “a bottle in front of me” instead of “a frontal lobotomy,”

585
00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,640
or calling it a “bunny phone” instead of a funny bone.

586
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,440
Dad jokes are short,

587
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:54,200
simple,

588
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,680
and not at all about showcasing your wit or intelligence.

589
00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,200
You can mess up their delivery as much as you like,

590
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:05,640
and they’ll land pretty much the same - deadpan or triumphant.

591
00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,280
You can be sure to get people to give you a begrudging laugh.

592
00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:10,600
Love to hate them,

593
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,040
or hate to love them,

594
00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:15,640
it’s good to have a few dad jokes in your inventory.

595
00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:16,400
At the very least,

596
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:20,120
you’ll remind yourself that being funny is not rocket science.

597
00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:25,760
How to use this in daily life .- Dad jokes are easy.

598
00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:28,800
You just need to have the guts to be cheesy!

599
00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,320
That’s the keyword here - cheesy.

600
00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,520
Try out a few with close friends and family first.

601
00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,960
Don’t worry about being lame—that’s kind of the point.

602
00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,240
Put on your comedy goggles again and look for opportunities.

603
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,160
If you’re feeling really analytical about it all,

604
00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,160
you could follow dedicated dad joke subreddits,

605
00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,920
join online forums or Twitter groups,

606
00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:56,400
or even buy some high-end literature like 101 Animal Crackers for Kids.

607
00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:01,800
Forget about perfect delivery—you’re just practicing saying corny

608
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,920
one-liners with a straight face!

609
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,760
What Funny Stories Are Made Of.

610
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:10,680
Okay,

611
00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:11,200
okay,

612
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:11,640
I get it.

613
00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,200
Dad jokes are great,

614
00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:14,640
but they only take you so far.

615
00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,760
When you pictured yourself being witty and dazzling,

616
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:22,440
the vision probably didn’t include you telling knock-knock jokes in the bar.

617
00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,800
Let’s expand our repertoire and take a look at how to tell funny stories.

618
00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:32,000
If you’ve ever tried to relate a humorous anecdote but completely fluffed the

619
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:32,440
punchline,

620
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:37,400
then you know how much of an art it is to tell a tale in just the right way.

621
00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:41,240
You don’t have to be a professional comedian who finetunes their “tight

622
00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,440
five” for years before testing it on a crowd,

623
00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:43,720
though.

624
00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:47,880
But it is worth understanding the structure of a good story so you can prepare

625
00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,640
a little next time you have a good yarn to weave.

626
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,600
First things first - thoughtful,

627
00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:54,400
solemn,

628
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:58,320
and wise are great—but they don’t make people laugh,

629
00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,680
and they don’t create that sense of relatability.

630
00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:05,920
You can actually talk more effectively about the Big Ideas if you’re funny

631
00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:06,200
about it.

632
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,800
It’s all about finding that pop of identification and that feeling that the

633
00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:12,960
other person hears you and gets you.

634
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:16,480
Second thing - you need to practice.

635
00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:17,400
Yes,

636
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,440
some people may appear like it’s second nature to them,

637
00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:21,200
but believe me,

638
00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:22,760
they’ve worked at it.

639
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,360
If you don’t believe me,

640
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,920
watch old clips of comedians before they were famous.

641
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:29,320
It’s awful,

642
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:30,040
truly.

643
00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:31,600
Finally,

644
00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,120
remember the two hunters in the forest?

645
00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:38,520
I’m sure you can imagine that story told in such a way as to make it seem

646
00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:40,240
really sad and tragic.

647
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:44,560
That’s because the emotional impact of a story isn’t about the content,

648
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:46,280
it’s about the delivery.

649
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:48,240
Any story can be a funny story.

650
00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:53,160
A funny story is simply any story told in a funny way,

651
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:54,440
i.e. a joke.

652
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,600
The comedy comes down to how that story is told.

653
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:04,600
Here’s how you structure your story according to the classic three-part story

654
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:04,880
arc.

655
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,000
You don’t start with the punchline,

656
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:08,280
right?

657
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:09,360
You get there slowly.

658
00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:11,680
You take your listeners on a mini journey.

659
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,320
The intensity rises,

660
00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:14,240
peaks,

661
00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:15,360
then falls.

662
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,920
According to the theories we’ve looked at,

663
00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:19,920
you build in a little surprise,

664
00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,280
you set up tension and release it,

665
00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:27,760
or maybe you have a good-natured laugh at someone else’s expense—or all

666
00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:28,120
three.

667
00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:34,720
Meet the characters .- You introduce the people and their world.

668
00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:38,800
You outline their normal everyday life so you can put what’s about to happen

669
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:39,640
in context.

670
00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:45,160
Introduce the tension .- Along comes a need.

671
00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:46,920
Now there’s a problem.

672
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:48,520
Maybe a stranger comes to town.

673
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:53,120
The journey .- The action rises,

674
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,440
and your hero (is it you?)

675
00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,320
goes on a quest to battle the dragon,

676
00:31:58,320 --> 00:31:59,720
find the magic gem,

677
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,080
or discover who stole his lunch from the office fridge.

678
00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:07,040
Climax .- This is the punchline,

679
00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:08,040
the outcome,

680
00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:09,160
the twist.

681
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,040
How did the journey end?

682
00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:16,520
Return .- The hero returns from his journey a changed man.

