Comments on: Can Anyone Learn to Be Funny? Humor Skills and Public Speaking

By: Rikki Arundel

Rikki Arundel — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:07:51 +0000

Hi John. I was thinking about “humour challenged” people and in some ways they have an advantage. I have seen people in the audience who can sit there stony faced even when I have the audience rolling in the aisles. I came across a post by Bug the other day called The Joys of Boys - a list of observations from life resulting from bringing up sons. This list is so funny (to me) that I literally hurt reading it. The problem with it from my perspective as a speaker is that I could not use this material in a speech because it is too funny. There is no way I could deliver this material and not laugh uncontrollably, whereas I have seen some brilliant humorists who are able to deliver lethally funny material without the slightest glimmer of reaction which makes the material even funnier. We each have to find our own humour style and that applies as much to the apparently humour challenged.

Regards
Rikki

By: Hanna Winterhaven

Hanna Winterhaven — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 16:18:30 +0000

Dear John: Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this article. I am “too serious” and I truly don’t want to be. I am not a performer - just an average person. Regretfully, people form opinions about a serious person automatically, which is sad. I have always accepted that nothing can be done about being serious, but I am relieved to learn that almost anyone can have humor. Your illustration about practicing piano is awesome. I do belive this article will be life changing for me. Humor and laughter relieve stress and and brings people together. I look forward to experiencing that for myself and those around me. You’ve made a difference - please keep writing your fantastic articles.

By: Sanath Kumar

Sanath Kumar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 04:18:40 +0000

Let’s face it. Being humorous is no laughing matter! Jokes aside, if, for a moment we pause to define humour, we realize the seriousness of it.

Dissecting a joke word by word in order to find out where the humour lies will be like breaking down a symphony, note by note to see where its splendour lies. Or, for that matter, trying to analyse Beauty by looking separately at the eyes, the nose, the cheeks, etc., in detail, to find out where it lies. Perspective complicates things further because the very essence of humour depends on wherefrom one is looking at it.

As rightly pointed out, humor exists not exclusively in the punch-lines. Humor is looking at the same scenario in a totally different perspective that the audience would not even think of, and springing it on them, catching them unawares. Like, “How do you lift an elephant with one hand?” Stumped? The answer? “There are no elephants with one hand and so the question is hypothetical!”

Always be on the lookout for humorous situations and slowly start to work these in into your routine.

One word of caution, however: if your public speaking assignment is not in a lighter vein, ensure that the humor content does not dominate: the audience could miss the bigger picture and use only the humorous parts as take-away. Offset each humorous delivery by following up with some thought-provoking serious material.

But what counts, is the fact that humour has been medically proved to have therapeutic qualities (he who laughs, lasts) and that God created Man, and Man alone, with a sense of humour. Sorry, hyenas, you are not included, though you ‘laugh’!

By: John Kinde

John Kinde — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:26:25 +0000

Your’re absolutely right, Vickie. Laughter builds a bond between audience members. It happens automatically because of the shared experience and is not something we design.

By: Vickie Knell

Vickie Knell — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:37:46 +0000

It has also been my observation that when you get a group laughing there seems to be a momentary “closeness” because of the shared laughter or experience. However, that is sometimes a tricky thing to do. I am one that also struggles with humor, it just doesn’t come natural to me. I will practice though. Thank you for the tips.

By: John Kinde

John Kinde — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:57:58 +0000

Hi Paul,
Your thinking is right on target.
A great way to capture humor gems from the audience is to have a program evaluation form which you fill out after the event to critique what happened. One of the items on the form is: Things Which The Audience Said That Got A Laugh. My program confirmation data sheet is printed on one side and the other side of the sheet is the program evaluation form. When it’s filed, after the event, I have all the program data and evaluation stored on one sheet.
A terrific way to sharpen your observational humor is to join a Toastmasters Club. Very highly recommended. The best bargain in self improvement. Shop around for a club that feels good to you. http://www.Toastmasters.org

By: Paul White

Paul White — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:44:08 +0000

As a magician, and one with little natural humor, I have often struggled with how to introduce a bit of lightness into my act. Of course, there are “humorous” magic tricks but they are a bit like jokes, it is not knowing the joke that makes it funny, it is how it is told - the pace, the timing, etc.

I have also noticed that there are comments from the audience that are very timely and funny. After reading your article, I am going to spend time thinking about how I capture those naturally funny lines. Do I immediately react, repeat them? Do I find a way to remember them and incorporate them into future shows?

I don’t know the answer to those questions but I am looking for answers. Thanks for sharing a very thought-provoking article with me. I’ll take my pencil and pad to all future meetings that I have to attend and look for “connections.”

By: Ed Barks

Ed Barks — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:06:35 +0000

It is also important to realize that humor takes more than one form. Some speakers equate humor with telling a joke. Since most of us are terrible at delivering punch lines, we risk our presentations falling flat if we try. But situational humor or, as you note above, observational humor, can work for many more people.