Mar 25

Secret Comedy Writing Techniques – Funny Words

“Fifty-seven years in this business, you learn a few things. You know what makes an audience laugh. You know what words are funny and which words are not funny. Alka Seltzer is funny. You say “Alka Seltzer” you get a laugh… words with a “K” in them are funny.

Casey Stengel, that’s a funny name. Robert Taylor is not funny. Cupcake is funny. Tomato is not funny. Cookie is funny. Maryland is not funny. Then, there’s chicken. Chicken is funny. Pickle is funny.”

That opening quote from The Sunshine Boys by American comedy writer Neil Simon nicely sets up this post “Secret Comedy Writing Techniques – Funny Words”. Continue reading

Mar 18

Getting Paid to Make People Laugh

I want to review a great e-book by the late humorist and M.C. John Cantu. It’s called “Getting Paid to Make People Laugh” and it comes as a bonus with the That’s Comedy collection of joke books.”.

I really enjoyed this book because it’s a transcript of an interview with Cantu and you get the impression that the guy interviewing Cantu made sure that no stone was left unturned.

I find that what happens sometimes in books like these is that the author can sometimes forget little details because they are now so used to carrying out that little task that it gets overlooked. Not so with this book. Still got stage fright? Cantu gives over a dozen tips and techniques. Too shy to market and promote yourself as a speaker? Cantu deals with that too. And what I also like is the fact that Cantu discusses what a humorist is and how it differs from being a comedian:

“When you are a comedian, you have to have one killer joke after another. When you are a humorist, they don’t have to be that strong, because you are coming from a different perspective…

“A comedian basically does a very structured type of presentation. It is set-up and punchline, set-up and punchline. That is not an organic way of speaking… on the other hand, when you are a humorist, you tell stories. You still get up and talk, but you talk with funny examples – you give real life examples.”

The area where I think this e-book falls down is in its explanation of how you can use Toastmasters. It seems to imply that you can use the Toastmasters programme to create a 50-minute speech 5 minutes at a time. In my experience it doesn’t really work that way because you have to use different topics with each speech project. Especially in the beginning stages of doing the Competent Communicator.

But working through the Toastmasters programme does, obviously, have its own benefits of learning how to craft speeches, gaining valuable stage time and so on.

I also feel that it’s very American-orientated. This is fine because it was recorded in the States and if you’re based there then it’s perfect. But some of the suggestions don’t translate as well to other countries; for example, using the “Animal clubs” (Lions, Elks, Moose, etc) to further your stage time.

Whilst there are a couple of Animal clubs here in the U.K., like Moose International, they aren’t that prevalent and as a result are dotted around the country and not that easy to access unless you drive. So the tips for moving beyond Toastmasters and on to other speaking gigs doesn’t quite work in the U.K. in the same way.

However, the sheer wealth of information and detail is great and it’s a resource that I keep going back to reading again and again. It’s only a shame that Cantu’s no longer around to see the continuous influence of his work on other humorists and speakers.

I got hold of my copy of “Getting Paid to Make People Laugh” as a bonus product through Dean Rackley’s That’s Comedy site. This is a really good deal because not only do you get “Getting Paid to Make People Laugh” as a bonus when you purchase the That’s Comedy joke book, but you also get Cantu’s other shorter e-book “Smiling for Dollars”, which details avenues that pay for both humorous writing and humorous performing. Plus you get a whole host of joke books that allow you to begin an invaluable resource.

My favourite story in this e-book is as follows (and I’m paraphrasing):

A comedian is booked at the same event as humorist. The comedian watches what the humorist’s act. To the comedian the humorist was doing a comedy act, but with mostly funny stories and anecdotes. After they got to know each other the comedian asks the humorist:

“What’s the difference between a humorist and a comedian?” And the humorist replies:  “About $15,000 a booking.”

Note: There are affiliate links in this post. That means that if you buy a product via my link I get paid a commission. This is one of the ways I help pay the bills.

Mar 06

A Comedic Revolution? Blue Humour vs. Clean Humour

I’ve been wanting to write about this subject for a while because I know humorists and corporate comedians who advocate clean humor and as a result can sometimes come across as being overzealous in their denouncement of blue humour. But what we all have to remember is that without some of the so-called dirty comedians, we wouldn’t have had the big comedic revolutions that we had throughout the 20th Century.