683
00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:18,200
There are lessons learned.

684
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:19,320
Lives are changed.

685
00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:21,920
Lunchtime will never be the same again.

686
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:27,560
You’ll find some variation of the above in screenwriting workshops and

687
00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:29,160
literary how-to books,

688
00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,360
but the idea is the same—set the scene,

689
00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:33,120
introduce a new element,

690
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,000
watch the drama unfold to a climax,

691
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,480
then wrap things up.

692
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:43,120
Forget any of these elements and your story won’t feel as natural or

693
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:44,600
psychologically satisfying.

694
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,880
First step to telling funny stories,

695
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:48,360
after all,

696
00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,040
is learning how to tell a story in general.

697
00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:52,640
When you set the scene,

698
00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:57,000
you use relatability to build rapport and stoke interest.

699
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:58,680
When you reach the climax,

700
00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:04,160
you introduce a sudden surprise or release some tension built up in the journey

701
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:04,640
phase.

702
00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:10,840
Here’s a funny story - “I was walking my dog at the dog park the other day

703
00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:11,240
like always,

704
00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:12,040
and you know,

705
00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:13,600
it’s pretty quiet in the afternoons.

706
00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:14,440
So there I am,

707
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:16,720
waiting for Biscuit to do his business,

708
00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:18,680
and I start singing to myself,

709
00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:20,400
thinking nobody could hear me.

710
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,640
I was really getting into it (yes,

711
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:24,160
I admit it,

712
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:25,320
I sing in the shower too,

713
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:26,760
but that’s another story)

714
00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,760
when this guy appears out of nowhere and smiles at me,

715
00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:31,080
saying,

716
00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:32,160
‘You know,

717
00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:38,920
I always used to wish I could sing.’ I smiled back and puffed my chest a

718
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:40,560
little bit.

719
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,240
‘But now I just wish you could,’ he said."

720
00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:49,000
The characters are introduced and the scene is set (pretty relatable,

721
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:49,280
right?

722
00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:53,760
Everyone has been caught singing to themselves—or at least they worry they

723
00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:54,120
will be!),

724
00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:57,280
and then the unexpected happens - a stranger appears.

725
00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:59,480
The speaker puffs their chest,

726
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:00,560
but no!

727
00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,760
The joke is the sudden reversal of his fortunes,

728
00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:07,200
and we laugh at the misfortune and sudden deflation.

729
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,520
This joke lacks a “return” section,

730
00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,000
but that’s okay—we can imagine the stranger walking off and the speaker

731
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:14,760
standing there,

732
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:15,920
dumbfounded,

733
00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:19,320
while Biscuit finishes his business in the bushes.

734
00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:20,360
Sometimes,

735
00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,760
silence is the best way to tell part of a story!

736
00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:29,400
The great thing about funny stories is that you can practice your delivery

737
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:30,160
beforehand.

738
00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:31,520
Just like the pros do,

739
00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:35,480
experiment with different ways of delivering the same info.

740
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:37,880
Make sure your story is complete,

741
00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:40,280
i.e. don’t skip the important parts.

742
00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:44,840
You might like to have a few funny anecdotes lined up—those stories that you

743
00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,320
know get a laugh every time you tell them.

744
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:53,680
How to use this in daily life .- This is something you can practice.

745
00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:55,240
Stand in front of a mirror,

746
00:34:55,240 --> 00:34:56,640
get relaxed,

747
00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,920
and practice telling the story of your favorite movie,

748
00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:03,360
paying attention to the narrative “beats” outlined above.

749
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:09,320
Truly write them out and try to fit your anecdotes or observations into that

750
00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:09,960
structure.

751
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:14,440
Keep it simple and dedicate just a sentence or two to each component.

752
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:17,000
Pay attention to keeping your voice,

753
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,440
facial expression,

754
00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:21,480
and gestures varied and interesting.

755
00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:22,640
At first,

756
00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:27,080
don’t worry too much about making anything funny—you want to simply get

757
00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:31,880
comfortable with moving smoothly through a natural story arc with a good pace.

758
00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:35,680
Funny Analogies.

759
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,320
Are you familiar with the comedian John Oliver?

760
00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:43,600
Sole host of the comedy show Last Week Tonight,

761
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:48,320
Oliver has earned a reputation for tackling the big issues in a novel way.

762
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:53,160
He’s especially well-known for a particular style of joke that he has really

763
00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,400
perfected and made his own - the analogy.

764
00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,400
Take a look.

765
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:03,560
“The poverty line is like the age of consent - if you find yourself parsing

766
00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:04,480
exactly where it is,

767
00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:07,640
you’ve probably already done something very,

768
00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:08,760
very wrong."

769
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:14,760
“Democracy is like a tambourine - not everyone can be trusted with it."

770
00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,040
“The death penalty is like the McRib.

771
00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:20,320
When you can’t have it,

772
00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:22,560
it seems so tantalizing,

773
00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:23,920
but when they bring it back,

774
00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:24,720
you think,

775
00:36:24,720 --> 00:36:25,760
Wow,

776
00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:27,760
this is ethically wrong."

777
00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:31,160
What makes these so funny?

778
00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:35,800
Oliver is comparing two things that normally don’t go together - the age of

779
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:37,400
consent and the poverty line.

780
00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:39,680
The Death penalty and the McRib.

781
00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,680
He’s finding something funny that they both have in common.

