Humor Power

Internationally-known Story Coach Doug Stevenson has posted a video on YouTube which brings to life 9 steps from his Story Theater Method.  The video is fun and instructional and it’s less than 10 minutes in length.  It illustrates creating a story that is a movie in the minds of the listeners.  You’ll enjoy it.

Here are the 9 Steps.

Step 1:  Set the scene.
Step 2:  Introduce the characters.
Step 3:  Begin the journey.
Step 4:  Encounter the obstacle.
Step 5:  Overcome the obstacle.
Step 6:  Resolve the story.
Step 7:  Make the point.
Step 8:  Ask the question.
Step 9:  Repeat the point.

Here’s the link to the video.

Check out Doug’s website for more information on the Story Theater Method.

Oh no!!!  Not another observational humor monologue!

I realize that few readers have an interest in writing observational humor monologues.  And I also realize that because of the You-Had-To-Be-There factor, reading a transcript of a monologue from an event that you did not attend probably doesn’t make you laugh.  So why do I publish them?

Writing about creating and using humor can easily result in something that looks and sounds like a lecture.  Nothing but theory becomes an exercise in mental gymnastics.  It’s not especially interesting and it’s difficult to link the theory to real-life examples.  You’ve probably heard the E.B. White quote, “Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.”

So the question becomes, “how to teach and learn humor without feeling like you’re in a lecture hall?”  I use observational humor monologues as a teaching tool.  Hopefully it’s a vehicle which brings humor techniques to life with real-world examples of humor in action.

My improv troupe had a workshop last week.  Ten of us met to practice the principles of good improv comedy.  Nobody in the group has a dream of becoming a main-stage player at Second City or being discovered by Saturday Night Live.  Most people take improv classes because they are fun, because they teach skills which apply to success in life, and because they help people become better public speakers.  It’s not about the improv…it’s so much more than that.

Likewise, members of a Toastmasters Club did not join because they intend to become a professional speaker.  They join for the fun and to gain some skills that will make them more productive and competitive in the workplace.  It’s not primarily about public speaking, it’s about leadership, growth, and personal communication.

Within a Toastmasters Club, members have the opportunity to compete in several contests every year.  It’s not about the contests, it’s not about winning.  People participate in the contests to improve their skills. 

You don’t enter a Cartoon Caption Contest or a Joke Contest with the intent of becoming a professional writer.  You most likely do it to sharpen your creative skills.  Maybe you do it just to have fun.

People don’t go to the gym to become a body builder.  They go to the gym simply to be in a little better shape than they are today.

So it is with studying Observational Humor Monologues.  It’s not about creating the monologue.  It’s about discovering the Ah-Ha’s which help you make the connections needed to create your own fresh humor.  It’s about the possibility of closing a PTA meeting with just one observational humor line.  It’s about brightening a staff meeting with just one small quip which you create out of nothing.  It’s about relaxing a prospect at a sales presentation because you can react naturally with humor, even if it’s only once.  It’s about opening a speech with just one observational humor line.  It’s about becoming better at using humor…just a little bit.  Studying Observational Humor Monologues, you slowly begin to see how humor connections are made.  One step at a time.  We grow in baby steps.  And the exciting thing is…the better you get…the faster you get better.

So remember, it’s not about the monologue.  It’s about something much more important…you and your skills.

On February 9, I attended the gymnastics Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas.  Defending Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm of Waukesha, Wisconsin, was the winner.  This was the first time Hamm had competed in a full all-around event since the 2004 Olympics.  I’m always inspired by the performances of world-class athletes.  They show us what’s possible and encourage us to dream of what might be achievable in our own lives.  I always try to search for life-lessons that would apply to public speakers.

Here are ten lessons to be learned from the gymnasts that apply to speakers:

1.  Having a coach.  All gymnasts have a coach.  Even the champions at the top of their game have coaches.  Being a speaker is no different.  You need a place to practice and get quality feedback and coaching.  Top professional speakers use high-level coaches.  Many speakers get feedback from participation in Toastmasters.  A speaker going-it-alone will not likely achieve their potential.

2.  Warm up before you perform.  The gymnasts warmed up in each of the event areas taking a total of 90 minutes.  In addition, they spent time stretching before the formal 90-minute official warm-ups began.  As a speaker, it’s critical that you warm up your voice and body before taking the platform.  If you don’t warm up before you take the stage, you’ll warm up in front of the audience.

