One of the best ways to make an emotional connection with any audience, is to make them laugh.
When I gave the eulogy at my dad's funeral, they had a camping tent and cot on stage at the church from a Vacation Bible School service. But, I just got up and said.
"Well, if there was one thing my dad liked better than an illustrated sermon, it was using props to tell it," then I just turned and looked at the setup. The whole crowd appreciated the chance to laugh.
My dad was a preacher and I remember one of his favorite sermons, was about the power of our tongues, and what we say with them. He'd carry out a box, a big, metal box, with a lock on the side. He'd say it was the world's deadliest weapon. When he finally opened it and pulled out a tongue sock puppet, it always got great laughs. So, I know, he was laughing that day.
sorry if you don't agree with me and my beliefs about the afterlife, I'm open to discussion in another forum
Using humor in your blog is a good way to put people at ease, or make them uneasy, in a way they think they like, depending on your jokes.
Not every writer can write their own jokes. No, really, it's not as easy as it seems. A really good writer could be lousy at comedy, there are a lot of ways to screw it up, but if you follow a few simple rules, you'll be fine.
The four best way to screw up comedy
- Not Knowing your audience
I got the chance to live a lifelong dream this summer and go to Second City in Chicago. I did a lot of improv when I was a kid and taught it later in life. I'm pretty quick on my feet when it comes to making up ridiculous stuff and committing to it, the two main elements of improv comedy.
They run a mostly family show, with a few crude jokes
BUT! If you stay for the after show, when they are just hacking around and building new material, and you're easily offended, you get what you deserve. Seriously, a comedy club is no place for anyone with delicate sensibilities. They will prey on you, it will be ugly.
But, people go there expecting that. After all, it's one of the only live entertainment venues where you can still smoke indoors, and they typically have a two drink minimum, one might expect that a place like that would be a teeny bit crass.
But, I grew up writing sketch comedy...in church.
Yeah, that was interesting.
My mom caught me doing it and took me out in the middle of my dad's sermon. Her face got all squinched up and she grabbed my arm and marched me out. We went to the bathroom, she took my notebook, and I bent over. She said, "What are you doing?" I was confused. "you're not going to spank me?" "No, I came out here to finish reading it, I can't just laugh out loud in the middle of the altar call."
No, I'm joking. For me, it was just life. That's what I knew. I had more conservative views about art then than I do now, and it fit well, if anything, I was the one keeping the others in line.
Every Wed night we'd write an opener (think SNL sketch) and an illustration, or promotion for something the youth group was doing. We had a youth group of about 400 kids, and if you bombed, they let you know it, so you got good, fast, because teenagers are animals when it comes to stuff they don't enjoy, brutal, seriously.
Here on steemit, you can build ANY kind of audience you want
But, be sure you know them. Especially right now. We are very touchy socially about things like race, gender, sexual harassment, you name it. A lot of things that used to be funny, aren't funny anymore.
It's all about keeping their attention and the fastest way to lose it, and all hope of getting it back, is to offend them.
The antidote is the engagement we talked about yesterday
If you get to know people, and your content is consistent, you have a good chance of hitting that sweet spot, where you can shock them just enough, without losing them.
2 Overthinking it
There is such a thing as high brow humor. It's boring. Unless you're an academic, you probably wouldn't enjoy it. Sorry if you are. No, I'm not. But, anyway.
We all have that one friend who can never get the joke right
He gets flustered, tells the punchline first, or he tries to rewrite a funny joke and it turns out bad.
"Dude, the clown eating the cannibals, that's not funny."
"Really? But it was hilarious when John told it!"
"YEAH, but he got it right."
"Why, what did I get wrong?"
"Two cannibals eating a clown, one says, does this taste funny?"
Dont' be that guy
Stick with what works, unless you're really going to go for it. Here's a lot of writers I know writing a joke:
"Hmm, a man walks into a bar, no, wait! Got it! A man saunters into a bar...or strides maybe. Or is it even a bar, seems like everyone does that..."
Most comedy is funny, because it's familiar. Sure, it's incongruous, like the cannibal asking about the clown, or the old man asking for soup, but we understand the premise. It can't require too much setup.
- Trying to be funny
Seriously this will kill it. Let's take an example of a comedy actor we probably all know, Mr. Bean. Yeah, you're saying, wait, he's definitely trying to be funny, but is he, is he really?
What Rowan Atkinson does so well, is play it straight. Think about it, he goes into a laundry mat and has a big trash bag, he doesn't make a big deal out of it when he pulls out a huge inflatable toy and tries to stuff it in the washer. He's serious. He sees absolutely no reason why the thing won't go in the machine. That, is what makes it funny.
You've got to commit. If you try to be too silly heading into a bit, you're audience will see it coming too early, and it will fall flat. The key is, let them in on the fact it's a joke, just before you say the man asks for soup.
Comedy writers invented the phrase "trying too hard" and we all know it looks like. It's not pretty.
- Taking too long
But I've read entire novels that made me laugh all the way through, Mark. Sure, I know. I love tim Dorsey. He's hilarious. But, here's the thing, it's not all one big joke, it's a series of funny moments.
