Humor Power

Play It Big — Play It Small

Some speaking, comedy, and drama coaches insist that humor plays best when it’s played big.  At the same time other coaches insist that small is the key, Less-Is-More.  Sometimes the truth lies in the middle, combining elements of exaggeration with elements of minimalism it’s possible to create magic.  And yet, it’s possible that the power doesn’t lie in the middle, but exists at both ends of the spectrum…at the same time.

I create my humor on the platform at the small end of the scale.  For me, less is more.  Playing something over-the-top would come across as untruthful…for me.  And what is big for me, if I experiment with playing big on the improv stage, is nowhere near the definition of big for most players.  But my style works for me.  And even on the improv stage, my performance characteristics are strengths for the troupe as a whole.  I can do more by doing less than most other players in our troupe.

By contrast, there is the style of my good friend, and Musical Director of our improv troupe, S Frank Stringham.  He’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met.  He’s bigger than life in his physical movement, vocal variety, and facial expression.  We stand at totally opposite ends of the performance-style spectrum. 

Sometimes a person’s performance style is best described by comparing it with the styles of well-known performers.  I asked S which performers’ styles were inspirations to him.  His response included the names of playing-it-big performers:

“Steve Martin is, and has always been, my influence for playing-it-big,” says S.  “When Martin was doing straight stand-up comedy, not only was he wild-and-crazy, he was unique and original.  Add to that the fact that he used his other talents as a musician (banjo/singer), magician and balloon artist to enhance his act.  He hasn’t used BIG humor, as much, in the movies he has made, except for his first movie, The Jerk, and cameo appearances in movies and TV shows like the Muppet Movie, Little Shop of Horrors, and Saturday Night Live.  What amazes me most about Steve Martin is how smart he is.  His parody of Cyrano De Bergerac into Roxanne was genius.”
 
Another influence on S was Dick Van Dyke.  “He used playing-it-big as a family medium, entertaining the adults as well as the children with his incredible rubbery style of dancing (Mary Poppins with the penguins or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s ‘The Ol’ Bamboo’ and ‘Truly Scrumptious’), his pratfalls on The Dick Van Dyke Show or his early days of great facial expressions as a story teller on television.”
 
S continues, “Finally, kudos have to go to Jim Carrey…even before he was discovered in movies such as The Mask or Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, he was my main reason for watching the television show In Living Color.  This man knows how to play-it-big and he does it with style, aptitude, and panache.  One of the things that I admire most about Jim Carrey is that he never seems to repeat a gag.  I’ve often thought to myself how disappointed I would be if he started doing what some comedians do, and that is to try and fall back on, and reuse, some of their earlier material that worked.  Jim Carrey has NOT done that, which I find very refreshing and admirable.”

In contrast to the experience S described, I can’t say that I’ve had a role model for developing my humor style.  But I can certainly identify funny people that I’ve liked and who may have sub-consciously influenced my humor development.  Some performers I’ve admired and consider somewhat similar in performing style to my own are:  Jack Benny, Steven Wright, Bob Newhart and Johnny Carson.  The deliberate delivery of Will Rogers also resonates with me.  Their styles are closer to the understated style that works for me.  They mastered the use of the pause, which is usually a strength of a person who plays it small. 

Jack Benny is famous (as is Johnny Carson) for his reacting to a punchline with a slow turn of the head.  He was one of the best at playing the long, tension-building pause to add power to his comedy.  His classic robbery skit, first played on his radio show in 1948, showcased the power of a strong character combined with the pause.  Benny was returning home when he was confronted by a mugger.  After asking for a match to light a cigarette, the mugger said:  “Don’t make a move.  This is a stickup.  Your money or your life.”  Benny paused and, well aware of his tightwad character, the audience laughed.  The mugger came back with, “I said your money or your life!”  Benny’s response:  “I’m thinking it over!”  A huge laugh.  George Burns had said that Jack Benny was funnier when he wasn’t saying anything.  The power of less-is-more.

Bob Newhart’s one-sided telephone conversations were great examples of the pause being used to magnify the laughter.   He would pause while the audience was left to imagine what the person on the other end of the phone was saying.  And Johnny Carson had a slow take style similar to Jack Benny, squeezing every bit of laughter out of a punchline.