3.  Visualize your success.  Many of the gymnasts went through a mental visualization of their routine before approaching the mat.  You could see their mental gears turning and they appeared to be in a trance state.  As a speaker you can visualize your connection with the audience, getting the response to your humor, and the positive response at the end of your talk.  Visualize your success before it happens.  See it, hear it, feel it.

4.  Connect with the audience before you begin.  Before the gymnasts began a routine they made clear contact with the judges.  Eye contact and a raising-the-hand gesture were part of the routine before they started their exercise.  Starting an exercise while the judges had their heads in the score-sheet, while still judging the previous competitor, would be an obvious mistake.  Likewise as a speaker, before you begin speaking, pause a moment to connect with the audience.  Make eye contact.  Receive an acknowledgment from the audience that they’re ready to receive you. 

5.  Support from buddies.  Just as the gymnasts have workout buddies that cheer them on from the sidelines, speakers also can receive support from their speaking buddies.  Humor buddies can help you sharpen your humor and stories as you prepare your speech.  Friends can give you great support when you perform at a comedy club open mike night.  In a speech contest your club members will often be your buddy-system when you compete at an area contest or higher.  Cultivate a network of support buddies and never take them for granted.

6.  Audience energy.  The gymnasts receive energy from the audience.  The audience cheers them on before they start, provides them energy during their routine and gives them an ovation after a job well done.  A speaker receives energy from their audience.  As a speaker, you’re never presenting a monologue.  Every speech is a dialogue.  There is always a two-way conversation with energy flowing both directions.

7.  Ta Dah!  At the end of a great routine, the gymnasts almost always strike a victory pose and soak in the response of the audience.  As a speaker, don’t be in a rush to leave the speaking platform.  Give the audience a chance to express their appreciation with applause and other positive feedback.

8.  Being the best doesn’t mean being the best at everything.  Paul Hamm won the All-Around Championship.  In the six events, he was the best at two.  On one of the events he was ninth best.  As a speaker, you should strive to be as good as you can be in all areas.  But it’s normal that you may be tops in some areas and not others.  You may be terrific with eye contact, but less accomplished in physical energy and gestures.  You may be great in humor but not quite as good as a story teller.  Know your strengths and weaknesses.  And work on keeping strong skills in all areas.  But remember that you can be one of the best speakers without being the best at everything.  Professionalism doesn’t require perfection.

9.  There is always room for growth.  On rare occasions, a top gymnast may receive a perfect score.  I don’t know if a perfect score has ever been attained on all events in a competition.  Probably not.  There is always room for growth.  As a speaker, if you complete your most awesome speech you’ve ever given or win a high-level contest, just think of it as a new platform for jumping toward your next, even greater challenge.

10.  The value of competition.  The gymnasts are inspired and challenged by entering competitions.  It’s not the same as practicing in the home-town gym.  They’re pushed to be their best.  Toastmaster speech contests are also a great challenge to reach new levels of excellence.  A contest is less about winning than it is about growth.

Here are some resources you may want to check out.

Bert Decker’s Create Your Communications Experience blog for The Top Ten Best (and Worst) Communicators of 2007.  Number One is a presidential candidate.

Andrew Dlugan’s Six Minutes: A Public Speaking and Presentations Blog features his post:  75 Public Speaking Blogs:  The Public Speaking Blogosphere.

Eric Feng’s The Public Speaking Blog, The Best of The Public Speaking Blog In 2007.

The January 2008 issue of Toastmaster magazine features a five-page article by John Kinde, Acceptable Humor: How To Navigate the Minefield of Good and Bad Taste.

Eric Feng, a bright, energetic, young public speaking coach from Singapore has added a new feature to his site, The Public Speaking Blog.  Every week for the past four weeks he highlights the Top Five Public Speaking Articles To Read.  He’s an avid reader, screens many of the blog posts and articles which appear on the internet each week,  summarizes the best for you, and provides you a link to the original article. 

Earlier this year, Eric wrote an article on international humor, for our blog, called, So You Think You can Make A Singaporean Laugh.  Recently he posted another cross-cultural humor article on his own blog:  Who Says Sri Lankans Aren’t Funny People?  Eric is currently living in Sri Lanka and shares his experiences at a speech contest in that country.  He shows us how everyone has a sense of humor and observes what makes it tick.

