Humor Power

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.

The World’s Greatest Book of Chicken Jokes…And Other Fowl Humor, by my friend Sol Morrison from Santa Barbara, is not only a fun joke book but it can also be used as an excellent text book.  He has a gift of being able to see the funny twist to create humorous connections.  Sol, by the way, was one of two people who started me in comedy improv.  I played with him in the Santa Barbara Improv Troupe for four years.

At first glance, when you think “Chicken Jokes” you think of punch lines answering the question:  Why did the chicken cross the road?  For Sol, that question is just the starting point.  He is great at switching, substituting and reversing to get fresh angles for jokes.

In writing The World’s Greatest Chicken Jokes, Sol took on the challenge of not including a line he had seen or heard before, and kept to the discipline of creating his own, original humor lines.  In fact, he created over 2000 lines, and about 1000 of them are included in the book.

“I approach humor as a scientific experiment,” Sol tells us.  “I change only ONE element, and then see where it takes me.”

For example, take:  Why did the chicken cross the road? 
Switch that to:
Why did the chicken cross the picket line?
Why did the chicken cross the park?
Why did the chicken cross the dance floor?
Get the idea?

Then you look for more places to do some switching:
Why did the cat cross the road?
Why did the politician cross the road?
Why did the astronaut cross the road?
This could be switched to other animals, occupations, specific people, etc.
You start opening new windows of opportunity for humor.
This is Sol’s technique for brainstorming which he calls Brain-Blasting.

“For example,” Sol tells us, “it might lead you to:
Why did the lion cross the road?  To get to the other pride.
Why did Hugh Hefner cross the road?  To get to the other bride.”

Then Sol suggests exploring the NEGATIVE:
Why DIDN’T the chicken cross the road?  Because she was chicken. (blame that line on me!)

Then Sol recommends to start switching using a basic journalism technique:
Why did the chicken cross the road?  Becomes…
When did the chicken cross the road?
Where did the chicken cross the road?
How did the chicken cross the road?
Who did the chicken cross the road with?
What happened when the chicken crossed the road?
Sol suggests that “you approach it is if you were interviewing the chicken!”  Great idea.
The book gives you hundreds of examples of where this type of thinking can take you.

And there’s more!  Next switch for other “chicken” words:
Why did the chick cross the road?
Why did the egg cross the road?
Why did the hen cross the road?
They he takes this thinking one step further with a section on:
Why did the Hen-ny Youngman cross the road?

Next try a switch by adding an adjective:
Why did the rubber chicken cross the road?
Why did the spring chicken cross the road?
Why did the fried chicken cross the road?

In the book he uses the vehicle of a Top-Ten List to answer:
Why did the chicken double-cross the road?
And he comes up with twists like…
To make it a road more traveled.

He features a Cock-A-Doodle-Do matching game making connections like:
Milkman — Cock-A-Doodle-Moo
Classical Pianist — Bach-A-Doodle-Doo
He has a long list.

You’ll also enjoy the original cartoons featured throughout the book:
Receptionist in a doctor’s waiting room looking at a chicken and an egg.
“Who came first?”

And there’s a Humpty Dumpty section, a rhyming section, around-the-world humor, and more.

The World’s Greatest Book of Chicken Jokes is a joke book.  But it’s more than that.  Besides making you laugh…and groan…it will give you an inside look at what makes a humor writer’s mind tick.  It will give you insights on how you can switch, substitute and reverse elements of a joke to create your own fresh connections and humor lines.  “To get to the other side” isn’t the end of the joke…it’s just the beginning!

To quote Dr E.E. Giblet, Professor of English, Stanford University:  “Humor aside, taken purely as an exercise in wildly creative writing, Chicken Jokes…is a testament to the extraordinary malleability of the English Language.”

The book sells for $9.95 plus $2.00 shipping (CA residents add sales tax) and is available from publisher Phil Morrison: 
piano88print@sbcglobal.net.
Jester Books
3 Monte Vista Road
Orinda CA 94563

On Monday, November 12, Senator John McCain received a question from a woman in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  It was a crude and politically incorrect question using the word Bitch.  Here are some excerpts from that news conference. 

Woman:  How do we beat the bitch?

McCain:  May I give the translation?

Man in audience:  I thought she was talking about my ex-wife.

McCain:  That’s an excellent question.

McCain:  I respect Senator Clinton.  I respect anyone who gets the nomination of the Democrat party.

Here’s a link to the news conference so you can watch it for yourself.