The style S uses is true to his character and personality.  My style is true to me.  If either of us were to try to copy the style of the other, it would be funny…because it would be so unfunny. 

However that’s not to say that the two of us could not learn from each other.  An occasional stretch into the territory of bigness would add variety and power to what I do.  Patricia Fripp often quotes Ron Arden:  “The enemy of the speaker is sameness.”  Predictability can equal boring.  So it is, too, for the over-the-top performer who uses an occasional minimalist technique.  He or she may find that the diversion from one’s strength might be a high point of one’s performance.

TRIAL AND ERROR

We often settle into a comfortable performance style by experimenting to see what works.  Because of our own character traits and personality style, either the big style or the small style is often a better fit for us.  In time, our track record of success helps us to develop a style that becomes ingrained.  Our natural style evolves and becomes second nature, like riding a bicycle.  S can’t help but be big.  It’s a habit.  Likewise, being small is automatic behavior for me.

S adds, “Personally, I think that I like playing it big, because I don’t trust my audience to ‘get’ my jokes if I play-it-small.  I’ve done enough gigs where I tried playing-it-small.  When I do that, I bomb.  I’m sure there are two reasons, at least, for that:
    1)  I think deeper, or maybe the word is more esoterically, than most people.  It takes a certain kind of mind to understand where I am coming from, and I find few audiences that can relate to me.
    2) I’ve always relied on pratfalls and gesticulations to get my point across…and I think that people understand that about me, so when I say something funny that isn’t accompanied by a gesture or a facial expression, people don’t know that they’re supposed to laugh…even if they think that what I said is funny.  So over-the-top is the way for me…playing-it-big!  When done right, a person can get big laughs without even saying anything.”

Like S, I’ve developed my personal style through trial and error.  Some funny people have the reputation for being the class clown while growing up.  When I was a kid, I wasn’t particularly funny.  I really didn’t start to study and learn humor skills until I was 29.  I was a magician and wanted to add humor to my magic shows.  Bigger-than-life was just not me.  I was a quiet, laid-back, North Dakota Norwegian kid who started applying humor techniques on top of a less-is-more personality.  I evolved into a dry, low-key style by accident more than by intentional design.  I stayed true to my personality and the style developed out of that.

THE INTELLECTUAL STYLE

S observes, “It seems to me that the intelligent comedians usually do the playing-it-small gig, but Steve Martin (who is smart), and I (I consider myself smart, too) play bigger.  For me, I may just play it big because I am big, but no…I played it big from the time I was a little tyke.”

I agree, neither big nor small players own the market on intelligence.  Because of the very nature of humor (being analytical and making fresh connections), humor people, regardless of performance style, are smart people.  And there is certainly no disconnect with being big or physical and being smart.  Most people I know who are gifted physically and athletically are also gifted intellectually.  The assumption that jocks are dummies is a myth.  The masters of the physical just approach the creative process from a different angle than their more cerebral friends.  Both are intelligent.

WHAT IT MEANS

Know who you are.  Play from where you are.  Experiment to confirm what works best for you.  Master your foundation of either big or small style.  Then learn from people who are different from you.  Not only should you study artists who have your style but look for opportunities borrow from performers who are different from you to add a dash of seasoning, to sprinkle just a bit of variety into your performance.  Have the courage to step outside yourself occasionally. 

Your strength may come from big.  It may come from small.  Or it may come from a combination of both.  But the most important thing is that it comes from truth.  You can only be you.  That’s what will make your style uniquely you and give you power on the platform.

Here’s a brief tip for using humor photos or cartoons with PowerPoint slides:

During your presentation, which should come first? 
  - The spoken word?
  - The written word?
  - The image or picture?

In the spirit of Good Humor, the punchline always goes last.  So ask yourself, “Which element triggers the laugh?”  Is it the written caption for the cartoon?  Is it the spoken aside for the cartoon?  Is it the cartoon itself triggering the laugh because of the spoken or written set-up?  Analyze what specifically causes the laughter, and that element should normally be presented last.