A lot of the clean comics I’ve spoken to criticize the blue, or dirty, comics because they use four-letter words and tell jokes on taboo subjects, such as sex. The consensus seems to be that using this type of humour leads to shock laughs, which somehow aren’t as valid as laughs borne out of clean humour.

Whilst this is absolutely true of a lot of open mike comedians, I’d have to argue that we’ve had the powerful creative minds of such dazzling comics as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin, Chris Rock, Sam Kinison and Bill Hicks. Each one of these comedians used four letter words (in fact Carlin did a whole bit about words you can’t say on TV – Seven Dirty Words) and told sex jokes.

Each one in turn, I feel, has revolutionised live comedy and humour in their own way. Without the continual pushing of the profanity envelope by Lenny Bruce, all those comics that came after him would never have had half the freedom to talk about whatever they want. That said, I have seen open mike comedians whose act is based solely on blue material and if you removed all the dirty words there would be no act left! Therein lies the problem; more expletives than punchlines.

Whilst a lot of the firebrands of comedy that I’ve just mentioned have dirty material as the basis of their act, there is often a larger social or political point being made. Not only that but they are genuinely funny with that material, rather than being dirty for the sake of it.

A lot of the time their material lives within a wider context. They have something to say by being blue. But then again, you probably wouldn’t have hired a genius like Richard Pryor to speak after dinner for a governmental awards banquet. Performing in comedy clubs does allow you a certain amount of freedom to talk about whatever subjects you like; as long as you’re funny. A solution then could be as follows:

if you can develop an act which exists as purely clean, then you have the option to add dirty words if you play in the comedy club marketplace. But you have the freedom not to.

Take someone like Jerry Seinfeld. A brilliant, brilliant comedian when it comes to observing the minutiae of every day life. But clean as a whistle. The thing is, you’d never know. You’re too busy laughing your head off to notice. I saw him live at the London Palladium in 1998 and I think he used only one or two profanities in his whole show.

Some clean comics have also said that real success eludes dirty comics. It depends on your definition of success. I agree that, of the above mentioned comics, only Eddie Murphy has had a really successful movie career. The others didn’t quite successfully make the transition to movies or TV. They worked, and some of them still do work, better live. But that’s not to say that they aren’t successful.

This group of comics are still highly regarded and influential today even though (at time of writing) four of those six are no longer with us. For me personally, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock and Bill Hicks continually knock me sideways with their ability to make an audience laugh.

Pryor once did a bit about when he had a heart attack, what an extremely personal and honest routine it was. And it was very, very funny. It’s an important routine which allows us to see that it’s possible to take something so personal, find the universal themes and make it relevant to people who haven’t even had a heart attack. It’s still relevant today as it was back in 1975 when he did it.

Bill Hicks still influences my comedy today. Not because I use blue humour and rage against politics, far from it. I mainly work in the corporate market and I wouldn’t get much work if I upset and offended everybody. But I’m influenced by his ability to handle a crowd and squeeze laugh upon laugh out of a topic. He often gives a set-up and punchline and several more punchlines, or tag lines, on top of his original punchline.

Just as I’ve listed so-called dirty comics who have been revolutionary, I’ll also mention comics who have worked clean and achieved comedic revolutions all the same:  Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby… to name but a few.

What do I personally think is better?

Well, a lot of that depends on your sense of humour and how you already make people laugh. But also, it really depends on the markets that you want to work in. If you solely want to work in the comedy club market then be clean, be blue it doesn’t matter as much.  But most other markets, such as the corporate market or the Christian markets, then squeaky clean is the only way to go. Even if your contact at the corporate function says: “don’t worry you can make it blue for us”.

Even if you get that seal of approval, you’re bound to offend someone. I’ve met too many audiences members who have seen comedians perform at their awards ceremonies only to have the comic “go off message”. There’s a danger that they might not be asked back. Remember; no show, no dough.