Setup, anticipation, punchline
The SAP method, also known as a "triple" is one of the most common ways of developing humor.
It works like this.
**
Have you ever heard someone sing, and they just have one of those voices? I have, heard this guy the other day, voice was like nothing I'd ever heard, never forget it. So, I said, sir, you should consider a career as a performer. He said, really? Yeah, you'd make a great mime.**
Here's the layout
Have you ever heard someone sing, and they just have one of those voices?/ < that's my "setup" / I have, heard this guy the other day, voice was like nothing I'd ever heard, never forget it. So, I said, sir, you should consider a career as a performer./< that's the anticipation/ ** He said, really? Yeah, you'd make a great mime.<There's the punchline**
Think of it like you're driving along in a familiar area, you keep going past things you recognize until you're certain you're headed to your favorite place. Then the driver makes a u turn and you end up at the DMV.
Didn't see that coming, did you?
It's called incongruity.
Get in, get the job done, get out.
- Over Explaining
The only friend whose worse with jokes than the one who thinks the clown ate the cannibals, is the one who needs to explain it.
"It tastes funny, cause he's a clown, you know? Right? Big funny feet, honk honk, horn for a nose, you know, tastes funny..."
If you had to tell me why it was funny...it wasn't.
This why comedy writers say they live by the rule of tens, it takes ten times of retelling a joke to get the right punchline.
Here are a few more things
- It's okay to exaggerate, we all know it didn't happen quite like that, a master of that here on steemit is @meesterboom.
- Use your life, that's what it's there for.
- You're probably funnier than you think.
- It's okay to steal material, just steal from the best!
And that's a wrap
You guys have all been working so hard, you deserve a break, so it's short today,and your assignment should be easy. If you remember no.2.
Right here, I just have to say, KUDOS to the three authors that got whale payouts yesterday! If you don't know who they are, hmmmm, where you been? We are now on the radar, people! That could mean good things for all of you before it's over! That was only day three!
Homework Day 4
First the questions
bonus points if you know why this is funny!
- What story are you most afraid to share on steemit, but you know you should?
- Name the one thing you like best about this course so far.
- Tell me your favorite joke.
- Stat totals of, new followers, and votes,resteems and comments on your dolphin school posts. Also, total payouts on Dolphin School posts to date. (I'm going to do a post about your success! I'm so excited!)
- How much further do you have to reach your goal for followers? If you're half way or more, raise it!
Part Two Actions
Find two accounts on Steemit that you think are consistently funny, besides @meesterboom Catch his latest, here, by the way. He's very funny, and a very nice guy. His tips for me to get back up and running? Write good stuff.
Try writing a joke, with a setup, anticipation, and punchline formula. If it makes you laugh, share it, but try it anyway. It's a great creative exercise.
Part Three Posting
Write a funny story, poem, or essay.It can be true, fictional, farcical, I don't care. But, remember everything else you've learned. Good headline, proper placement, and deliver your audience what they want.
It can your favorite joke, in the context of something a little larger, a funny story from your life, whatever. Keep it tight, under 400 words.
If you have not, turn in day three assignments by 1 pm CST. The third revenue split post will be going up this evening.
At the end of your post, please link to dolphin school. If you know how, create a hyperlink.
When you post your blog
- Use the tags #dolphinschool and #markrmorrisjr as two of the five for your post. Writing is a good primary category option. This is the other part of your price of admission.
- Come back HERE and leave a link to your blog in the comments, on the HOMEWORK POST HERE.
- If you have the bandwidth, comment on at least three or four of the other posts here, resteem and upvote if you feel it's warranted.
But, don't expect others to support you, if you DON'T support them!
I'll visit your blog and leave a comment so you'll know I was there.
If you don't see me by 5 pm CST, please let me know. I've missed you somehow.
I'll leave the critique of your post in a reply on your post. Okay? Any questions?
DOLPHIN SCHOOL BOOTCAMP DISMISSED!
Curious about #dolphinschool? Follow this link!
If you'd like to read more of my work, follow @markrmorrisjr or click on my screen name to visit my blog.
Help support Minnows and Plankton in #Dolphinschool with your upvotes, resteems and encouraging comments!
There will be a special homework post on the blog. No need to resteem or upvote it. Leave all of your homework in the comments there, bring conversation about it, here, deal? Also, you can leave everything in one comment to conserve bandwidth and make it easy for me. I'll make a new one for each day. Tomorrow's will say, DolphinSChool Bootcamp Homework Post Day Two
If you have not, turn in day one assignments by 1 pm CST. The first revenue split post will be going up this evening.
Curious about #dolphinschool? Follow this link!
If you'd like to read more of my work, follow @markrmorrisjr or click on my screen name to visit my blog.
Help support Minnows and Plankton in #Dolphinschool with your upvotes, resteems and encouraging comments!
Follow these authors to see the results of #dolphinschool
@manuelmendez
@chieppa1
@mawit07
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@magicalmoonlight
@lilyraabe
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