For example, I sometimes include newspaper headlines and Road Sign Photos as part of my programs.  One photo shows a newspaper headline claiming that the police arrested a car filled with naked people.  I pose the question:  “Have you ever seen a freeway exit sign that says: Take off all your clothes before you leave the freeway?”  And then I show the photo of a freeway exit sign in the Las Vegas area that says, “Las Vegas Blvd (Strip)”…  The first graphic (the newspaper headline) sets up the question.  The spoken question sets up the road sign photo.  And the road sign triggers the laugh.  The punchline always goes last.   In this case it’s the photo.

Here are a few PowerPoint resources:

The PowerPoint FAQ
A good list of PowerPoint resources.

PowerPoint Tips
This is a PowerPoint Tips article by Marilyn Snyder.  She is well-known as an expert in PowerPoint presentations.  In the article she shares eleven design tips.

PowerPoint Info web site
On this site, look under the section for “Sources to Locate Images for Use in PowerPoint” for a discussion of Rights Usage Fees, keeping in mind that if you find something in print or online (whether text or image), it IS copyrighted whether or not you see the copyright annotation.  For example, you can’t simply use a cartoon without first getting permission from the owner of the image.  Sites such as www.DansCartoons.com is a good example of a site which provides easily-licensed cartoons for your presentations at a reasonable fee.

At a recent Toastmasters meeting I commented during an evaluation of a speech that the presenter’s talk was so good that “I wanted to hear more.”  And I noticed that many people were nodding in agreement.  So I added “And I see that many in the audience are nodding in agreement.” 

Later, during the Observational Humor segment of the meeting, one of the observational lines (not my line), was:  “When John gave his evaluation of Steve’s speech, he said people were nodding in agreement.  Well, they weren’t agreeing.”  The line received a solid laugh.  I’m guessing that what was implied, and what was received was:  People were “nodding off,” or falling asleep during my evaluation.  It was an excellent line which I would have used myself; if I had thought of it!

One choice for delivering a punchline is:  Not to state the punchline directly; or rather, to imply the punchline.  If that was the intent of the creator of the line, it seemed to work.  I’m not only guessing at the intent of the writer, I’m guessing at the interpretation of the audience too.

What activates this joke is the double meaning of the word NOD.  It means “agreement” and it means “boredom or sleepiness.”  Since the meanings are almost opposite, it makes for a great set-up for a joke.

The joke is excellent.  Funny.  But let’s look at ways it could be been done differently. 

First, I would have made the punchline crystal clear.  “They weren’t agreeing…they were falling asleep.”  Implying the punchline is terrific if you’re sure that the audience can “fill in the blank.”  But if there is a chance they may misread your punchline, being very direct is usually the best approach.

There can be a problem with being too direct.  Insult humor can sometimes be a bit uncomfortable for either the speaker or the audience.  The speaker or audience may feel that the joke is too much of a roast line.  If the discomfort is on the part of the speaker, it will affect the delivery.  If the discomfort is on the part of the audience, they’ll hesitate to laugh. A legitimate concern. 

Whether or not you use attack humor successfully would depend on your relationship with the audience and your relationship to the person who is the target of the joke.  Also, the relationship of the audience to the target of the joke is an important factor.  If the target of the joke is well known to the group and everyone gets along well AND the target has a good sense of humor…the joke gets a green light.  Go for it.  If the target of the joke is a guest at the meeting, or has a sensitive personality, caution is in order.  In the case of this joke, directly going for the punchline makes sense since I was the target, a long-time member and also the person who introduced Observational Humor to the club.

A way to improve the joke and also soften the attack-nature of the line, would be to have the joke presented by the person who is the target.  It would have been a safer joke (not necessarily funnier) if I would have delivered the punchline (ignoring the fact that the line never crossed my mind!).  That would have made the joke self-deprecating instead of an attack-style, roast-like joke.  That makes the joke safer because it is usually reduces the discomfort level of the audience when a joke is self-targeted at the speaker delivering he joke, instead of an insult zinger from a third party.

In the final analysis, it was a fun joke.  Good humor thinking. Well-delivered.  Good laughter.  Yet it’s fun to examine how even a good line might be improved.