782
00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:47,600
Consider it a more sophisticated wordplay of the dad joke variety.

783
00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:52,280
He’s made some funny commentary on both issues in a way that feels fresh and

784
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:53,720
unexpected,

785
00:36:53,720 --> 00:36:57,480
and yet instantly relatable—not bad for just one line!

786
00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:58,160
Now,

787
00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:02,640
admittedly John Oliver has really flexed his muscles in this particular niche,

788
00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,760
and you don’t have to follow his format exactly.

789
00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,520
But there’s a lot we can learn from his style.

790
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:08,600
1)

791
00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:15,320
There’s a lot of humor potential in bizarre juxtaposition (this is the theory

792
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,440
that says that unexpected things are funny)

793
00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:18,880
2)

794
00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:20,600
The more bizarre the analogy,

795
00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:26,720
the funnier it could be—Oliver often pairs controversial or emotive topics in

796
00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:29,920
sex and politics with ridiculous ones,

797
00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,560
like tambourines and McRibs.

798
00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:33,920
The bigger the contrast,

799
00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,400
the better and cleverer.

800
00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:38,080
3)

801
00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:42,320
You can be funny and share risqué opinions on hot-button topics at the same

802
00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:46,240
time  How can you bring a bit of this into your own life?

803
00:37:46,240 --> 00:37:47,400
First of all,

804
00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:51,600
don’t worry—you don’t have to be like John Oliver who has professional

805
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,800
writers compiling jokes for him weeks in advance.

806
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:58,080
The skeleton of this structure is easy - find topic A,

807
00:37:58,080 --> 00:37:59,760
find topic B,

808
00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:04,640
then find some unexpected connection between the two of them and bring it all

809
00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:05,840
together in one line.

810
00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:11,200
I’ll be honest - truly hilarious comparisons do take time to create,

811
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:11,840
but with practice,

812
00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:16,720
you can learn to make them up on the fly—they don’t need to be

813
00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:19,200
side-splittingly funny for people to sit up and pay attention.

814
00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:25,720
Being “witty” is often just a matter of appearing to others to be a little

815
00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:27,880
surprising and a little playful.

816
00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:33,360
Playing around with everyday expectations is precisely what will create this

817
00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:33,840
expectation,

818
00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:36,760
whether it’s hilariously funny or not.

819
00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:38,920
If you search hard enough,

820
00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:43,360
you can find a common thread in just about any two topics.

821
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:46,280
Winnie the Pooh and taxicabs.

822
00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:49,040
Backpacks and old gym shorts.

823
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:51,600
Teslas and spoons.

824
00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:53,640
Spoons and Madonna.

825
00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,320
Spoons and Cambodia.

826
00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,800
Spoons and Viagra.

827
00:38:58,800 --> 00:38:59,720
You get the idea.

828
00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:04,720
One easy way to start playing with juxtaposition,

829
00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:05,000
however,

830
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,880
is to use what’s called the “comic triple."

831
00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:11,920
This technique draws its power from the fact that people have been conditioned

832
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:15,200
in many ways to process information in groups of threes.

833
00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:16,120
It’s everywhere.

834
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:17,680
The Three Little Pigs.

835
00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:19,480
Newton’s three laws of physics.

836
00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:21,520
Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

837
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:22,880
The Holy Trinity.

838
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:28,680
Subverting the brains’ expectations with a comic triple can allow you to

839
00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:33,440
introduce some surprise in the same way that Oliver does with unexpected

840
00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:34,040
analogies.

841
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:37,640
Behold -  “There are lies,

842
00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:39,000
damned lies,

843
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:40,600
and statistics."

844
00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:42,440
“Join the army,

845
00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:43,800
meet interesting people,

846
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:44,960
kill them."

847
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:49,720
“I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way.

848
00:39:49,720 --> 00:39:52,400
I invited everyone in the neighborhood to my house,

849
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:54,240
we had an enormous feast,

850
00:39:54,240 --> 00:39:56,880
and then I killed them and took their land."

851
00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:01,560
“I like my men like I like my coffee.

852
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:02,360
Strong,

853
00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:03,080
black,

854
00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:05,680
and able to keep me up all night."

855
00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:09,120
When you make any type of list,

856
00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:11,200
you build an expectation.

857
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:16,600
The comic triple then subverts this to humorous effect—think of it like a

858
00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:20,160
very quick story and a very quick rise and fall.

859
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:22,000
In a list of three,

860
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,040
you prime your listeners to expect one thing,

861
00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:28,720
then surprise them with a third that changes the rules,

862
00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:30,520
goes in the other direction,

863
00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:32,280
or comes out of left field.

864
00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:34,680
It’s easy to use this formula,

865
00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:36,800
and it works every single time.

866
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:43,160
Step 1 - think of a topic or theme Step 2 - in that theme,

867
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:50,440
list two expected items on the list Step 3 - list a third that doesn’t belong

868
00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:56,720
on the list at all Bonus points if the third item reveals a clever word play or

869
00:40:56,720 --> 00:40:59,440
a slight jab at the expectation itself.

870
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:03,960
Take a look - “I love everything about her.

871
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:04,880
Her smile,

872
00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:06,960
her sense of style,

873
00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:10,800
and how she never has any clue where she wants to go for dinner."

874
00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,800
It’s not laugh-out-loud funny,

875
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,280
but it’s cute and unexpected.

