Comedy does not mean the same thing for everybody: while some people take jokes too seriously, others laugh over it. In the same way, you can get slapped, kicked or bullied while making a joke or you can receive a big hug and huge cash for the joke. It all boils down to your listeners or your audience.
For over 3 months, I haven’t written any comedy piece on Comedy Open Mic Community, and this happened for NO REASON at all.
Wait…
Weeeeeeell, maybe it happened for just one small-tiny reason; or not so smaaaaall….
I was formally informed that I wasn’t funny. (emotional daaaaamage!)
Yea, I had no option than to swallow my pride and accept my flaws. It takes one with "great balls" to own up or man up to his/her mistakes (please don’t read this literally).
So, in order to get better at the comedy craft which my University degrees don’t cover for, I had to undergo all forms of comedical studies. I began working out comedically to get a comedified physique and 6pacs (better than @writermaximus dream 6pacs, since he doesn’t have one now).
I also made lots of researches in the Journal of Comedy Studies, I searched through Comedy Encyclopedias and Comedy Libraries. Having made these extensive researches, I discovered that this intellectual journey landed me nowhere!
Because most times you don’t need to say something intelligent to make people laugh. People may laugh at your stupidity and others may laugh at your funny experience even when it costs you a great deal.
So, from this wealth of experience I’ve gotten, I wish to share some tips so that everyone can learn if they wish to embark on this comedy journey, because I don’t think it’s for me. So, being a teacher here, I will encourage you to jot down these tips as you MUST find them helpful.
☆ MAKE A CHOICE
Like I said earlier, to be exceptional in this comedy journey have to make a choice: Should I be stupid or should I share a funny experience?
Sometimes you can choose both, but you can’t choose neither of them, except if that is a PhD interview.
Your choice actually speaks a lot about who you are: But please don’t ask me what I chose.
☆ DON’T BE TOO SERIOUS
When you are too serious with being funny or making a joke, then you are being a teacher, not a comedian.
Just imagine someone teaching Pure Mathematics or C++ programming language all in the name of comedy. No naaaa! Like what do you expect from people? To laugh or to cry?
☆ DON’T EXPECT PEOPLE TO LAUGH: “BE SMILELESS”
You’ve seen great comedians who say something really funny and while the crowd go nuts at the joke, the comedian remains “smileless” (without any smile). You wanna know why?
It’s simple!
They don’t expect the audience to laugh!
When you expect the audience to laugh always, then there will be a tendency for you to laugh in place of them, and then they miss out your joke. You laugh; they wonder why you are laughing!
So next time, always remain smileless when you are cracking a joke. It’s the secret
So, while I still continue to strengthen my resolve to be funny, I wish you the best in this comedical journey you are embarking on.
And by the way, the cover photo represents my village who told me that I wasn’t funny. But if you think your name is on my cover photo… please don’t stress me!
And, the presenter on the cover photo IS NOT ME!
- designs were made with Canva