Here is some information on how we put together our Newsletter and Blog posts.  It will help you scan them to find information that is of interest to you.

If you’re a regular reader of the Blog, nearly all the links in the Newsletter are to Blog posts since the previous issue of the Newsletter.  As a Blog reader, what IS new for you in the Newsletter is the feature article provided in the Newsletter text (not a link).  Each featured article averages about 1000 words.  If you were a Blog reader and NOT a newsletter subscriber, you would miss 24 featured articles each year.

If you’re primarily a Newsletter reader and read the Blog posts only through the Newsletter links, the Newsletter allows you to quickly skim and click only on articles of interest.  For example, if you’re only interested in joke contest results…the links are clearly marked and you can quickly find them and skip everything else. 

The articles written for the Newsletter have not previously appeared in the Blog.  After one year, I occasionally review and update some of the Newsletter articles and post them to the Blog for the first time.  The Newsletter subscribers get the information first.  However, most of the Blog posts are first-time articles which have not been previously posted anywhere else and are available to Newsletter readers in the form of links, two weeks after their publication.

Click here to subscribe to the Newsletter. 

Thanks to all our subscribers.  We appreciate your interest in humor and the kind notes you send our way.  Be sure to let us know if there is anything you’re not seeing that you would enjoy reading about. 

Here’s a funny Country-Western song bit by Aaron Wilburn.  It’s called: If My Nose Was Running Money.  I think you’ll enjoy it. 

It’s a good example of creating humor using the double meaning of words.

What Makes You Funny?

Does it help to look funny when presenting humor from the platform?Yes.  But the good news is that if you don’t look funny, that can help you deliver your humor too!

1.  Physical appearance.  If you look funny, that’s a plus when it comes to delivering humor.  Jay Leno has this going for him. Compared to Dave Letterman, Leno is a funny looking guy with a caricature-like and almost cartoonish face.  If you have a large nose, high forehead, ears that stick out, or some other characteristic that makes you look different from the norm, you have the possibility of bringing a smile to someone’s face before you say or do anything.

2.  Props.  You can alter your physical appearance by what you
wear, your makeup, and your props.  Lucille Ball, already gifted
with a funny look (don’t equate funny-looking with not-attractive),
accentuated her humor appeal with makeup which made her eyes look
even larger than they were.  Clowns are a great example of apparel,
makeup and props to create the funny look.  Some improv troupes
depend to a certain extent on apparel and props to generate laughs.
The players wear off-beat outfits and they use wigs and other props
to enhance their stage work.  My improv troupe makes an artistic
choice to be prop-neutral and clothing-neutral.  We wear totally black outfits.  This choice challenges us to make the strength of our performance depend on our fundamental improv skills.  This is the same choice we make when we always keep our material clean.  Props and blue material might both get laughs, maybe even more laughs, but we deliberately choose not to use them. It forces us to be better.

3.  Your reputation.  Most good humor presenters have this element
working for them.  A classic example is Bob Hope.  The band would
hit his theme song, “Thanks For The Memories,” and as Bob would
walk onstage the laughter would begin without him doing or saying
anything.  His reputation preceded him.  And by the way, he had
physical looks which were funny too.  Think of your favorite comic.
The audience also probably laughs at him or her just watching the
person take the stage.  You can LOOK funny because they EXPECT you to be funny.  Your positive track record gives you an edge.  This
advantage will help you get stronger laughs with weaker, lines than
someone who is totally unknown to an audience.  This is a plus I have working for me in my local Toastmasters club.  People expect me to be funny based on my past performance.  Know when you have this working for you and let it give you confidence.

4.  Your actions.  Your mannerisms, gestures and pacing can also
make you look funny.  Many humorous speakers depend primarily on
this factor to help them look funny.  Facial expression and the use
of the pause are the two most important delivery elements that give
you an advantage on the platform.  Some coaches recommend that being BIG with your voice and movement is the key to getting laughs.  But if that isn’t you, and being genuinely you is critical, you can apply the rule of less-is-more.  I’ve found that what you DON’T do can get laughs.  I’m in the contest cycle for Tall Tales in Toastmasters. In my speech I say the most off-the-wall things with a totally straight face.  It works perfectly.  Nothing big.  Huge laughs.  Identify your own style and use it to your advantage.