876
00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:22,040
Using funny analogies and comparisons is simple once you start

877
00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:26,960
practicing—it’s all about subverting expectations or catching people’s

878
00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:29,920
attention with unusual combinations.

879
00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:32,000
As with any technique,

880
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:35,080
start by preparing some material beforehand;

881
00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:35,880
in time,

882
00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:39,360
you’ll be able to construct funny quips on your feet.

883
00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,760
Just remember that the humor is in the unexpectedness.

884
00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:49,560
Here’s Ellen DeGeneres going one step further and playing with people’s

885
00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:55,280
expectations of this format itself - “I’ve always said,

886
00:41:55,280 --> 00:42:00,360
I like my coffee like I like my men ...I don’t drink coffee."

887
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:07,000
How to use this in daily life .- You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each

888
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:07,400
time.

889
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:11,880
You can make a joke by simply playing with the material surrounding you.

890
00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:14,520
Look for groups of three in your environment,

891
00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:19,280
then quickly subvert the expectation by replacing the third thing in the list

892
00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:20,480
with something outlandish.

893
00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:24,880
Let’s say someone is heading to the store and asks if you need anything.

894
00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:25,720
You could quip,

895
00:42:25,720 --> 00:42:26,560
“Yes,

896
00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:27,400
please!

897
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:29,000
I need some diet Coke,

898
00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:30,040
cat food,

899
00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:31,360
and ...oh,

900
00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:32,320
some arsenic,

901
00:42:32,320 --> 00:42:32,640
too,

902
00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:33,760
if you can get it."

903
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,080
It’s not a full-on joke,

904
00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:40,720
but it gets your humor muscles warmed up and makes room for follow-up banter.

905
00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:44,920
The Art Of Misdirection.

906
00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:49,520
When you play with people’s ingrained expectations,

907
00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:52,920
you’re letting assumptions do the heavy lifting for you.

908
00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:58,160
But you can always take a more active role and deliberately set up those

909
00:42:58,160 --> 00:42:59,000
conditions yourself,

910
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,760
leading your listeners down the wrong path only to reveal the big trick or

911
00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:04,680
twist at the end.

912
00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:07,000
When you use misdirection,

913
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:11,720
you’re a bit like a magician purposely guiding your audience’s attention to

914
00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:14,960
the wrong place—and then surprising them with that fact.

915
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:21,080
Here’s an example from the comedian Bo Burnham - “I believe in the Zodiac.

916
00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:21,880
Yes,

917
00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:22,360
I do.

918
00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:22,520
Uh,

919
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:29,400
this is something a little bit morbidly ironic .- My grandmother was a Cancer

920
00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,600
and she was actually killed by a giant crab."

921
00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:38,200
This one is so unexpected that it might take you a while to “get” what’s

922
00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:38,800
even happened.

923
00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:39,600
As you listen,

924
00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:44,200
you’re expecting one thing—a joke about how his grandmother was a Cancer

925
00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:45,400
and yet also died of cancer.

926
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:50,160
The audience is in a comedy show and are actually expecting this kind of

927
00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:51,400
wordplay.

928
00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:53,640
But like Ellen DeGeneres does in the above,

929
00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:57,800
Burnham subverts all this and goes in a completely different direction.

930
00:43:57,800 --> 00:43:58,560
However,

931
00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:02,200
it’s only funny because he first sets it up that way,

932
00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:05,480
by announcing that he’s about to tell you something ironic.

933
00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:10,960
Can you see how the joke wouldn’t make sense unless he explicitly told you to

934
00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:12,040
expect an irony?

935
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:14,560
He misdirects the audience to expect this,

936
00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:16,520
then delivers something else.

937
00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:18,120
He creates the tension,

938
00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,320
then releases it—but in an unexpected way.

939
00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:26,920
Here’s another example from comedian Jo Brand - “It's hard sometimes

940
00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:28,280
because the house is a mess,

941
00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:29,480
the kids are screaming.

942
00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:30,160
In the end,

943
00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:33,880
my husband couldn't take it anymore and he stormed off to the pub.

944
00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:36,920
I said to him - 'What are you doing here?

945
00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:38,920
You're meant to be at home looking after the kids!"

946
00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:45,640
The listener has the expectation of a long-suffering wife at home with a house

947
00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:47,000
full of screaming kids,

948
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:49,440
while her no-good husband runs off to the pub.

949
00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:50,440
Of course,

950
00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:52,480
the joke is that the wife is already there.

951
00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:53,800
In this case,

952
00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:58,480
the misdirection is used to draw attention to big issues and societal

953
00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:03,600
stereotypes—comedians who take this approach can in this way be powerful

954
00:45:03,600 --> 00:45:06,560
social commentators without ever getting too serious.

955
00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:13,440
Here’s another Ellen DeGeneres joke - “My grandmother started walking five

956
00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:15,320
miles a day when she was sixty.

957
00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:16,880
She's ninety-seven now,

958
00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:19,440
and we don't know where the hell she is."

959
00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:21,640
You can see the misdirection,

960
00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:21,920
right?

961
00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:25,240
To bring a little misdirection into your own life,

962
00:45:25,240 --> 00:45:28,640
you need to first practice seeing the common tropes,

963
00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:29,800
stereotypes,

964
00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:32,400
and cultural expectations all around you.

965
00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:36,200
The whole point is that these assumptions are invisible.