If you work blue in a comedy club remember that you can also turn your audiences off unless you’re genuinely funny. I’ve seen open mike comics do a set and have people audibly go: “eeeyeeew” in disgust, where they should be laughing. A lot of new comics think that they have to be radical and talk about topics that have never been talked about before.

I think the thing to focus on is being funny. Radical and new topics are all well and good, but if you’re not generating big laughs (for a comedian 4-6 laughs per minute; for a speaker 45 seconds of laughter cumulatively per 5 minutes) then you’re not doing your job.

What I firmly believe is that all of us laughtermakers, whether blue or clean, should advocate the view of “ours is not the only way, ours is just another way”.

Mar 01

Public Speaking: It’s All About You

I want you to take a look at this clip of 2001 Public Speaking World Champion, Darren LaCroix. The bit that I’m keen for you to focus on is the bit where he starts his award-winning speech, which is after his intro.

After you’re done, I want you to come back and read the rest of this blog. I’ll still be here….

Dum dee dum… (whistle), la, la la… hey, how ’bout them Dolphins…?

Are you back? Did you laugh? Great, good, on we go…

I attended a seminar run by two-time UK and Ireland Public Speaking Champion, Simon Bucknall. The main focus was how to build a connection with your audience. I found it very useful as it allowed me to reflect upon my recent humorous speech and know how I need to improve for next time.

Obviously a blog post cannot do justice to the enjoyable two-hours spent at the event. And I’m not about to regurgitate the man’s content here. So what I’m going to do is provide a little bit of information that you might find useful and give you some of my own thoughts.

When you’re doing a speech or presentation, or if you’ve just done one, how many times did you use the word “you”? Once? twice? fifteen or more? If it’s the last one then you’re probably 2001 world champion Darren LaCroix so you’re not playing fair. If you use the word “you” more than the word “I” you are more likely to develop a connection with your listeners.

By using the word you in place of “I”, you’re automatically getting your audience to think about your content more and how it relates to them.

That’s not to say that you can’t use personal stories that use the word “I” at all. What it means is that you should give due consideration to the material that you’re going to deliver and work out how it’s of benefit to them. By all means use first-person stories as a way to illustrate what you’re saying, but don’t forget to come back to using “you”.

It’s hardly noticeable when  it’s done.  Did you notice it when Darren LaCroix did it? I sure as heck didn’t when I first saw that clip. I just saw a very funny speech.

What you have to remember is what Simon said:

“Connection is king!”

You could be delivering the best presentation in the world. You could have the funniest material in the world. You could have the most amazing public speaking skills that has every graced a speaking platform. But…

If you’ve not connected with your audience, none of that matters.

You will lose them every time. And that’s something that you don’t want. You don’t want your audience to be uninterested in what you have to say.

The seminar I attended made me realise that I had slipped back into being concerned about how well I was doing when I did my humorous speech. Even though I won Best Speaker for it, I felt that I could’ve given my audience more and allowed them to have a better time.

What you want to do is be concerned with how well your audience is doing. I had forgotten to do that. A cardinal sin.

When you’re doing your speech or presentation maybe think about the following:

Are you being clear enough? Do your points back up your overall message? That joke that you’re using, does it tie in to what you’re saying or is it completely irrelevant? Can your audience hear you? Can your audience read the information on your slides? Can you redcue the number of slides that you have?

Sometimes, you need to get out of your own way and focus on giving your audience the best you can. After all they’re the ones that have paid to hear you. If you’re speaking at Toastmasters and they haven’t hired you, then your audience is still important because

a) you still want to give them your best and

b) you never know if there’s a guest in the audience who might be able to hire you.

If you have the opportunity to see Simon Bucknall speak or run a seminar I’d thoroughly recommend it. Not only is he a very good speaker (duh, two-time UK and Ireland Champion), but he’s a very helpful and nice guy too.

Feb 27

Advanced Humorous Speaking – How Do You Define Bombing?

I did the first speech in the Toastmasters Advanced Manual; “Humorously Speaking” and it’s left me somewhat confused. So I figured I might be able to work out some of my thoughts about it here. In the process of analysing my speech I will offer up what I did, how I feel it went and where I can improve for next time so hopefully you can keep a look out for similar experiences in your speech or presentation. Continue reading