5.  The non-funny look.  This is also a plus.  Humor primarily
works because of relationships, connections and lack of those
elements.  Therefore if you ARE funny, having mastered both
structural content and delivery techniques, the fact that you don’t
look funny is a plus.  In fact, it’s a significant advantage, just
as looking funny is as significant advantage.  How wonderful.  You
win either way.  I have this element working for me when I speak to a group who doesn’t know me.  They’re thinking, “this guy doesn’t LOOK funny.”  And the pleasant surprise comes when I am funny.  It magnifies the humor.

6.  Me and You.  Where do we fit into this equation?  I don’t look
particularly funny.  Think: Generic guy-next-door.  Think: Mr
Rogers.  Check out my web site (www.HumorPower.com) if you don’t
believe me. (Don’t equate not-funny-looking with not-attractive.)
I don’t especially rely on props.  Occasionally I’ll wear a subtle
Mickey Mouse necktie, but nothing over-the-top to get a laugh.  My
reputation works for me in the local area.  As a minor-celebrity,
not famous mind you, many of my audiences expect me to be funny and behave in a way that ensures they will not be disappointed.  This
may happen to you, for example, in staff meetings at work or at
Toastmasters meetings, if you are consistently funny.  My physical
delivery work for me.  After twenty-five years of studying humor,
I’ve become an overnight success in doing the right things, from a
delivery standpoint, to make me look funny.  The skills are pretty
much internalized and come almost automatically.  And the non-funny
look is definitely an asset when I need to win over an audience
of strangers.  I’ve often had the comment, “Looking at you before
the talk I had a hard time believing you could be funny.”  This
magnifies the effectiveness of my humor. Your set of skills and
assets will be different.  That is neither good or bad.  But used
well, your skills and assets are a plus for you too.

7. An evaluation.  Run through paragraphs one through five and
analyze where your strengths are.  Is there anything you can do to
tap into any of the areas to strengthen your skills at winning the
laughter?  Can you look funnier?  Can you add more punch to your
delivery?  If you don’t look funny, can you develop a dead-pan
skill to take advantage of this trait?  As you become better at
humor, your reputation will start to give you an edge with
audiences which have already been treated to your humor. 

8.  Be funny.  Have fun.

Politicians either have the humor touch or they don’t.  But if they don’t have it…they CAN get it.  It’s not that someone has to be born with humor talent.  It’s often a learned skill.  But it can’t be learned overnight.  And a coach or a writer will not make you the star jester of the political circuit with some tips and some lines.

Those of us who are not on the campaign trail can learn a lot from those who are.  As business leaders, sales people, supervisors and just ordinary people dealing with a variety of personal relationships…humor is a key success tool.  The basic principles that will work for a politician will quite likely work for us too.

Start Early.  The earlier you start working on your humor skills, the better you’ll be.  Hopefully a politician started to seriously work on his or her humor skills when they ran for city council 25 years ago.  As a speaker, I’m better at humor than most.  And that’s because, compared to some of them, I have a 30-year head start.  I began a committed study of humor in 1977.  If you haven’t made that commitment, there’s no better time to make it than NOW.  And just about anyone can learn to be funnier.

Humor To Relieve Stress.  Stressful situations are often ripe for humor.  Wit came naturally to Ronald Reagan. After he was shot on March 30, 1981, he said, “Honey, I forgot to duck,” when he saw his wife Nancy in the hospital.  That hit me as a flashback to one of his roles in a cowboy movie where the gun slingers duck to avoid the bullets.  And to the surgeon, Reagan quipped, ” I hope you’re a Republican.”  He didn’t have a speech writer handing him a fresh joke.  It was his nature. 