966
00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:40,720
Challenge yourself to go about your day and look for all the ways that life

967
00:45:40,720 --> 00:45:46,000
plays out in predictable ways ...then start to internally imagine what they

968
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:49,120
would look like if the complete opposite happened.

969
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:54,200
Let’s say you’re at the airport and notice the drug sniffer dogs and

970
00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:57,000
security checking through people’s carry-on luggage.

971
00:45:57,000 --> 00:46:01,240
The expectation is that if they find something illegal,

972
00:46:01,240 --> 00:46:02,280
they’ll confiscate it.

973
00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:06,800
But then it occurs to you that there are a few different ways to “take drugs."

974
00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:12,440
You come up with the one-line joke - “I hate people who think it’s clever

975
00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:15,360
to take drugs ...like customs officials."

976
00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:16,520
So,

977
00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:17,760
look around you.

978
00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:20,280
Be playful and creative about it.

979
00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:26,400
What is everyone unconsciously expecting in certain scenarios and conversations?

980
00:46:26,400 --> 00:46:27,840
At a wedding,

981
00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:32,480
everyone is expected to gush on and on about how beautiful the bride looks

982
00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:37,120
because she is presumably as dressed up and gorgeous as she’ll ever be,

983
00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:40,520
and people are expected to be totally bowled over by her.

984
00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:42,800
It would be pretty funny,

985
00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:43,000
then,

986
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:43,400
if you said,

987
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:44,560
“Wow!

988
00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:45,680
So stunning.

989
00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:45,960
Really,

990
00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:49,040
I’ve never seen a more perfect vision of beauty.

991
00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:51,200
Absolutely gorgeous.

992
00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:53,680
The bride isn’t looking too bad,

993
00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:54,240
either."

994
00:46:54,240 --> 00:46:58,680
Once you notice all the expectations in your world,

995
00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:01,800
it’ll start to seem natural to subvert them.

996
00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:08,240
Look at how this comic does it - “Isaac Newton died a virgin."

997
00:47:08,240 --> 00:47:13,640
(The expectation here is that the joke will somehow make fun of virgins—a

998
00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:16,000
perennial topic)

999
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,760
“That means I have one up on humanity’s greatest scientific genius."

1000
00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:26,400
(The audience is now definitely expecting the comic to brag about not being a

1001
00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:26,760
virgin,

1002
00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:28,960
and therefore being better than Isaac Newton.)

1003
00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:31,280
“Because I’m not dead."

1004
00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:36,960
(Expectation subverted—the comic totally is a virgin and has been leading his

1005
00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:38,840
listeners down the wrong path.)

1006
00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:44,640
The above joke could only have stemmed from the comic’s keen understanding of

1007
00:47:44,640 --> 00:47:48,680
what people are expecting to hear when you tell a funny story about virgins.

1008
00:47:48,680 --> 00:47:54,600
Similar jokes subvert the very same expectation—in a cartoon,

1009
00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:59,040
someone dies and expects to be met in heaven by the mythical “seventy-two

1010
00:47:59,040 --> 00:47:59,720
virgins."

1011
00:47:59,720 --> 00:48:05,320
But the virgins are not what he expects—they’re all nerdy overweight gamers

1012
00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:06,320
wearing fedoras.

1013
00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:10,840
You can use misdirection in many ways beyond the verbal,

1014
00:48:10,840 --> 00:48:11,560
however.

1015
00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:14,880
You could “mislead” your audience by the very way you speak,

1016
00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:15,200
dress,

1017
00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:16,600
or behave,

1018
00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:20,400
inviting them to play into expectations and stereotypes,

1019
00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:22,080
only to shatter them.

1020
00:48:22,080 --> 00:48:22,720
Remember,

1021
00:48:22,720 --> 00:48:27,000
the heart of the humor is in the surprise—you could create this surprise

1022
00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:31,640
simply by saying something shockingly vulgar in a very prim accent,

1023
00:48:31,640 --> 00:48:35,800
or behaving in ways completely opposite to what people would expect,

1024
00:48:35,800 --> 00:48:37,240
given the way you dress.

1025
00:48:37,240 --> 00:48:45,000
How to use this in daily life .- Notice where you’re naturally telling

1026
00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:47,480
stories to people in ordinary life.

1027
00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:48,160
At first,

1028
00:48:48,160 --> 00:48:52,040
simply become aware of yourself playing into expectations.

1029
00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:52,480
Then,

1030
00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:58,000
internally imagine what it would look like to violate those expectations before

1031
00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:00,040
literally speaking out to do so.

1032
00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:01,160
For example,

1033
00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:05,360
notice how you’re telling your neighbor how happy your family has been since

1034
00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:07,320
buying an enormous caravan.

1035
00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:12,000
Wouldn’t it be funny to weave a long story that suddenly ends with,

1036
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:18,680
“So now I spend every evening in the caravan alone and the family has never

1037
00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:19,120
been happier.”?

1038
00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:24,560
You might want to incorporate this practice into the rubric you have for

1039
00:49:24,560 --> 00:49:25,360
comedic stories.

1040
00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:29,320
“What will people think at the beginning of this story,

1041
00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:31,200
and how can I change that?"

1042
00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:35,080
Be Oddly Specific.

1043
00:49:35,080 --> 00:49:40,640
If there’s a theme I hope that you’ve learned so far from this book,

1044
00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:42,320
it’s that to be funny,

1045
00:49:42,320 --> 00:49:46,560
you don’t always need to actively attempt to be a standup comedian.

