Science experiment - is everything funny?

[Ahmabeliever]

I am making this thread to stop me from hijacking the quality jokes thread with comedy anecdotes and advice.

Here's how it works.

Someone poses a subject matter, and I/we try to make it funny.

You'll find it's an excellent mental exercise, rather fun.

We can also use this space to discuss and dissect comedy, the writing and performing of, etc.

Feel free to tell jokes too!

I'll start with an example, I'm going to get a random subject from hitting the link for the NZ Herald and choosing the first headline. Then I'll attempt to give it a dose of humour. Feel free to have a go too!

First bit of comic learning - there is a grieving period for topical material containing disaster. Some comics can touch on it that very night - (I heard a funny 9/11 line on the night) and 100's of bad 9/11 lines in the months following...

Here's the headline

"No recession but global slowdown means tax cuts needed"

Funny stuff huh! What've I led myself into....

The global slowdown in recent news is interesting. This is of course due to global warming. The ice melting off the poles means the Earth is holding too much water, much like a fat person, movement is restricted, and heat makes it worse... so it is with the Earth slowing down.

Damn I picked a hard one....

If I had a recession like yours I'd be looking for hair implants not tax cuts.

[freeztar]

This should turn out to be a very fun thread.

Lets see...

"Everyone talks about global slowdown, due to a recession, and how we can fix it with tax cuts. It seems nobody has even considered Kryptonite."

(My humor is oblique)

"President Bush made a surprise move today in an attempt to fix the struggling economy. He boosted taxes 50%. When questioned about this strange move, Bush replied, "Well, taxes kinda sounds like Texas you know. And I love Texas."

(that one was stupid)

"Everyone thinks that cutting taxes can help the struggling economy, but what's the use in that. I think we should all take the economy out on a nice date, buy her a ring and be done with it."

(another stupid one ...brainstorming... )

[Ahmabeliever]

"Everyone talks about global slowdown, due to a recession, and how we can fix it with tax cuts. It seems nobody has even considered Kryptonite."

Excellent!

[Ahmabeliever]

I couldn't get a good funny out of that one but you sure did. The bush one is funny too, why? it's very easy to imagine.....

This brings to light an interesting point in writing comedy. There are no rules. It doesn't matter how oblique you are, if you can take your audience there with you, it will work.

Being able to draw crazy angles from a subject is an asset in comedy. Good language skills help as well.

ie: Tax. Government recently removed poster tax and they all fell down. The angle comes from the word tacks as opposed to a function or association of tax. Then there's a tax - attacks, tax evasion - sitting on the seat with no tacks, many ways to play with words in a comical manner.

By the way I make my examples up as I go so don't expect them to be funny. Hehe.

Wordplay is common, but puns are used sparingly, more of a 'corny' starch filler for the meat in the comedy roll.

Unless you thrash the puns in a very obvious manner...

Scaling it down my addiction to fishing traces back to when I was a sprat. Fresh out of my school I cast off into life determined to fillet, to find my plaice, my sole, I had no porpoise.

After using obviously cheap material you can add acknowledgement of the fact, always bearing in mind what are you doing on a comedy stage, make it funny...

ie: I know that material was full of puns but I'm saving the good stuff for an audience I like.

Sometimes the real clever ones don't work - morons in the crowd! Acknowledge that too - Hmm, that joke works when the audience isn't retarded. - This with a smile to follow- even if they are retarded! Your personal enjoyment performing rubs off, so have fun, it makes you funnier.

On stage you must back yourself up, don't apologise for anything, be loud and proud, unless the apology is funny.

In life, don't be such an ass.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Ahmabeliever

Excellent!

One out of three ain't bad I suppose.

How about a new theme?

Let's see...

First headline on Yahoo (to follow the tradition):

"Cheney again links Iraq to Sept. 11 attacks"

Hmmm...another toughie...

"C'mon Cheney, nobody cares about your penis size. We know it's in your name and all, but get a grip...I recommend vasoline"

"Links? Off the cuff, links are pretty useless."

"There's something ironic about a guy named "Chain-ey" making links."

[InfiniteNow]

So, everyone is talking about this sub-prime thing, where people are losing their houses and having a hard time putting food on the table. What I'm wondering is, if everyone is having a hard time putting food on the table, why isn't there more talk about sub-prime meats?

<now I know how Freeztar felt>

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

So, everyone is talking about this sub-prime thing, where people are losing their houses and having a hard time putting food on the table. What I'm wondering is, if everyone is having a hard time putting food on the table, why isn't there more talk about sub-prime meats?

Boooo!
It's workable. Perhaps something like this:
"Sub prime market leads to sub-prime meats. In other words, the disco bar is looking a lot like Taco Bell right now."

<now I know how Freeztar felt>

Yup.
But hey, it's brainstorming and an excellent mental exercise for those that are creatively inclined.

I think I have the wit to be a comic, but stage presence would be my downfall. The only way I could possibly hack it would be something like assuming the role of the late Mitch Hedberg (without the drugy weirdness of course).

I could never fill Mitch's shoes in this role, as he masterfully handles this particular heckler. Thinking on one's feet and being able to accept a joke thrown at you are true merits of a good comedian imho.

YouTube - Mitch Hedberg handles a heckler

I order a club sandwich all the time man and I don't know how I get away with it.

[Ahmabeliever]

Despite an exhaustive review of 600,000 Iraqi documents finding no evidence Saddam's regime had any operational links with the al Qaida terrorist network Cheney again links Iraq to Sept. 11 attacks.

"We're in the process of interrogating the reviewers now" States Cheney, we suspect they too are part of it.

[Ahmabeliever]

Freeztar - "Thinking on one's feet and being able to accept a joke thrown at you are true merits of a good comedian imho."

Definately. There are very few comics who can turn on their audience and get away with it, you can be really insulting, but you need to be having fun while letting them have it, not just letting them have it. The trick is to pause a couple seconds, see if anything pops up from what they've said, builds anticipation, gives you a chance to improvise and, if you think of nothing, throw in a standard heckler comeback and better luck next time.

I can't get the mitch link says it's not available but i love his stuff. Steven Wright is another excellent deadpan act.

I think you have the wit for it too.

Deadpan is great! It takes more time to tell less jokes and generally, as the audience gets to keep up, you get more laughs. Only hard part I found was keeping a straight face, or staying in character - I'd start getting animated. Especially if you have new stuff that still cracks you up.

[freeztar]

Although I understand the term "dead pan", I had to look it up to fulfill my sense of knowing. In the process, I found this excellent wiki: Comedy genres - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do you agree with this list AhmaB?
Your comments on this would be most appreciated (much respect).