Little Laughs Are Good.  You can’t always hit a home run with your humor.  A little humor is better than none.  Rudy Giuliani, at a speech in Tampa, Florida, on December 15, talked about simplifying the tax code.  “We’re going to develop a single page, one-page optional tax form. How about being able to do it all on one page? Wouldn’t that be great?  Ok. The print may be a little small.”  Not a belly laugh…but funny.  Hillary Clinton at a stop on her 99-county tour of Iowa, remarked that her staff was referring to her helicopter as a “Hill-A-Copter.”  Not knee-slapping funny.  But cute. On NBC’s Today Show, December 19, After discussing religion and politics, Meridith Vieire said to Mike Huckabee, “I know you are a very, very busy man. I thank you for your time. And you know what? Merry Christmas, sir.”  Huckabee replied, “And Merry Christmas. I hope it doesn’t get me in trouble.”  Little laughs add up.

Humor Show That You Are a Real Person.  Someone who can laugh at himself or herself comes across as genuine.  Hillary Clinton ran a Sopranos spoof campaign ad that was a change of pace.

Diffuse Attacks and Negative Issues.  Ronald Reagan is famous for his classic one liner to set aside the age issue during a debate with Walter Mondale.  “I will not make age an issue in this campaign.  I will not exploit, for political purposes, my opponents youth and inexperience.”  Gerald Ford is a great example of someone who was the target of a lot of humor but who was not, himself, a funny person.  He used humor very strategically to diffuse the humor about his apparent clumsiness.  Another good example of a not-so-funny president is George Bush doing a great job as a stand-up comic at the national press dinner in Washington.  The lesson learned, if someone is going to make fun of you, beat them to the punch and poke fun at yourself first.

Be Willing to Laugh.  It’s not always easy to find and deliver great punchlines while maintaining a presidential-like dignity.  An alternative is to keep your sense of humor and be willing to laugh out loud at funny things other people say.  Hillary Clinton reacted to Harry Smith on CBS The Early Show, December 17, when he mentioned that she had turned 60 and added “sorry.”  Clinton laughed and said “Stop the cameras!”  Most candidates are pretty good at laughing out loud.  The question is, how do you look and sound when you laugh?  Be open to feedback from your coaches and advisors.  If you laugh like a chipmunk or snort like a pig, wouldn’t it be nice to know?

Less Is More.  Don’t be too eager to be funny or you’re likely to shoot your self in the foot.  And be aware that you may often be within range of a microphone when you least expect it.  Ronald Reagan, one of our most humor-skilled presidents, got caught not realizing he was actually speaking into a hot mike when he said:  “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”  Select the right moment.  And know that you’re never off camera or off the record.

The auditions for the next season of Last Comic Standing started this week.

Here’s a link to an excellent Podcast by comedy coach Judy Carter giving Audition Tips and including an interview with finalist Michelle Balan. 

Many of the tips apply to public speakers.  Have fun.  If they’re not laughing, pretend that they are.  Be funny (engaging) quickly.  Get stage time to rehearse your material.  Be YOU…your persona is what makes you original and interesting.  I recommend the podcast.  It’s brief and to the point.  Also, browse Judy’s web site…you’ll find lots of great information

A funny thing happened on the way to The White House.  At least that seems to be the case if you watch the campaign trail.  Humor is the candidate’s friend…if used well.  From Mike Huckabee playing guitar with the Tonight Show band, to Hillary Clinton delivering The Top Ten List on David Letterman, they know the value of having fun and using humor during the campaign:  Enhancing their image, driving home their message, minimizing the impact of attacks.  Business leaders can learn from their example.

Make a mistake?  Laugh it off.  Mitt Romney at a stop in Iowa mixed up his words.  “I won’t remember my friends here in Iowa.”  He was quickly corrected by his wife, Ann, “You said I won’t remember.”  “I said I won’t forget…I’m often corrected.  This is good.  This is like spell check right here.”  If you can laugh at your mistakes, it’s less likely that people will laugh at YOU.

Make lemonade.  Hillary Clinton was within range a hot microphone while singing the National Anthem off key.  It became a target for jokes.  The Clinton camp turned it into a commercial for the Iowa Caucus, using video footage of the singing.  “Exercising is hard.  Dancing is hard.  Singing is hard…Caucusing is easy.”  Laughing at yourself makes you human.