1046
00:49:46,560 --> 00:49:50,280
If you constantly try to crack jokes and set up punchlines,

1047
00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:55,160
chances are that you’re probably going to be more obnoxious than funny.

1048
00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:58,520
People will see the effort and not the humor.

1049
00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:01,160
There’s a whole universe of funny out there,

1050
00:50:01,160 --> 00:50:04,720
and very little of it comes down to punchlines and zingers.

1051
00:50:04,720 --> 00:50:07,600
Know what makes things funny,

1052
00:50:07,600 --> 00:50:10,680
know what makes you funny in particular,

1053
00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:14,800
and make an effort to go out and find the funniness in everyday life.

1054
00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:15,640
Then,

1055
00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:22,040
inject this into every conversation by playing with subverting expectations,

1056
00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:23,120
poking fun,

1057
00:50:23,120 --> 00:50:26,120
or creating tension—that you then release.

1058
00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:29,160
Funny people are funny all the time,

1059
00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:31,240
not just when they’re telling jokes or stories,

1060
00:50:31,240 --> 00:50:35,840
and what makes them funny is their openness and willingness to be entertained

1061
00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:36,680
themselves.

1062
00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:42,080
It comes down to personality—people who are funny don’t take life seriously.

1063
00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:43,040
They’re creative,

1064
00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:43,800
fearless,

1065
00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:44,280
quick,

1066
00:50:44,280 --> 00:50:45,160
childlike,

1067
00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:46,760
and a little bit naughty.

1068
00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:49,280
Keeping this in mind,

1069
00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:52,720
let’s consider those people who are not necessarily jokesters,

1070
00:50:52,720 --> 00:50:56,600
but who simply have an aura of humor and playfulness around them.

1071
00:50:56,600 --> 00:51:00,640
“Colorful” characters may dress outlandishly,

1072
00:51:00,640 --> 00:51:02,400
or simply have a way with words.

1073
00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:07,640
They may tell a positively hilarious story that has everyone enraptured simply

1074
00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:09,360
because of the way they describe things.

1075
00:51:09,360 --> 00:51:11,800
Instead of saying someone is stupid,

1076
00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:17,200
they say they are a “nincompoop” (when last did you hear that word?)

1077
00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:19,920
or “dumber than a bag of hammers."

1078
00:51:19,920 --> 00:51:23,120
They don’t say “he had a few teeth missing,” they say,

1079
00:51:23,120 --> 00:51:26,520
“he had teeth like a row of bombed houses,

1080
00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:27,360
bless him."

1081
00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:28,840
You get the idea.

1082
00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:34,800
You can be much funnier yourself by simply refusing to default to lazy,

1083
00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:38,080
uninspired language and instead use some flavor.

1084
00:51:38,080 --> 00:51:42,080
Don’t go for boring and over-sanitized.

1085
00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:42,600
Instead,

1086
00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:45,560
pepper your stories with zingy details,

1087
00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:46,640
funny words,

1088
00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:49,720
or unexpected and creative phrases.

1089
00:51:49,720 --> 00:51:54,600
Someone who “dances funny” is barely a blip on our screen,

1090
00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:59,440
but someone who “dances like a gorilla cooking an omelet” catches our

1091
00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:00,720
attention immediately.

1092
00:52:00,720 --> 00:52:03,560
Usage #1.

1093
00:52:03,560 --> 00:52:10,560
The first step is to destroy normal adjectives from your vocabulary and replace

1094
00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:12,480
them with something that you have to think about.

1095
00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:16,280
Other people often will not have actively thought about it,

1096
00:52:16,280 --> 00:52:17,680
and it will be unexpected.

1097
00:52:17,680 --> 00:52:23,120
If you wanted to say that your weekend was “good,” what might be better and

1098
00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:25,000
more descriptive ways of doing that?

1099
00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:34,000
Good -> imaginative -> splendid -> like a big Bloody Mary -> better than using

1100
00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:39,200
the bathroom after a long car ride -> almost as good as Christmas morning.

1101
00:52:39,200 --> 00:52:41,080
It’s not difficult,

1102
00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:43,480
but it’s not easy to come up with on the fly,

1103
00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:43,960
either.

1104
00:52:43,960 --> 00:52:46,720
Whenever you come across a normal adjective,

1105
00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:49,560
think of what other synonyms you might use.

1106
00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:51,840
Your listeners will love you for it,

1107
00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:52,760
I promise.

1108
00:52:52,760 --> 00:52:55,840
Usage #2.

1109
00:52:55,840 --> 00:53:01,640
Another way to inject vivid and outlandish imagery into your daily speaking is

1110
00:53:01,640 --> 00:53:04,720
to simply choose to describe observations,

1111
00:53:04,720 --> 00:53:05,320
actions,

1112
00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:09,040
and objects in an unconventional and creative way.

1113
00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:10,440
For example,

1114
00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:15,360
Amy Schumer has a great example of this when she describes her sleeping

1115
00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:15,920
positions.

1116
00:53:15,920 --> 00:53:20,560
She could describe how she sleeps as “messy” or “weird."

1117
00:53:20,560 --> 00:53:25,000
She could even go another level up and say she sleeps like an “unsalted

1118
00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:25,600
pretzel."

