*ahem* Anywaaaay.....
Humor is a very difficult topic to talk about and give advice for because it's completely relative. What somebody can find funny, another can find annoying and pointless. You might've laughed your ass off at my attempt at humor, or you might've remained so quiet you could hear crickets. Probably the latter but, whatever the case, needless to say, being funny is a hard concept for most Let's Players and even some aspiring stand up comedians to grasp. Even the most well known comedians tend to hit the wrong chord with their audience every now and then *cough*Adam Sandler, *cough* I will never forgive you for "That's My Boy" *cough*. So instead of making a guide on how to exactly be funny (as that would be impossible), I'm going to tell you some general things you should avoid when attempting to get a laugh.
1. Avoid tiring repetition
When it comes to stand up comedy, generally repetition is used as a means of working in an earlier joke and reinforcing it to a new situation to add to the joke. Take Jim Carrey's stand up for example. In one of his bits, he mocks how Sergeant Stacy Quince talks only to bring it back at the very end to reinforce it and make his last joke funnier. This is a form of repetition done right. What's NOT repetition right is repeating the same joke over and over and over and over again, especially if the joke wasn't all that funny in the first place to bear repeating. You won't get many laughs by repeating the word "pancakes" randomly 7 times, it will only come off as annoying. If you do tell a joke that get's a reaction, repeat it wisely and have good timing. It's a hard trick to master but if done correctly, it can make for some solid jokes.
2. If your humor is offensive, let them know
Some let's players and comedians like to use offensive humor to appear edgy or induce shock reactions. It goes without saying, this is VERY risky and very tough to pull off. The best example I can think of is in this episode of the let's play show, Game Grumps. (At about 6:30) The trigger warning wasn't always there. When this episode first aired, it caused a massive controversy and many people got offended and hurt. I personally found it hilarious because I appreciate intentional dark humor and believe that sometimes the best way to combat horrible situations like this, is to try to laugh at it. Why let it get you down when you're so much bigger and better than that darkness? Though not everyone shares my same sentiment so when it comes to dark and offensive humor, warn the audience beforehand with a disclaimer so that they know what they're getting into
3. Use "Random humor" lightly
Random humor is a tough obstacle for many young comedians. Back in 2005 when YouTube first launched (almost a decade ago. Whooooah) it gave many young aspiring entertainers a platform to share their content on. It was like the Wild West, a gold rush of filmmaker making endless amounts of videos.....that were extremely random and generally unfunny. It doesn't matter what planet you're on, saying crap like "I'm a space pancake that controls the burrito bunnies and turn them into my dolphin minions!" is nonsensical and not funny. This infamous trend is known as "Lol teh random" humor and we are all trying to forget it ever happened. If you want to do random humor correctly, it has to have a not random element to it. It has to connect to something. Take my opening paragraph for example with the doctor guts joke (and Mega Man reference if you caught it). It's random because it's unexpected but it connects as a pun which is then followed by another, more subtle pun. Now, I'm not trying to come off as arrogant and act like it was actually funny or anything, but it DOES have the elements in it that make random humor work. So if you are to used to random humor, do it in a fashion that connects it to your joke.
4. Don't go overboard
This pretty much goes for anything and everything. Gauge your audiences reaction and make jokes accordingly and know when to stop.
5. Do NOT be afraid of yourself
Out of all the what not to do tips I gave you in this post, this is the most important. Despite there being some required tactics to learn and stuff to avoid, you must not let that intimidate you. While you should aim to not make as many mistakes as possible, it is inevitable that you will. But that's okay because mistakes are necessary to grow as a comedian. You must learn what works and what doesn't and the only way to do that is to just go for it. Pay attention to the reception your audience gives you, both negative and positive and adjust accordingly. Your first video or stand up show isn't going to be perfect so don't try and make it be. Make it to how you, the comedian want it to be because your work isn't going to succeed unless you believe in it.
So yeah, take the Doc's advice and "Show some guts!"
1. Avoid tiring repetition
When it comes to stand up comedy, generally repetition is used as a means of working in an earlier joke and reinforcing it to a new situation to add to the joke. Take Jim Carrey's stand up for example. In one of his bits, he mocks how Sergeant Stacy Quince talks only to bring it back at the very end to reinforce it and make his last joke funnier. This is a form of repetition done right. What's NOT repetition right is repeating the same joke over and over and over and over again, especially if the joke wasn't all that funny in the first place to bear repeating. You won't get many laughs by repeating the word "pancakes" randomly 7 times, it will only come off as annoying. If you do tell a joke that get's a reaction, repeat it wisely and have good timing. It's a hard trick to master but if done correctly, it can make for some solid jokes.
2. If your humor is offensive, let them know
Some let's players and comedians like to use offensive humor to appear edgy or induce shock reactions. It goes without saying, this is VERY risky and very tough to pull off. The best example I can think of is in this episode of the let's play show, Game Grumps. (At about 6:30) The trigger warning wasn't always there. When this episode first aired, it caused a massive controversy and many people got offended and hurt. I personally found it hilarious because I appreciate intentional dark humor and believe that sometimes the best way to combat horrible situations like this, is to try to laugh at it. Why let it get you down when you're so much bigger and better than that darkness? Though not everyone shares my same sentiment so when it comes to dark and offensive humor, warn the audience beforehand with a disclaimer so that they know what they're getting into
3. Use "Random humor" lightly
Random humor is a tough obstacle for many young comedians. Back in 2005 when YouTube first launched (almost a decade ago. Whooooah) it gave many young aspiring entertainers a platform to share their content on. It was like the Wild West, a gold rush of filmmaker making endless amounts of videos.....that were extremely random and generally unfunny. It doesn't matter what planet you're on, saying crap like "I'm a space pancake that controls the burrito bunnies and turn them into my dolphin minions!" is nonsensical and not funny. This infamous trend is known as "Lol teh random" humor and we are all trying to forget it ever happened. If you want to do random humor correctly, it has to have a not random element to it. It has to connect to something. Take my opening paragraph for example with the doctor guts joke (and Mega Man reference if you caught it). It's random because it's unexpected but it connects as a pun which is then followed by another, more subtle pun. Now, I'm not trying to come off as arrogant and act like it was actually funny or anything, but it DOES have the elements in it that make random humor work. So if you are to used to random humor, do it in a fashion that connects it to your joke.
4. Don't go overboard
This pretty much goes for anything and everything. Gauge your audiences reaction and make jokes accordingly and know when to stop.
5. Do NOT be afraid of yourself
Out of all the what not to do tips I gave you in this post, this is the most important. Despite there being some required tactics to learn and stuff to avoid, you must not let that intimidate you. While you should aim to not make as many mistakes as possible, it is inevitable that you will. But that's okay because mistakes are necessary to grow as a comedian. You must learn what works and what doesn't and the only way to do that is to just go for it. Pay attention to the reception your audience gives you, both negative and positive and adjust accordingly. Your first video or stand up show isn't going to be perfect so don't try and make it be. Make it to how you, the comedian want it to be because your work isn't going to succeed unless you believe in it.
So yeah, take the Doc's advice and "Show some guts!"
I would think being a comedian is a tough job. Your audience can be very diverse. Just like you stated, "What somebody can find funny, another can find annoying and pointless." Excellent tips on how to be funny...any comedian would benefit from this post!
ReplyDeleteI definitely have to agree with you about random humor being nonsensical and non funny. I have noticed that with the influx of the app Vine, people strive to be funny in six second and it comes off being funny for some, but in the long run, one will have to question themselves for the depth and quality of the humor in the video(s). Thanks for the tips!
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