Comments on: Nine Levels of Laughter — Humor and Public Speaking http://www.humorpower.com/blog/2007/04/nine-levels-of-laughter-humor-and-public-speaking/ Better thinking -- Better speaking -- Better living Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:24:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: John Kinde http://www.humorpower.com/blog/2007/04/nine-levels-of-laughter-humor-and-public-speaking/#comment-9457 John Kinde Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:35:00 +0000 http://www.humorpower.com/blog/2007/04/nine-levels-of-laughter-humor-and-public-speaking/#comment-9457 I'd suggest playing with some of the contests. This month's contest "Marriages" is an exercise of making humorous connections. Although 185 is a formula joke game, at its core it's a game of making connections. Most joke writing depends on the talent of seeing relationships between two things which were previously unrelated. So by practicing humor writing (such as in a contest), you're exercising your skill of making connections. When that skill becomes stronger, it becomes easier to do it "on the fly" as in the game of 185. Thinking of it as a formula game can keep you in the box. You need to get out of the box. For example the punch line can come in different places. You may never reach the "end of the formula." For example: 185 dyslexics walk into a bra. (end of joke) Another example: 185 eyes walked into a bar. The bartender said, "We'll serve 92 of you, but the Cyclops will have to leave." I'd compare this thinking outside the box with the game of What Are You Doing. For example in two-letter What Are You Doing, we often get into the rut of Verb-Object. Kissing Bulbs. Kicking Boys. Killing Buffalos. Breaking out of that pattern allows us to consider Adverb-Verb. Kinda Belching. Kindly Beating. Kinky bleeding.  And other patterns. It's important to break out of the patttern/formula box. Note: If other readers aren't familiar with the game of 185 it goes like this: (185 BLANKS walked into a bar. The bartender said "We don't serve BLANKS in this bar. And the BLANKS said PUNCHLINE." For example, 185 cows walk into a bar. The bartender said "we don't serve cows in this bar." The cows said, 'We'll just go to an udder bar.") I’d suggest playing with some of the contests. This month’s contest “Marriages” is an exercise of making humorous connections. Although 185 is a formula joke game, at its core it’s a game of making connections. Most joke writing depends on the talent of seeing relationships between two things which were previously unrelated. So by practicing humor writing (such as in a contest), you’re exercising your skill of making connections. When that skill becomes stronger, it becomes easier to do it “on the fly” as in the game of 185.

Thinking of it as a formula game can keep you in the box. You need to get out of the box. For example the punch line can come in different places. You may never reach the “end of the formula.”
For example: 185 dyslexics walk into a bra. (end of joke)
Another example: 185 eyes walked into a bar. The bartender said, “We’ll serve 92 of you, but the Cyclops will have to leave.”

I’d compare this thinking outside the box with the game of What Are You Doing. For example in two-letter What Are You Doing, we often get into the rut of Verb-Object. Kissing Bulbs. Kicking Boys. Killing Buffalos. Breaking out of that pattern allows us to consider Adverb-Verb. Kinda Belching. Kindly Beating. Kinky bleeding.  And other patterns.

It’s important to break out of the patttern/formula box.

Note: If other readers aren’t familiar with the game of 185 it goes like this: (185 BLANKS walked into a bar. The bartender said “We don’t serve BLANKS in this bar. And the BLANKS said PUNCHLINE.” For example, 185 cows walk into a bar. The bartender said “we don’t serve cows in this bar.” The cows said, ‘We’ll just go to an udder bar.”)

]]> By: MissMeliss http://www.humorpower.com/blog/2007/04/nine-levels-of-laughter-humor-and-public-speaking/#comment-9455 MissMeliss Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:05:00 +0000 http://www.humorpower.com/blog/2007/04/nine-levels-of-laughter-humor-and-public-speaking/#comment-9455 Found your blog while searching for inspiration for formula jokes. I'm a member of the Dallas, TX ComedySportz troupe, and our usual ending game, "185" is my weakest game. While I did NOT find anything specific to that while browsing your writing, I did smile a lot, and nod my head a lot, and so I've added you to my blogroll, so I'll remember to come back and read more. I hope you don't mind. Found your blog while searching for inspiration for formula jokes. I’m a member of the Dallas, TX ComedySportz troupe, and our usual ending game, “185″ is my weakest game.

While I did NOT find anything specific to that while browsing your writing, I did smile a lot, and nod my head a lot, and so I’ve added you to my blogroll, so I’ll remember to come back and read more.

I hope you don’t mind.

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