1119
00:53:25,600 --> 00:53:28,280
The unsalted pretzel gives you a mental image,

1120
00:53:28,280 --> 00:53:30,560
but she does even better.

1121
00:53:30,560 --> 00:53:35,640
She describes her sleeping position to be “as if she fell from the top of a

1122
00:53:35,640 --> 00:53:39,280
building” or “in the shape of a swastika."

1123
00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:41,960
There’s your instant mental image,

1124
00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:46,440
which now has the added intelligent humor of combining two very different

1125
00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:49,080
concepts (sleep and swastika,

1126
00:53:49,080 --> 00:53:51,720
sleep and falling off a building).

1127
00:53:51,720 --> 00:53:56,000
Another example of this is from P. J.  O'Rourke,

1128
00:53:56,000 --> 00:54:00,440
who described his experiences with local military in the Philippines,

1129
00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:03,840
involving contact with a small policeman who amazed him.

1130
00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:07,720
He described the policeman as very intimidating and scary,

1131
00:54:07,720 --> 00:54:10,400
but also very petite.

1132
00:54:10,400 --> 00:54:11,840
His exact phrasing was,

1133
00:54:11,840 --> 00:54:15,160
"He looked like an attack hamster."

1134
00:54:15,160 --> 00:54:18,040
Even if you're not trying to be funny,

1135
00:54:18,040 --> 00:54:22,760
just the way you come up with analogies on how you contrast and compare

1136
00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:26,120
different concepts can make for really funny descriptions.

1137
00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:30,080
How do you master the art of humorous descriptions?

1138
00:54:30,080 --> 00:54:35,760
The first step is to attempt to disassociate from what you see and just focus

1139
00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:37,920
on the elements and traits of what you see.

1140
00:54:37,920 --> 00:54:39,160
For example,

1141
00:54:39,160 --> 00:54:40,360
in the case of P. J.  O'Rourke,

1142
00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:44,200
you would set aside the fact that you were looking at a police officer and

1143
00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:47,640
focus on the elements and traits of the police officer.

1144
00:54:47,640 --> 00:54:48,880
He was small,

1145
00:54:48,880 --> 00:54:49,880
petite,

1146
00:54:49,880 --> 00:54:50,680
scary,

1147
00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:52,080
intimidating,

1148
00:54:52,080 --> 00:54:52,800
powerful,

1149
00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:53,320
fierce,

1150
00:54:53,320 --> 00:54:54,160
authoritative,

1151
00:54:54,160 --> 00:54:55,120
serious,

1152
00:54:55,120 --> 00:54:55,840
severe,

1153
00:54:55,840 --> 00:54:57,320
and elfin.

1154
00:54:57,320 --> 00:55:02,600
What are two distinct concepts that would fit the descriptions above?

1155
00:55:02,600 --> 00:55:04,840
Boom—attack hamster.

1156
00:55:04,840 --> 00:55:09,960
This type of humor really stretches your imagination and creativity.

1157
00:55:09,960 --> 00:55:15,000
You're forced to brainstorm what the basic elements are related to and what

1158
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:17,160
they resemble in a physical level.

1159
00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:21,360
You exercise your creativity and come across as smart,

1160
00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:22,360
interesting,

1161
00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:23,840
and switched on.

1162
00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:27,040
Usage #3.

1163
00:55:27,040 --> 00:55:33,680
The final way to use better imagery is to use popular culture references to

1164
00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:34,640
replace adjectives.

1165
00:55:34,640 --> 00:55:37,000
The more widely known the reference is,

1166
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:38,400
the better the joke.

1167
00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:39,000
However,

1168
00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:43,120
there is a risk some people will completely miss the reference and not know

1169
00:55:43,120 --> 00:55:44,280
what you’re talking about.

1170
00:55:44,280 --> 00:55:44,560
So,

1171
00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:47,440
tread carefully and know your audience with this one!

1172
00:55:47,440 --> 00:55:52,640
Let’s pick a well-known reference to use - the corruption of the Olympic

1173
00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:53,000
Games.

1174
00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:56,040
It’s not something that people know details about,

1175
00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:59,160
but it’s something that people generally know exists.

1176
00:55:59,160 --> 00:56:02,640
What traits would you assign to this reference?

1177
00:56:02,640 --> 00:56:03,840
Corruption,

1178
00:56:03,840 --> 00:56:04,720
unfairness,

1179
00:56:04,720 --> 00:56:05,920
inequality,

1180
00:56:05,920 --> 00:56:07,000
deviousness,

1181
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:08,200
sneakiness,

1182
00:56:08,200 --> 00:56:09,120
and so on.

1183
00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:12,520
You can use the traits of the reference to describe things,

1184
00:56:12,520 --> 00:56:18,240
such as “That cashier gave me a one-dollar bill back instead of a ten-dollar

1185
00:56:18,240 --> 00:56:18,440
bill.

1186
00:56:18,440 --> 00:56:21,080
Does he work for the Olympics or something?"

1187
00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:27,280
You’re replacing the word “corrupt” with a popular culture reference—a

1188
00:56:27,280 --> 00:56:28,440
much more descriptive,

1189
00:56:28,440 --> 00:56:29,040
timely,

1190
00:56:29,040 --> 00:56:30,840
and vivid way of speaking.

1191
00:56:30,840 --> 00:56:36,040
Let’s use another well-known reference - the television show Game of Thrones.