From a Humor-In-Speaking point of view, here are my observations:

1.  For starters, the woman asking the question unintentionally was shooting her candidate in the foot.  In her “moment of personal truth” or in an attempt to get a cheap laugh, she put her candidate on the spot while the cameras were rolling.  Speaking before you think can get any of us in trouble.  Trying too hard to be cute and funny often backfires.  Once it leaves the mouth it’s too late to take it back.

2.  The audience reacts with nervous laughter.  It was an awkward situation.  A man in the audience tries to diffuse the tension with an ad lib reference to his ex-wife.

3.  Let’s look at what John McCain did well, and not so well, in responding to the question:

GOOD JOB

   - He paused before respoding, to gather his thoughts.

   - He tried not to laugh while at the same time he was trying to think of a humorous way to disarm the question.

   - After the ad lib from the audience, McCain’s body language says, “I can’t believe this is happening.”

   - “I respect Senator Clinton,” was the right thing to say.

NOT SO GOOD

   - His response made it clear that he understood the reference was describing Senator Clinton.  That reaction says, “Well, we all know who she’s talking about.”  While that might be true, on the surface, it appears to buy into the use of the label.  More on this later.

   - “That’s a good question.”  While the essence of the question, how-do-we-win-the-election, was good; the way it was asked was inappropriate, outside the local bar.  He makes the poor choice of saying “that’s a good question” probably in the interest of saying something that would avoid putting down his supporter who asked the question.

   - “I respect Senator Clinton,” was followed by “I respect anyone who gets the nomination of the Democrat party.”  This is the infamous YES…BUT structure where the second part of the sentence cancels out the positive effect of the first part.  It appears to say “I respect Senator Clinton, not for the person she is, but for the support she might receive from her Democrat party.”

FINAL ANALYSIS (It’s easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback)

4.  John McCain was put in an awkward position by a supporter.  Overall, considering he was improvising in the hot-spot, he did a fair-to-good job of handling it.  Not a great job.  One alternative way of responding might be: “Well, for starters, I wouldn’t use that word.  I respect Senator Clinton.  The good news is that a recent Rasmussen poll shows us with a 3 point lead in a head-to-head match-up with the Senator.” 

That structure attempts to put the B-word in it’s place, separates him from the word without directly criticizing his supporter (the political tightrope), gives an unqualified statement of respect to Clinton and ends with the true punch-line:  A poll showing a 3 point lead.

5.  What about the issue of implying that he knew that the statement was a reference to Clinton?  If we’re honest, we know that nearly everyone, Democrats included, knew to whom the woman was referring.  But that by no means equals agreement with the use of the word or with the accuracy of the label or delight with the question.  Understanding the question and agreeing with the choice of words are two very different issues.

I learn best by doing.  I learn by making mistakes.  And this especially applies to using humor.

Let me share a lesson learned.  It may save you similar mistakes.

I regularly do an Observational Humor monologue at the end of every Toastmaster home-club meeting I attend.  Over the past thirty years, I’ve delivered thousands of observational humor lines. 

Our Toastmasters club has a great reputation for high-quality Observational Humor.  At the last meeting three members crossed the line, just a tad.  Once the joke leaves your lips, it’s too late to take it back.  It’s a concern even when you’re among “friends” and moreso when you have guests present.

Let me share my inappropriate line first.  Then I’ll share lines from two other Toastmasters.

SET-UP:  A member told us that he had seen a news item that said someone had an ear grafted to his forehead in the name of art.  Unrelated, another member in response to a bad joke said:  “Someone open the window!”

MY JOKE:  “We were asked if an ear grafted to the forehead was art.  Technically, it’s called Forehead Art…or F-A-R-T.  Which gives you my answer to whether or not it’s art.  And I second the motion to Open A Window.”  In my mind, it was safe to use because I didn’t SAY the word.  And I followed it with two toppers…good humor structure.  It’s easy to find logic to justify our choices.  In retrospect, I’ve decided that it was a joke series that I should have omitted.

SET-UP:  A member was evaluating a speaker who had quoted his wife.  He attempted to use a high-pitched woman’s voice as he spoke her words.  The evaluator felt that he should have used his own natural voice instead.  The evaluator said “When you were doing your wife, the voice would have sounded better using your own natural voice.”

THE JOKE:  A club member said:  “My mind was wandering until I heard the evaluator say:  ‘When you were doing your wife!’”   The joke implies that he interpreted a sexual reference into what he had heard.

SET-UP:  Our timer, who times the segments of the meeting, was a new member whose name is Gaye.

