first let me say that this is a subject i've spent assloads of time researching,practicing and thinking about... it's come to my attention that nearly ALL forms of comrdy are based around ONE simple truth:
contradiction
i think of developing a good
sense of humor as: developing the ability to find contradictory parallels, and more precisely as being much like developing the ability to PU.
which goes like this :
PU: learn some lines, openers and routines. you cant just laern the material though, what you really want to learn is WHY the material works, 'cause once you know the reasons certain things work you can make up your own material either at home on your notepad or in field during set. YOU CANNOT HOWEVER LEARN THESE THINGS UNLESS YOU PRACTICE THEM.
Comedy: same as above or
Comedy: learn some lines, openers and routines. you cant just laern the material though, what you really want to learn is WHY the material works, 'cause once you know the reasons certain things work you can make up your own material either at home on your notepad or in field during set. YOU CANNOT HOWEVER LEARN THESE THINGS UNLESS YOU PRACTICE THEM.
as you can see it's the same exact thing, but lets use some examples for comedy using contradiction as the main antagonist:
friend: pass me the ketchup
me: dude, we're in a gas station
this is funny because theres an inherent contradiction here:
pass me the ketchup sets up the thought that we MUST be in a place where ketchup is readily available AND contextually correct ( why else would someone ask for ketchup)
another way to make this funny in skit form would go something like this:
(me and a stranger are sitting with our backs to the audience i already have my food and am reading a newspaper while he's just been served his food)
guy: hey buddy could you pass me the ketchup.
me: ( not taking my eyes off the paper) passes him a bottle of mustard.
this is funny because the setup is to pass him some ketchup but what i do is contradictory in that i dont do what he asks and instead hand him mustard.
let me go on to explain the many different points of
humor in this as it can get very complicated in worded form.
lets say that instead of me continuing to look at the newspaper while handing him the mustard i instead look away from my paper at the mustard and knowingly hand him mustard instead. well this isnt particularly funny as it comes off as weird for incongruency. (that is if the character I'm playing is "normal" rather than some outlandish eccentric fellow)
but lets use the same example with an eccentric dude as the character:
guy:could you pass me the ketchup.
me: (looks away from paper in an exasperated manner while shaking head as if to say why cant i just have some peace while reading my newspaper)
picks up mustard SLAMS it down next to stranger then looks back at paper while opening and closing it three times making that loud paper sound as if he can finally get back to business.
thats funny
another way would be:
guy: could you pass me the ketchup.
me: grabs ketchup gets off of stool says "HUT HUT" does a two step drop and fires the ketchup at the bewildered stranger who gets hit in the head and loudly exclaims "OUCH!"
now thats hella funny
and it could be made even funnier by the would be QB raising his arms in triumph as if he's just made a 50 yard touch down pass.
the reason is obvious if you understand contradiction:
someone getting hit in the head by a ketchup bottle sets up a standard "apologetic" situation which is what the audience is expecting: an apology. but raising ones arms in victorial triumph instead is completely contradictory and unexpected and therefore funny as hell.
the point of all of this is how a statement as simple and boring as "pass me the ketchup" can be made into comedic gold with something as simple as offering up a different solution to the problem exposed.
so basically if you want to be funny all you have to be able to do is find the expected outcome and do something different. (in a very small and oversimplifed nutshell)
to practice this without friends just come up with mundane statements or questions and come up with contradictions to them:
how are you doing:
1.i'll be great when your standing down wind.
2. doing what?
3. life is purple. (eccentricity needed)
4. i think my dog has a crush on your cat.
but i dont have a cat.
good , 'cause i dont have a dog ( look at her and lick lips) or wink or smile
5. i've got the shakes, could you go away and come back less attractive.
etc.
remember these are just examples, i could see them all working but also falling flat. you have to calibrate to your audience/ target. and that only comes with practice.
which becomes much easier when given a set of rules to learn by.
kevins post is great as it gives you those rules, at the link he put up.
and to answer savoys question, yes i have had to develop a
sense of humor through trial and error and am still working on it but ive been getting consistent laughs for a while now.
i am no comedian though and am always looking for more stuff to learn and put in the repertoire and will be looking forward to anything insightful written on this subject.
- DIME
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