I know we live in a permissive society. I know this not from the lewd magazines, but from the level to which our humor particularly in comedy lounges and on TV has sunk. Take this comedian who until a few years ago was really working hard at his jokes. He made a specialty of telling jokes about first time immigrants, and those who just could not leave their culture behind, but had to foist it on other citizens and residents of the US. Originally from Canada, he now resides in California.
Over the last 10 years that I have watched him, he has really become an object of pity. His jokes no longer bring laughs and in every instance, many of his earlier fans have abandoned him, because he is now truly scraping the bottom of the humor barrel. In fact, he has taken to complaining to the audience that he is being discriminated against---when the sad fact is that he has stopped being funny. So here are some tips on what type of humor deserves a good laugh..
I have referred to using humor as "lines" rather than jokes, and this may need explaining. If you try and tell jokes of the "here's a good one.... What do you get if you cross...." you set yourself up, and getting it wrong is so easy. Instead I want to use punchlines... There is a moment that people realise it's a joke... Following on from what sounds like a it's part of the presentation... Which gives several advantages; The line is not expected, so the laugh tends to be more natural as people "discover" it. It subtly makes people want to listen more, since your presentation is not as predictable Crucially... If a line isn't perceived as funny there is less build up, so less crash down for you.
Humor must be elegant. I know it is kind of old fashioned, but just watch the episodes of "All in the Family" or "Wings", or in the modern day TV, "Seinfeld" or "What's my Line" or the British sitcoms, "Keeping up Appearances" and "As Time Flies By"and you will understand what I mean. None of these shows used vulgarity, or referred to gross bodily functions or made indecent innuendos to drive home their humor. Even racial jokes were elegant and decorous. Now watch some of the comedians. They frequently use four-letter words. This should be your first clue that they are not very smart comedians. Usually people use profanity when they run out of ideas.
This was my first exposure to gallows humor, but not my last. This type of display continued when I worked in the physicians office and after a while, I would usually laugh along rather than be shocked by patients' actions. One day in the office I walked back to the treatment room where the patients received their chemotherapy. I stopped in the doorway, stunned at the sight before me.
A group of women in the corner were topless. They were examining each other and comparing the work of various plastic surgeons. In the middle of the group was a new patient who had yet to get reconstructive surgery. The women were supporting her in her search for a surgeon by acting as live models! The woman was blushing and laughing; nervous laughter to be certain as I'm sure she never thought to find herself in this situation when she came in for her first treatment.
Some really quick tips include; Know the joke, rehearse it like the rest of the presentation, to avoid that getting it wrong thing we've all done. Avoid "in jokes"... Tell a joke that everyone can understand. Many get this wrong and it never works. Deliver your punchlines. Get a laugh and thats great. If not, continue. Self-deprecating humor is really powerful. Humor that comes from your organisations reality is best... "borrowing" comedians jokes is risky, since their style is probably not yours. Finally remember that humor does not have to be roaring laughs. The fact remains that this is a business presentation. If your first attempts to use humor receive only an occasional smile, thats fine. Too many presentations are dry as dust, so if you can get a couple of people smiling, you're ahead of the game.
Over the last 10 years that I have watched him, he has really become an object of pity. His jokes no longer bring laughs and in every instance, many of his earlier fans have abandoned him, because he is now truly scraping the bottom of the humor barrel. In fact, he has taken to complaining to the audience that he is being discriminated against---when the sad fact is that he has stopped being funny. So here are some tips on what type of humor deserves a good laugh..
I have referred to using humor as "lines" rather than jokes, and this may need explaining. If you try and tell jokes of the "here's a good one.... What do you get if you cross...." you set yourself up, and getting it wrong is so easy. Instead I want to use punchlines... There is a moment that people realise it's a joke... Following on from what sounds like a it's part of the presentation... Which gives several advantages; The line is not expected, so the laugh tends to be more natural as people "discover" it. It subtly makes people want to listen more, since your presentation is not as predictable Crucially... If a line isn't perceived as funny there is less build up, so less crash down for you.
Humor must be elegant. I know it is kind of old fashioned, but just watch the episodes of "All in the Family" or "Wings", or in the modern day TV, "Seinfeld" or "What's my Line" or the British sitcoms, "Keeping up Appearances" and "As Time Flies By"and you will understand what I mean. None of these shows used vulgarity, or referred to gross bodily functions or made indecent innuendos to drive home their humor. Even racial jokes were elegant and decorous. Now watch some of the comedians. They frequently use four-letter words. This should be your first clue that they are not very smart comedians. Usually people use profanity when they run out of ideas.
This was my first exposure to gallows humor, but not my last. This type of display continued when I worked in the physicians office and after a while, I would usually laugh along rather than be shocked by patients' actions. One day in the office I walked back to the treatment room where the patients received their chemotherapy. I stopped in the doorway, stunned at the sight before me.
A group of women in the corner were topless. They were examining each other and comparing the work of various plastic surgeons. In the middle of the group was a new patient who had yet to get reconstructive surgery. The women were supporting her in her search for a surgeon by acting as live models! The woman was blushing and laughing; nervous laughter to be certain as I'm sure she never thought to find herself in this situation when she came in for her first treatment.
Some really quick tips include; Know the joke, rehearse it like the rest of the presentation, to avoid that getting it wrong thing we've all done. Avoid "in jokes"... Tell a joke that everyone can understand. Many get this wrong and it never works. Deliver your punchlines. Get a laugh and thats great. If not, continue. Self-deprecating humor is really powerful. Humor that comes from your organisations reality is best... "borrowing" comedians jokes is risky, since their style is probably not yours. Finally remember that humor does not have to be roaring laughs. The fact remains that this is a business presentation. If your first attempts to use humor receive only an occasional smile, thats fine. Too many presentations are dry as dust, so if you can get a couple of people smiling, you're ahead of the game.
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