Forty-six-year-old Carnegie Mellon University computer science Professor Randy Pausch, dying from pancreatic cancer, gives his last lecture on September 18, 2007.  A motivational speech delivered by a real person.  Learning points from the viewpoint of public speaking:
1.  Have fun in the present moment.
2.  The power of humor.  Often, the more serious the topic, the more appropriate it is to use humor.
3.  Be conversational.  He didn’t lecture.  He visited with us.
4.  Notes are OK.  Glance at the notes and speak from the heart.
5.  The power of original stories.  He talks about his life.
6.  Visuals add power.  Photos and video clips are worth 1000 words.
7.  Know your limits:  “I’m not going to talk about my wife and kids.”
8.  Know the parameters of your talk:  “I’m not going to talk about spirituality.”
9.  Watch the close.  I thought, wow, he’s only left two minutes for the close.  And he did it in 27 seconds.  With impact.

CBS News four-minute version of the story.

Google video:  One hour twenty-five minute video of the whole speech (highly recommended).   Or try this link.

Related Post:  If This Were Your Last Speech

Here’s a great post on The Ten Most Influential Bloggers on Public Speaking published by Eric Feng’s The Public Speaking Blog.

What’s really nice about the post is that he ranks the sites AND tells you why he ranked them the way he did.  After reading Eric’s reviews, you’ll know which blogs you’ll want to visit.

Here are the top ten:

1.  Garr Reynolds — Presentation Zen

2.  Life Hacker

3.  John Kinde — Humor Power

4.  Nancy Tierney — Unconditional Confidence

5.  Tom Antion — Great Public Speaking

6.  Paul Evans — Instant Speaking Success

7.  Steve Pavlina – Personal Development For Smart People

8.  Darren Fleming — Executive Speaking

9.  Gary Guwe — Connexion! Communication Resources!

10.  Bronwyn Ritchie — Pivotal Public Speaking

Visit Eric’s post for the full reviews of these sites.

I’ll give you a link to a terrific video which is a study of the power of authenticity.  The link is provided at the end of the post, because I’d suggest that you read the entire post before watching the video.  The video segment is about 6 minutes in length.  This post is only 500 words and will take you only two minutes to read.

In this video clip you’ll see the late Mr Rogers (creator of children’s TV programming) speaking before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications and Chair, the late John Pastore (D-RI) in 1969.  At stake was a $20 million grant for the Corporation For Public Broadcasting.  In the video, Mr Rogers was 40.  Senator Pastore was 61.  The clip shows the impact of authenticity.  While the effect of authenticity is not instantaneous, it is powerful.

In this post, I will not examine the content of the testimony; word choice, metaphors, comparisons, poetry and more.  I offer the segment solely as a study in style.  Observe how Mr Rogers sticks with his authentic style.  Study the change in body language of Senator Pastore.

Also note that I’m not suggesting that anyone’s specific style is universally appropriate for all people and all circumstances.  I would encourage you, however to study the style of someone whose style may not be a fit for you and ask yourself, “what is good about this style and what can I learn from it.”  And I would suggest that you develop your own authentic style which represents the real you.

Right from the beginning, Mr Rogers begins with his authentic Mr Rogers style.  And he maintains it.  Gentle and deliberate pacing.  Soft-spoken.  Non-threatening.  It’s clear during the testimony that Senator Pastore had not previously known much about Mr Rogers.  His opinions are totally being shaped by the content and style of Mr Rogers in a six minute testimony.

Mr Rogers testimony begins with the Chairman Pastore (a self-described tough guy) playing the role of Guardian of the Public Money.  The spotlight is given to Mr Rogers with “All right Rogers you’ve got the floor,” spoken by Senator Pastore in an impatient tone that almost said “OK let’s get this over with.”  That introduction by the Chair is accompanied by light snickers from some of those in attendance.

Mr Rogers does not match or mirror the tone of the Senator and within the first 20 seconds essentially says “I trust you.” Thirty seconds into his testimony, Mr Rogers is interrupted with an almost sarcastic “Will it make you feel better if you read it?”  More snickers.

Mr Rogers sticks with his steady, non-confrontational style, “I’d just like to talk about it, if it’s all right.”  He continues in an effective conversational style.

About a minute later, Senator Pastore’s attitude begins to shift as his body language says “OK, I’m listening.”

Less than four minutes after his gruffly spoken “feel better if you read it?” comment, Senator Pastore admits to having goose bumps.  And in less than six minutes he’s totally sold:  “I think it’s wonderful.  Looks like you just earned the 20 million dollars.”

This clip is a powerful example of the disarming power of authenticity.  Click here to watch.

When telling a story, is it OK to stretch the truth?  When is it OK to not tell the truth?  In the humor business, the term embellishment is often used to describe the process of dressing up a personal story with little bits of exaggeration and describing things which may not have happened exactly as you say.

Embellishment is a legitimate and widely employed technique used to punch up stories to make them funnier.  It’s actually a subject I haven’t given much thought to until a comment came from a reader last week.  I looked at all the personal stories I tell and can’t find a part in any of the stories where I don’t tell it exactly as it happened.  I’m sure I’ve used embellishment at some point.  I just can’t put my finger on an example of when I’ve used the technique.  Yet, I think it’s perfectly OK to use embellishment and probably should explore the possibilities of using it a bit in my story-telling.  Later in this article, I’ll share a couple of embellishments I’m thinking of adding to my presentation.

When does the not-telling-the-truth cross the line? 

A glaring example would be telling someone else’s story as your own.  This should be an obvious no-no and goes far beyond anything intended as embellishment.  In the speaking business, someone’s story is their property.  Using their story as your own is nothing short of theft and doesn’t even fit in the category of embellishment.  Using their story and giving them credit, while on the surface seems acceptable, is also frowned upon.  Audiences deserve to hear the story from the originator.  It’s not fair to the creator of the story to share his or her story with an audience, and discover that they’ve heard it from another speaker first!  And it rightly brands you as a speaker who isn’t creative enough to come up with your own material.

What about taking a common-domain joke and creating a story around it as though it happened to you.  You aren’t stealing some else’s story.  Again, this technique is really not really embellishment and is not a good idea for two reasons.  First, it’s not creative and the quality of the story and the humor will almost always have less impact than original and compelling true-life stories of your own.  Second, the audience has probably already heard the generic joke and will realize that this “personal story” you are telling is nothing but a common joke that everybody knows.  It destroys your credibility.  Even if the rest of the stories in your speech are original and true, the audience will suspect that you just made them up too.

An embellishment which builds false credentials is something that crosses the line.  Saying you have a PhD when you don’t, just because it makes the story funnier, is not likely a good thing.  To say you’ve met the President when you haven’t most likely crosses the line.  It’s worse than name-dropping.  To say you’ve had cancer when you haven’t may add punch to a cancer story, but crosses the line.  To say you earned a million and then lost it, if it’s not true, crosses the line.  To imply that you were next to the twin towers when they fell, if you were actually ten miles away, crosses the line.  If your embellishment tries to make you a hero, it’s probably not a good thing from an integrity standpoint. 

Comic license is the belief that it’s OK to change, or embellish, some of the small details of a story.  For example, let’s say you slipped on a banana peel and three people actually saw you fall.  The story may actually be funnier to say that 50 or 100 people saw you fall.  Why?  The comedy device at work here is embarrassment and tension.  A larger watching-audience increases that embarrassment and tension.  Therefore the humor is stronger with the embellishment of the size of the audience that witnessed your mishap.

Is it a lie?  Well yes, if you say 100 people saw you fall and it was really only three.  But so what?  If done solely for the sake of the humor, what harm?

Let’s say you walked out of a restroom and had one sheet of toilet paper stuck to the heel of your shoe.  Another embarrassing moment.  Would it be funnier if a ten-foot trail of toilet paper was following you, stuck to your shoe.  Yes!  And again, the principle of comic license comes into play and says that this type of embellishment is a good thing.

The “Not Really” technique.  One of the stories I share from the platform is about a retired Army Colonel who served in WWII.  Think Patton.  As a result of this article, I’m thinking of trying this line.  “Several things about him reminded me of General Patton.  His gruff voice.  His stature.  The green helmet with four stars he was wearing.  OK…so he wasn’t wearing a helmet.  But you get the picture.”  This technique allows you to deviate from the truth, get the laugh, and then admit that you were just kidding.

