A comic ability is like being born with a Beautiful singing voice. Its not something you can really truly learn

But then again most people will laugh at anything so what the heck


Matt

The really funny stuff is usually stuff we can all relate to. I love Bill Cosby, cause he seems like real people, and he seems to take things he understands/has experienced and looks back at how funny they really were. Although he embellishes a bit, most of us can relate to it. But there are almost as many different types of comedy as there are people. We all seem to agree that the best thing to do is to watch a lot of comedy in one form or another and then do what feels right for you. Practice on people you meet in stores by making what you think are funny remarks and see if anyone laughs. don't just practice on family, sometimes the close bond automatically makes you funny.
Steve
zzz

This is my first post - so go easy... I've just finished reading 'Zen and the art of stand-up comedy' by Jay Sankey. It's focused mainly on being a stand-up comic (Which Jay is also famous for) but the fundamentals are the same for writing comedy of any type. One thing is clear though - funny is in the eye of the beholder. It's a worthwhile read from one of the best in our field too.

cheers,

It seems you've had good feedback on your question but I'll give you a piece of my mind anyway (don't worry this will only make you smarter!) I believe you have to make the comedy fit your persona. Sure learning lots of good jokes from books may help, but truthfully some of the jokes may work for the author but perhaps not suit your personality. I learned a lot from just seeing humorous situations and can retell these in a show. Another thing is you'll find 90% of the time people will make the same comments to you time and time again...after awhile you will have funny banter you can respond with. Lastly, never be insulting or demeaning with your humor...in fact works the best if you are the brunt of the joke.

How I do it By the Great Kerdunge.
I have two methods the first...
I start with a theme & a trick Latly it's been card tricks.
with the theme I brainstorm every Idea I can think of.
Then I go to the end of the trick, which I want to end with a punch line.
then I let it gestate till it clicks.
here is an example.
Theme: internet dating
brainstorm : Newest way to date, e-harmony, Webpages, it seems there is always a cost to send a e-mail to a contact.
end of the trick: produce a queen of hearts
Punch line : "Is this your date?
this has been gestating for awhile and here is some of what I've come up with so far, a trick I do to a love poem;
Patter: Internet dating's the latest rage
Find your true love on a web page.
Yahoo dating or e-harmony
Pick either one there's always a fee.

Methode two. read old joke books. I love old joke books.
my newest presentation is based on this old joke.
When we started the business, I had all the money and my ptartner had the experience. Now he's got all the money and I've gotten the experience.
At the start of the card trick I have the spectator write the word experience on the selected card instead of his name. I then lose the experience in a stack of money (my deck of cards has a $1000 bill on the backs) at the end of the trick I produce his card and say "Now You've got the experience" while I step back holding the money and fan the back of the deck. Last night "Now You've got the experience" became the punch line for the whole evening.

Yup, Greg Dean's book is the step by step structure you need to know in order to write comedy. Great book.

John

Some people just see the world funny. They see it from a view that is a little askew. They notice the oddities others don't and they call them to the surface where we all notice them. As Jerry Seinfeld says, "What's with that."

I love the use and abuse of language. Abbott and Costello, the East Side Gang (the Bowery Boys), Norm Crosby, the Algonquin Circle, Stephen Wright, and many, many others. I tend to hear and see imprecision of language as a constant source of humor.

Watch comics and understand where they found their humor, what struck them as funny and why, and then watch life and keep asking yourself "What's with that." Humor is around us it is just a matter of how we see the world.

"#1 What is funny?" If you have to ask, maybe you should take a more dramatic approach to your magic.

"#2 Should you work on this daily?" It is only my opinion, but you are either funny or you are not. No amount of work will change the condition.

#3 How do I get a comic ear? Be born with it.

:devilish: