A Foundational Skill for Being Funny

Being funny is a skill and not only that, being funny is made up of multiple sub-skills. A key sub-skill is word association and being able to create a list of associations.

If you desire to be funnier in the moment you need to quickly create a list in your head.

If you are writing jokes for your speeches or presentations you have time to sit and create a list.

Either way its a foundational skill you need to have to be funnier.

Let me give you an example from Conan O’Brien:

In West Virginia yesterday, a man was arrested for stealing several blow up dolls.

A headline from the news, how do we make it funny? Most people will sit there, frustrated, trying to “think of something funny.” If that works for you great! If not, let’s get to work.

Start writing down everything you can think of related to blow up dolls. If that is too vague, start with the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of blow up dolls.

Eventually you’ll write down something that triggers your mind about how these dolls are actually blown up. Someone has to blow them up. With a machine, at the gas station, with a tire pump, or maybe manually. Here is how Conan’s writers solved the puzzle and made the line funny.

In West Virginia yesterday, a man was arrested for stealing several blow up dolls. Reportedly, police didn’t have any trouble catching the man because he was completely out of breath.

Writing down everything associated with blow up dolls leads us to that punch line. That is the simple, mechanical nature of humor. The challenge is practicing, doing the work and developing the skill.

Here is an exercise that will help you develop this necessary skill: 185 Blanks Walk Into A Bar.

Fill in the blank:

185 _____ walk into a bar.

The bartender says, “We don’t serve _____ here.”

The _____ or bartender say(s), “_______________”

185 mushrooms walk into a bar.
The bartender says, ”We don’t serve mushrooms here.
”The mushrooms say, “Why not… we’re fun-guys.”

185 doctors walk into a bar.
The bartender says “I’m sorry, we don’t serve doctors.”
The doctors say “Not even a shot?”

Version 2

185 _____ walk into a bar.
The bartender says, “We don’t serve _____ here.”
The _____ say, “why not?”
The bartender says, “__________________”

185 wheels walk into a bar.
The bartender says, “We don’t serve wheels here.
The wheels say “why not?”
The bartender says, “That’s just not how we roll.”

Do this exercise at least once a day this week. Put something in the blank and then start writing down everything you can think of related to the thing you put in the blank. Eventually you will find something that associates with the bar and will complete the puzzle.

By the way, don’t worry if it’s funny. Just focus on the exercise of writing down everything and solving the puzzle.

Do the work…To A Funnier You!