Spouses are funny too.  John Edwards was interrupted during a campaign speech by his wife Elizabeth who was busy signing autographs.  He tried to get her attention three times, each time using a different tone of voice.  Although he was smiling and laughing, it was an awkward moment.  She approached the microphone and said, “I can’t help it if people like me!”  Laughter and applause showed the audience’s approval.

Be in the moment.  At the December 12 Republican debate, the candidates were asked about their position on global warming.  After Alan Keyes talked for 30 seconds without addressing the issue, Fred Thompson said, “I agree with Alan Keyes’ position on global warming.”  A big laugh followed.  Being totally present allows a politician to listen and respond to what’s happening on the spot.

Zingers on offense and defense.  Mike Huckabee arrived at the December 12 Republican debate armed with a line about the Edwards $400 haircut.  Referring to runaway federal spending, Huckabee said, “We’ve had Congress that’s spent money like Edwards at a beauty shop.”  But John Edwards was already busy doing damage control.  Earlier on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno noted that Edwards celebrated his anniversary at Wendy’s.  Edwards replied, “You can’t spend money on food when you’re spending money on haircuts.”

In control when the unexpected happens.  Rudolph Giuliani, the June 6 Republican debate, was responding to a question about abortion which referred to a quote by a Catholic Bishop.  As he began to answer, the sound system was distorted by lightening.  Giuliani responded, “For someone who went to parochial school all of his life, this is a very frightening thing!”  A timely quip shows the audience that the candidate is in control.

Answering questions with a funny line.  In the September 26 Democratic debate, Tim Russert asked Barack Obama, “Have you been successful in stopping smoking?”  Obama replied, “I have. You know, the best cure is my wife.”  The truth is funny.  People can relate to it, and that helps make the comment funny.  Candidates often prepare light-hearted responses to anticipated questions.

Less is more.  The December 12 Republican debate closed with asking the candidates:  “Please suggest a New Years resolution for one of your opponents here today.”  This was an invitation which almost begs for a humorous punchline.  The candidates were wise enough to avoid closing with a zinger and instead stayed “on message.”  Although some of the answers sounded a bit like they were borrowed from a beauty pageant.  Use humor strategically and sparingly.  Don’t be too eager to be funny or you’re likely to shoot yourself in the foot. 

They get help.  Many presidential candidates have a staff member writing humor lines.  It makes sense.  Late-night talk show stars Leno and Letterman have a staff of writers.  As legendary funnyman Bob Hope put it, “Do I need writers?  Only if I want to say something funny.”  A good joke writer is probably more valuable than a hair stylist and makeup artist.

The Bottom Line.  A sense of humor is a great asset to a politician.  Two of the most popular presidents of the past 40 years were probably Kennedy and Reagan.  They were probably the best communicators and the best at using humor.  I just searched Amazon and found the books The Kennedy Wit and The Reagan Wit.  They seemed to be totally out of The Nixon Wit.

A couple of weeks ago I received this note from Amit Sodha, a computer network engineer from London, UK:

“I’m a regular reader of your blog and I most definitely find it useful for the coaching and radio work I do from a day to day basis!  I first came across your blog when I saw transcript of Steve Pavlina’s routine for his Toastmasters Area Contest and learned a lot just from reading his work. I’m actually doing some stand-up this weekend, it’s my first attempt and I’ve just written a blog post about it.”

Here is a link to his post before the performance.  He had signed up to do a 15-minute set for a special charity fundraiser.  Normally, a first-timer at an open-mike would do about 5 minutes.  So 15 minutes is a stretch.  In a practice run he tried out 6 minutes of his material and got ONE laugh.  He had his work cut out for him.

His performance was a hit.  Here’s a link to his post after the performance.  He amazingly ended up doing 25 minutes!  And he spent 40 hours preparing for the event.

He shares his thoughts on:   

  Preparation
  Memorization
  Use of notes
  Preparing the audience to receive comedy from first-timers
  The importance of the opening joke
  Using blue humor (it can work in the right comedy club environment)

This is an excellent chance to learn from the experience of someone stepping onto the comedy stage for the first time.  He had a fun time and would encourage others to follow in his footsteps.