1192
00:56:36,040 --> 00:56:41,280
Use the traits of the television show to describe something—in this example,

1193
00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:42,440
“addicting."

1194
00:56:42,440 --> 00:56:48,520
“This octopus pie is almost as addicting as watching Game of Thrones.

1195
00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:49,560
It’s amazing."

1196
00:56:49,560 --> 00:56:54,440
It only takes a little bit of effort to begin replacing the words and phrases

1197
00:56:54,440 --> 00:56:57,040
in your vocabulary to sound like a completely new person.

1198
00:56:57,040 --> 00:56:58,640
Be specific,

1199
00:56:58,640 --> 00:56:59,960
be colorful,

1200
00:56:59,960 --> 00:57:03,680
be unexpected.

1201
00:57:03,680 --> 00:57:08,280
Deep inside every one of us is a funny little kid with some strange

1202
00:57:08,280 --> 00:57:12,280
ideas—it’s just a matter of consulting your inner weirdo!

1203
00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:19,400
How to use this in daily life .- Take up creative writing.

1204
00:57:19,400 --> 00:57:20,080
Seriously.

1205
00:57:20,080 --> 00:57:21,160
Poets,

1206
00:57:21,160 --> 00:57:21,800
playwrights,

1207
00:57:21,800 --> 00:57:25,800
and authors use many of the same skills that comedians do since they play with

1208
00:57:25,800 --> 00:57:26,200
language.

1209
00:57:26,200 --> 00:57:32,000
There are now great apps and tools to introduce you to a new and interesting

1210
00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:32,800
word every day,

1211
00:57:32,800 --> 00:57:38,520
or challenge yourself to pick up the thesaurus and come up with a more

1212
00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:40,600
interesting adjective than the usual.

1213
00:57:40,600 --> 00:57:46,560
Look at funny traditional expressions or play with using archaic or outmoded

1214
00:57:46,560 --> 00:57:47,240
language.

1215
00:57:47,240 --> 00:57:53,800
Your granny probably has a few old-fashioned but hilarious phrases—steal hers!

1216
00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:58,520
The point is that there are over one million words in the English language

1217
00:57:58,520 --> 00:57:58,800
alone,

1218
00:57:58,800 --> 00:58:03,760
so you really aren’t taking advantage of a low-hanging piece of fruit.

1219
00:58:03,760 --> 00:58:06,840
Takeaways -

1220
00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:10,240
•The “dad joke” is a good way to start out.

1221
00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:11,480
It’s low stakes,

1222
00:58:11,480 --> 00:58:12,400
harmless,

1223
00:58:12,400 --> 00:58:14,680
and guaranteed to get a reaction.

1224
00:58:14,680 --> 00:58:18,240
Dad jokes are made up of silly word plays,

1225
00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:18,840
puns,

1226
00:58:18,840 --> 00:58:19,680
rhymes,

1227
00:58:19,680 --> 00:58:23,640
and mildly humorous (or groan-worthy)

1228
00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:24,520
one liners.

1229
00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:26,000
The shorter the better!

1230
00:58:26,000 --> 00:58:28,960
•To tell a funny story,

1231
00:58:28,960 --> 00:58:33,560
you need to deliver it in a psychologically satisfying way.

1232
00:58:33,560 --> 00:58:38,160
First introduce the characters and lay a baselines context,

1233
00:58:38,160 --> 00:58:40,760
introduce a problem or a change,

1234
00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:44,520
set them off on a “journey,” describe a climax,

1235
00:58:44,520 --> 00:58:46,160
then have them return.

1236
00:58:46,160 --> 00:58:51,800
Most stories fail because there isn’t enough context and background

1237
00:58:51,800 --> 00:58:52,560
established.

1238
00:58:52,560 --> 00:58:59,920
•Funny analogies ala John Oliver are a great way to be creative and

1239
00:58:59,920 --> 00:59:00,600
unexpected.

1240
00:59:00,600 --> 00:59:02,960
You could think of a topic or theme,

1241
00:59:02,960 --> 00:59:07,600
then think of two expected items on the list before throwing in a third,

1242
00:59:07,600 --> 00:59:11,200
unexpected item that shatters expectations.

1243
00:59:11,200 --> 00:59:15,920
Or you could play with contrast by comparing two very different things that are

1244
00:59:15,920 --> 00:59:18,560
nevertheless similar in a funny way.

1245
00:59:18,560 --> 00:59:24,320
•Misdirection is about deliberately leading your listeners down the wrong

1246
00:59:24,320 --> 00:59:28,760
path so you can heighten the sense of surprise when you suddenly change tack.

1247
00:59:28,760 --> 00:59:31,240
•Finally,

1248
00:59:31,240 --> 00:59:36,640
one way to start adding color to your stories is to be as specific as possible.

1249
00:59:36,640 --> 00:59:40,040
Use unexpected and colorful vocabulary,

1250
00:59:40,040 --> 00:59:40,920
imagery,

1251
00:59:40,920 --> 00:59:45,280
and descriptions in place of boring and ordinary phrasing.

1252
00:59:45,280 --> 00:59:49,720
This has been

1253
00:59:49,720 --> 00:59:59,440
How To Be Hilarious and Quick-Witted in Everyday Conversation (How to be More Likable and Charismatic Book 14) Written by

1254
00:59:59,440 --> 01:00:06,160
Patrick King,  narrated by russell newton.