Observational Humor — Case Study #23
Here is another Observational Humor monologue from a Toastmasters meeting.
THE SET-UP (what happened and what was said during the meeting before the monologue was delivered)
1. Our club has an AH Counter (many clubs do). The job of the AH Counter is to count audible pauses: AHs and Umms. Our AH counter also counts the unnecessary times we say AND, SO, WELL, YOU KNOW, etc. I was caught saying WELL a few times too many.
2. Eric Culverson presented a great tall tales speech. He won the district contest this past weekend. At the time this monologue was written, I was also in the running for Tall Tales. Both of our Tall Tales speeches used a cell phone to take imaginary phone calls during our talks. Eric’s Tall Tale was about running for President. He took calls from Clinton and Obama during his speech.
3. Eeric had a visual aid which didn’t fit well on his easel. It fell off. He got lots of laughs from the mistake.
4. We have lots of funny people in our club. The speech evaluators (who always present before the Observational Humor session) were especially funny.
5. A speaker told a joke about a fence around a cemetery. The fence was there because people were dying to get in.
THE MONOLOGUE
Let me do another Ronald Reagan impersonation: “Well…”
If I compete against Eric again, I have a secret weapon. I have an easel that’s worse than his.
I learned from watching Eric’s speech. I’m going to use the cell phone more than once.
(answering cell phone) Hello…oh Hillary! Yes, you were right. He IS talking to Obama.
My rhythm was thrown off today. The evaluators were funnier than get free ringtones for my cell phone | free ringtones for prepaid phone | free metro pcs ringtones | mobile phone ringtones | free cingular ringtones | cricket ringtones | free ringtones for verizon phone | download ringtones motorola | free make own ringtones | send free ringtones to your phone | free nokia mp3 ringtones | free motorola razr ringtones | free make own ringtones | download free cricket ringtones | free ringtones and wallpaper | free polyphonic ringtones download | ringtones for sprint phone | nextel ringtones | cell phone ringtones | free jamster ringtones | the speakers.
My first Toastmasters club didn’t have an AH counter. We had a Geiger Counter. We kept track of every time someone said GEIGER.
There must be something wrong with me. Today I passed by a cemetery with no fence around it…and I had no urge to get in.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Thanks for the wonderful stuff on this website.
I have pointed my preacher-to-be grandson to it.
Yesterday in Toastmasters our Table Topic was “Dreams.” The Table Topics Master closed the session with, “I used to dream in Spanish, but now I dream in English (pause) wit subtitles.”
Then I gave my second Manual speech on Family Reunions with an opening of “Google tells me that it has 1,920,000 entries on the topic of family reunions. I didn’t read them all.” We had a great meeting. I’m learning from you. Again, thank you!
May 16th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
These are SO “Sight-Specific” and So “Site-Specific” and SO
“Sound-Specific” — and Place- . Chronology- , etc.- Specific — that I feel “Ya’ hadda’ be there ” to Really “Get” your Lessons and your Thinkage. ( And the more you hafta’ explain your reasoning — The Set-Ups , the harder it becomes to track-through to any real, GENERAL Lesson. ) — Sol Morrison
May 17th, 2008 at 10:11 am
The observational case studies are never meant to be universally funny. You’re right, “you had to be there.” I give the set up to give the reader a feel for what it might have been like to be there, but that’s impossible to totally do. I omitted the asides, explaining what makes the joke tick, in this case study. It probably would have been helpful to include them. One thing to note, every line I include in the case studies worked with the live audience. When I deliver an observational line that doesn’t work (on the average, one line in 10), I leave it out of the case study. (unless I can draw a good teaching lesson for why if fell flat.) The humor, from the readers viewpoint, is not top-of-the-line because of the contrived and telegraphed set up. It’s intended to be a laboratory case study and not an entertainment piece.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:36 am
I disagree wit you, Sol. Those who aspire to greatness, study those who are great. Even better, they study what those who are great do.
But, you must be ready for what information is presented to you. A dog trainer always starts with the “sit” command, a human always learns to crawl first, and with computers you always start with “Where is the power button?” Everything after that, you must work your way up to it.
Stick with John. He is funny. He is knowledgeable. His case studies work. It will click with you one day and be well worth it. You may new to this, or you may have years of experience under your belt. But we can always use a little stretching of our own boundaries. Don’t you think?
May 31st, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I just hadn’t seen these replies till today. Sounds like
Sound Advice — except the phrase, “Aspire to Greatness.”
I dislike Superlatives ; many ( most ?) are what I call “Empty Adjectives” or “Cotton-Candy Communication.” Looks great, large yummy, pink candy. But, when ya’ bite into it : Sticky , sugar-sweet stuff — and a Whole Lotta’ HOT AIR.
Whilst we’re Lemon-Harranguing : Everything has “Quality” –
so a “Quality Education” can be Good or Bad — or many degrees between. ( Like the Ol’ “Texture” trick — and “Which WEIGHS more,
One Pound of Lead or One Pound of Feathers?” )
And, finally (thank goodness ) : “Perfection” — “Best”
“Greatest” — “Most” — these are Subjective Evaluations –
Not Objective Terms. In fact, if ya’ do something of an
Artistic Nature — and EVERYONE Agrees that it is “PERFECT ” — and there is Nothing Anyone ( even you ) can do to IMPROVE on that
Perfection , There is NO Where to go –and Nothing Anyone can do to improve or make That Particular ART- Work Better ( in ANY way ) — Then you gotta’ QUIT — Change art forms — Genres –
styles — equipment, etc. “Art is reaching toward Perfection — Not
ever attaining it. ” — Sol Morrison