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Curbing the Public Nuisance (Part 1)
He's been around since the dawn of humanity. His profession is even older than the world's oldest profession. He's been loathed and reviled by politicians, bureaucrats and hot dog vendors.
I am speaking, of course, of the public nuisance.
...
Laughter and Health!
Laughter and Health!
We've long known that the ability to laugh is helpful to those coping with major illness and the stress of life's problems. But researchers are now saying laughter can do a lot more -- it can basically bring balance to all...
Looking for Harvey Weinstein
Two British women spill the beans on how to make it in Hollywood.
Brash, ballsy and full of energy.
A totem of two women’s struggle to do something worthwhile in life, it certainly knows how to serve up endless comical observations....
Marriage, Hollywood Style
Britney Spears' rapid walk down the aisle and subsequent annulment continued a long line of wild marriages in Tinseltown. The legendary union that began it all was between Silent Film Icons Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Beneath the glamorous...
The Bare Truth About My Butt Quiz
Forget about the SAT, never mind the FCAT, and remove forever from you mind any thoughts about the ACT. All these test pale in comparision to the examination that I just failed. Failing those test may have minor repurcussions like never making it...
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Learning To Be Funny
For some people, being funny can be a bit of a challenge. As a matter of fact, I used to be one of them. When I would try to tell a joke that wasn't made up by someone else, people would look at me with an expression that said, "Would you like... a straight jacket!?!"
Most humor contains an element of surprise. One way to create this is putting things together that don't go together. This could be as simple as something like: "I wanted to go girl hunting tonight, but I ran out of ammo." Words that can have more than one meaning are especially helpful for making or writing jokes.
Some words are inherently funny. Using words like booger, fart, and poop can make people laugh even when you aren't trying to make a joke. If you put them together in ways they shouldn't be. Imagine a comic book superhero called the Amazing Farting Booger.
Most jokes also contain a part that is believable. A comic book superhero is believable. A farting booger isn't. Another example of jokes having a portion that is believable:
“The other day my brother was playing with his dog, Duke, when he decided to relieve himself on the floor. I suppose that could be understandable. It's been years since my brother was potty trained.”
Humor often requires a buildup of tension. The story behind the punch line of a joke is as important as
the punch line itself. I'm sure you've probably noticed how many jokes use 3 of something. (“Three construction workers were....” or “A horse, a fish, and a monkey...”) Using threes when making jokes is a great way of building the appropriate amount of tension. Twos don't seem to build enough tension, and fours don't seem to build enough.
While being funny can be a bit of a challenge, it is something that can be learned. If it doesn't come naturally, it could take some effort, and a lot of practice. Learning to be funny might be hard work for some of us, but what could be more fun than working hard at being funny?
Visit my website: ButchCrassidy's Jokes or signup for the ButchCrassidyJokes.com email newsletter by sending a blank email to newsletter-subscribe@butchcrassidyjokes.com
About the Author
Copyright 2005 Bryan Brewster
This article can be reprinted on websites and in ezines as long as a link to the website butchcrassidyjokes.com and the ButchCrassidyJokes.com email newsletter subscription address newsletter-subscribe@butchcrassidyjokes.com is included at the end. To contact the author, send an email to webmaster@butchcrassidyjokes.com
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