The convenience factor.  Living in Las Vegas, I often open a talk with a welcome-to-Las-Vegas segment.  I’m preparing to add two photographs to the presentation to show people the barren desert landscape around Las Vegas.  “Here a picture of what Las Vegas looks like without the buildings.  No, wait a minute (switch slide).  THIS is Las Vegas.  (back to first slide)  This is Mars.  (switching back and forth between two slides)  Vegas.  Mars.”  Initially I started searching for Mars Rover photos to use when comparing the Martian landscape to our local desert.  Both have a similar red tint to the soil.  Then I decided that I could just take two different photos from the Las Vegas desert and say one of them was a photo of Mars.  This is acceptable embellishment in my opinion.  There ARE real photos of the Martian landscape and everyone knows that.  It’s believable that a photo which I took COULD be a photo from the Mars Rover.  And it gives me better photos with matching lighting and color balance.  I’m not claiming that I was a research scientist for NASA.  It’s just a quick visual joke with a bit of comic license thrown in.  Using my own photo was convenient.  It made the point.  And it was not a big lie that was designed to manipulate or cheat the audience.

Good embellishment is normally a minor tweak in your story to make something sound funnier, look funnier, make it more memorable.  It’s often related to accenting a punchline or magnifying a humor trigger and not connected to misleading the audience on substantial facts or implying that an experience happened to you, when in fact it never did.

Explore the possibilities of adding a touch of embellishment to your stories to make them more memorable and to take the drama and humor to the next level.

Copyright 2007 by John Kinde

We’ve all read that public speaking is a person’s number one fear, even greater than the fear of death.  Well that’s not true.  It’s not even our second worst fear.  Or our third.

In my research, I pointed a gun at 100 people and said, “Give a speech or I’ll shoot you.”  They all gave a speech.

The, after I got out of jail, I asked another group, “Give a speech naked or I’ll shoot you.”  And they all said, “Shoot me.”  Of course I didn’t.  It was just research.

Seriously though, I submit there are at least three things that are higher on the fear list than giving a speech:

1.  Death.  Really.  For most of us, we’d almost do almost anything to avoid death.

2.  Public nudity.  Well, it’s our culture.

3.  Singing in public.  Most people would rather give a speech than sing a song in front of an audience.

4.  Going to the dentist or having surgery. 

5.  Giving a humorous speech.  For most people, this ranks higher on the fear-scale than just “giving a speech.”

The truth is, the number one fear of most people is:  Singing a humorous song in front of an audience while naked and dying from a heart attack because you knew that you had a dentist appointment in the morning.

There are many things I’d put higher on my list-of-fears than giving a speech.  Of course, I’m not a normal person.  But then neither are you.  We’re all unique.  Your list of fears won’t exactly match mine or those of your friends.  We’ve all had different experiences that have shaped what we enjoy doing and what we fear doing.  Some people love jumping out of airplanes.  Some love giving a speech.  The experiences you have today will shape the person you are tomorrow.

My journey to where I am now as a public speaker, began as a Freshman in high school.  I don’t know why, but I signed up for our High School’s Public Speaking Class which was otherwise attended entirely by Juniors and Seniors.  With no experience as a speaker, I was thrown into the arena at an earlier age than most and probably benefited from it.

I really didn’t do anything with my public speaking until I was twenty-five years old.  At the time I was in the US Air Force and was invited to a Toastmasters Meeting.  I joined.  And I’m still a member and regularly attend my club meetings.  That step, more than anything else, has pretty much eliminated my fear of speaking.  Sure, I get some butterflies from time to time.  But for the most part, getting up to give a speech is a positive and energizing experience.  If you’re not in Toastmasters, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Then when I was 37, a Toastmasters friend suggested that I join the National Speakers Association.  She had watched me win three Toastmaster District Speech Contests and thought that I belonged in NSA.  So I joined.  It was the step to becoming a more professional speaker.

When I was 48, two friends called, within the same week, to invite me to a couple of improv events.  I joined one of them in northern California and one in Santa Barbara for my first exposures to improv.  I had never even been to an improv show before.  A month later I was enrolled in an improv class.  Three months later I started my own troupe.  It’s the single most exciting thing I’ve done to improve my speaking skills.

Along the way, I’ve had Alexander Lessons, Acting Classes, Directing Classes, Dance Classes, Magic Conventions, Singing Lessons, and more.  Each experience has made me a better speaker.

What next step would take you down the path of better speaking skills?  Be committed to taking YOUR next step.  We all grow in baby steps and it’s our commitment and persistence that helps us overcome our fears and fulfill our highest potential.  Be a lifetime student and take your next step.