THE JOKE:  A club member, at the end of an otherwise excellent monologue, concluded with:  “And I just realized that our timer was gay!”  First of all, it’s taking the liberty of poking fun at someone’s name.  That’s very personal territory.  Secondly, the target of the joke was a relatively new member, having joined two months ago.  And another big factor, it implies that there is something funny about being gay.  That gets us into the area of psychology, sociology, religion, self-esteem and more.  But I’d suggest that, at the least, the joke takes us out of the boundaries of political correctness, and would be offensive to many.

So where do you draw the line?   The first thing is to realize that laughter isn’t the green light.  The fact that people laugh doesn’t indicate whether or not humor is appropriate.  There are other tests that give you the right answer.

My conclusion after reflecting on some of the jokes of this meeting is:  Before you deliver a joke, ask yourself the question:  “Would I use the joke if I were delivering it at a corporate event where I was being  paid a substantial fee as the guest speaker?”  This is one litmus test that I could use to arrive at a “NO” answer for all three of these jokes.  There are other relevant questions that would disqualify the jokes as well, but the “corporate test” is a good measure of appropriateness.

And always remember the sage wisdom:  “When in doubt…leave it out!”

October Tip Sheet

Humor College:  Learn from some of the top Speaking and Humor Pros in the business.  This course includes teleseminars, audio files, CDs and one-on-one coaching.  Kicks off on October 17.  Faculty includes:  Patricia Fripp, Darren LaCroix, Doug Stevenson, Tom Antion, Steve Roye.

Good To Great:  Patricia Fripp presents an advanced coaching session for experienced speakers only.  October 27 - 28, 2007.  Location, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.  I’ll be there.

One of the most popular Speaking blogs is the Public Speaking Blog by Eric Feng from Singapore.  He has just released his new book, The FAQ Book On Public Speaking.  Cut your learning curve with tips from all areas of public speaking.  Eric was featured as a guest author on the Humor Power Blog, International Humor — So You Think You Can Make A Singaporean Laugh!

So you’re never going to do a monologue?  Does that mean that you’ll never have a use for Observational Humor? 

Here’s the truth.  I don’t practice my observational humor so that I’ll be better at doing humor monologues.  For me, an observational humor monologue is a push-up.  It’s an exercise to build my humor muscle.  It’s a means to an end.  It’s not the end.

This past week I attended a terrific two-hour presentation by NSA National President, Mark LeBlanc.  If you have a chance to hear him speak, don’t miss it.  Inspiring substance delivered in an engaging style.

Although I had no intention of presenting a monologue at the end of the evening, I still decided to “put on my humor hat” and focus on the process of collecting observational humor.  I listened.  I jotted notes.  I looked for connections. 

In Mark’s opening comments he told of his Anti-Boot-Camps where people attend for free.  Then at the end of the camp they write Mark a check for whatever the feel the event was worth.  Marilyn, our NSA Las Vegas Chapter Secretary gave a testimonial about the Camp and said she loved it.  In fact at Mark’s camp she met her husband!

Mark then asked the 20 audience members:  What did they want to learn from the evening’s program?   And several people volunteered answers.

Since I had been taking notes, I was prepared to ask a question.  I waited until about six people had posed their questions.  I raised my hand and Mark called on me:

“What I want to know is…when Marilyn attended your Anti-Boot-Camp and met her husband…at the end of the event…how big was her check?”  A big laugh.   The joke implies that such a great benefit (meeting a spouse) would be worthy of a very large check.

Mark was right on top of it.  After the laughter died down, he said:  “She’s still paying me back.”  His joke implies that the value of meeting a great husband was priceless.

Although my line was one I could have used in a monologue, the key point is that I wouldn’t have been prepared with the line if I wasn’t tuned in to the humor-opportunities that were happening that evening.  The fact was that I had been engaged in the process of identifying observational humor, even though I didn’t plan on having a specific place to use it.  Then when a moment of opportunity arrived, I was prepared. 

At a typical meeting, note that I’m not actively looking for chances to contribute a funny line.  A member of the audience can wear out their welcome fast by always trying to be the funny-guy.  If you’ve ever attended a meeting with me, you will probably remember me as someone who normally just quietly listens for the entire meeting.  The advantage of being very selective in your use of humor is that when you do use it, it will probably be funnier.  And when you do use it, people will be more inclined to listen, because of the factors of quality and scarcity.  If you’re always trying too hard to be funny, you will irritate the audience rather than attract them.

I’d encourage you to do the same as I do.  Always be focused on discovering the observational humor connections at every event you attend.  And then be very selective in using your funny lines.  It’ll keep you engaged.  It’ll strengthen your humor skills. And every now and then, when the moment is right, it’ll give you the appearance of being a person with a quick wit.