Wish you were funnier? Do you ever re-listen to those learning programs you have on your shelf? As a constant student, I’m always learning from people who are experts in their fields. I just reviewed a tele-seminar I did with Judy Carter awhile back, and I was re-inspired by her story of how she persisted at the beginning of her stand-up career.
If you don’t know Judy Carter… not only has she been on Oprah, she has incredibly successful students like: Sherri Shepherd (Co-host of the View), Drew Carey (credits her book), and Tom Shadyac (Director of Evan Almighty) She gives many speeches in the corporate arena.
Judy has been teaching comedy workshops since 1988, and coaches many well-known keynote speakers in how to get more laughs. In the interview, I asked her about common mistakes speakers make while trying to be funny. She said there were three.
#1 They tell jokes!
Judy pointed out that most speakers just go and grab jokes from the internet, or they take jokes they’ve heard before and stick them into their speeches. In reality, they’re actually stealing material. If you didn’t write the joke, it’s not yours. And, it makes you look bad to people who have heard the joke before, even if it gets a laugh.
For me personally, coming from a stand-up comedy background, it drives me crazy that people in the speaking world “accept” that it is OK to “lift” a joke or a story. Just because you liked it, doesn’t allow you to reproduce it. Judy says it makes you look like a “hack.” (Comedy term for “wannabe” trying to make it the easy way — and not fooling anyone but themselves).
#2 Speakers try to be funny by choosing funny material.
…or in the comedy world, we call it a “premise.” Judy noted that just because the topic may be shocking, doesn’t mean you should use it. Ideas that get a laugh when you are getting “gross” with close friends, do not transfer well to a corporate audience stage. I see this quite often in Toastmasters Humorous Speech contests.
I’ve been cited for crossing the line before myself. One bit that I do is great for a comedy stage, but inappropriate for a corporate audience. Sometimes I get so caught up in the moment that I do it anyway. It’s a big mistake. A close friend and speaker called me on it over lunch this week. He’s right. (I’m glad I have friends who care enough about me to tell me the truth.)
#3 Speakers tell a funny story making no point.
If you are telling a funny story for the sole purpose of getting a laugh, you’re “laying a lot of pipe.” You have to get to your material (point) quickly. If it’s a long story, it better have a great point for us or you’re wasting valuable “education” time.
It’s OK to start with a funny story… but before you take the stage, you need to sit back and be clear on the “take away” for the audience. Stories in the speaking world must “tie in” to the overall premise of the speech.
I credit Judy for opening my eyes with her book, Stand-Up Comedy the Book, that humor can be learned. If you have a desire to make people laugh, don’t take the easy way out. Please take the time to learn the true “process” of how to do it — for you, the sake you’re your audiences, and your career. Judy also reminded listeners in the tele-seminar that many naturally funny people will never make careers in comedy because they won’t take the time to learn the process and how it works. The same is true in speaking. Are you willing to save time, energy, and face… and learn the process?
Stage time,
Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
This Week’s Video Clip:
Humor 101… just released today!
P.S. Learn more from Judy Carter at www.JudyCarter.com.
P.P.S. Get the Judy Carter Tele-Seminar and free bonus HUMOR 101 recorded live in Las Vegas last week! Click here!
Thanks Darren (and Judy)! Great advice! Wish I’d read this before entering our TM club’s humorous speech contest last year.
I just bought the book and actually began reading, may not be a big deal to you, but you made this suggestion to me 3 years ago. Maybe I will be coachable some day.
Great book, easy to read and I hope I learn in less time than what it took me to follow your advice. Our TM club is hosting a comedy night and I plan on presenting, hopefully some humor and not my head on a silver platter.
Hi Darren:
Your advice is more than a collection of jewels, regarding using once own humor.
If one is born laughing, humor might increase as a talent.
You are right, our own humor impression demonstrates genuine reality. Producing the own humor requires perhaps training and funny ideas. Should we watch people as they are, or use colour glasses, inventing humor in them.
Setting more examples for humor, is simply watching children. They seem to speak, as if having the blue prints.
I noticed some people are reading their jokes. It’s more a reading methods rather than speaking, and the sense of humor is last.
With kindly regards from Herbert Riemer.
Darren, humor is a funny thing…
As a speaker, I seem to get the biggest laughs when I’m spontaneous. Why is that? Is it because I’m in the moment, feeling comfortable and just letting go? I’m really not sure, but it’s consistent with me. When I try to be funny, it’s OK, but not a home run. When I don’t try and just allow a story to emerge out of the moment, people laugh like crazy! It makes me a little nervous to rehearse being funny. (Crazy, huh?)
Any thoughts?
Your phunny phan,
Cheri
One of my fears is being labeled “a Hack”. I’ve practiced other people’s comedy routines since I was a kid. I’ve reworked jokes to make them my own and I have a lifetime of jokes and quips which I’ve heard from TV and Radio. I have a “spontanious” humerous remark for every occasion. This quirk has served me well in everyday situations forever. It works real well in Table Topics and introductions.
My rationale is, if you want to play the guitar well you start by copping Chuck Berry riffs. Mimicing is how you learn. There has been occasions where I get caught up in the moment and start ad libbing. Next thing you know I’m dropping Rodney Dangerfield one liners because they just fit so well. I’m not a professional comic, I just like getting laughs.
Thank you! I want to do humor but am not good at telling a full humorous speech, but I can be humerous when talking. This is something I want to improve on so thank you for this article and I will learn more from you, Judy Carter and others and learn the process.
Patricia
I agree with Judy, I have witnessed those common mistakes!