Stand Up Comedy So you think you’re funny….?

Vocabulary To Kill - To do really well --- the audience loves you To Bomb - To do really badly. This is where there is danger of tomato peltage Dying - The Process of bombing Set list - Your collection of joke. A noun (e.g. “I just memorized my set.” Setup - The explanation part of the joke. It’s the part of the joke that you’re not supposed to laugh at. The exposition of a situation or story. To Kill - To do really well --- the audience loves you To Bomb - To do really badly. This is where there is danger of tomato peltage Dying - The Process of bombing Set list - Your collection of joke. A noun (e.g. “I just memorized my set.” Setup - The explanation part of the joke. It’s the part of the joke that you’re not supposed to laugh at. The exposition of a situation or story.

Punch Line - The funny part of the joke. What you’re supposed to laugh at Heckler - Someone in the audience who talks and interrupts a comedian in an insulting way in an attempt to make the comedian bomb Blue - When a comic is “blue” it means that he/she is using dirty language and/or talking about sexual (or otherwise adult) situations in an explicit way Punch Line - The funny part of the joke. What you’re supposed to laugh at Heckler - Someone in the audience who talks and interrupts a comedian in an insulting way in an attempt to make the comedian bomb Blue - When a comic is “blue” it means that he/she is using dirty language and/or talking about sexual (or otherwise adult) situations in an explicit way

Step 1 -- Study the Pros Study Professional Comedians at Work -- on stage, TV, or previously recorded. What are their techniques? How do they construct their jokes? Is what I’m doing Coping? - The biggest sin in comedy is to study another comic’s jokes. For LEARNING PURPOSES ONLY it’s ok to take the joke of a comic you really like and try to rewrite them in a different way. In any setting other than our classroom you would never perform any of the variations you came up with, because that would be considered stealing. Study Professional Comedians at Work -- on stage, TV, or previously recorded. What are their techniques? How do they construct their jokes? Is what I’m doing Coping? - The biggest sin in comedy is to study another comic’s jokes. For LEARNING PURPOSES ONLY it’s ok to take the joke of a comic you really like and try to rewrite them in a different way. In any setting other than our classroom you would never perform any of the variations you came up with, because that would be considered stealing.

Study Comic Types - Observational - Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen Degeneres Topical - Lewis Black, John Stewart Character - Larry the Cable Guy Prop - Carrot Top, Gallagher Gimmick - Margaret Cho Physical - Jim Carry Impressionists - Dana Carvey, Mike Myers Improvisationalists - Robin Williams Study Comic Types - Observational - Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen Degeneres Topical - Lewis Black, John Stewart Character - Larry the Cable Guy Prop - Carrot Top, Gallagher Gimmick - Margaret Cho Physical - Jim Carry Impressionists - Dana Carvey, Mike Myers Improvisationalists - Robin Williams

Topical - Lewis Black

Impressionists - Dana Carvey

Improvisationalist- Paula Poundstone

Step #2 - Gather Material Your greatest resource is yourself - examine your own experiences, eccentricities, point of view. HUMOR IS PERSONAL How? WAF Traits - Worry, Anger, Fear Negative Traits - Self-effacing humor is always safe territory because if you laugh at yourself, others wil fee comfortable laughing too. Unique Traits - Physical or psychological things that make you different from everyone else. Your greatest resource is yourself - examine your own experiences, eccentricities, point of view. HUMOR IS PERSONAL How? WAF Traits - Worry, Anger, Fear Negative Traits - Self-effacing humor is always safe territory because if you laugh at yourself, others wil fee comfortable laughing too. Unique Traits - Physical or psychological things that make you different from everyone else.

Step #3 - Write the Routine Most jokes are based on the setup and punch line formula: Example: Setup “My mom is so fat…” Punchline “…her butt has it’s own zipcode.” Most jokes are based on the setup and punch line formula: Example: Setup “My mom is so fat…” Punchline “…her butt has it’s own zipcode.”

Step #3 - Writing the Routine Jokes follow one of the following formats: Lists - magic number is 3 Comparisons - pointing out differences Simile - describe sometime by likening it to something else Observations - point out how absurd everyday life is Mimicking - making fun of someone by acting like him/her Callback - a joke with a punch line that refers to a joke you did earlier in your set Jokes follow one of the following formats: Lists - magic number is 3 Comparisons - pointing out differences Simile - describe sometime by likening it to something else Observations - point out how absurd everyday life is Mimicking - making fun of someone by acting like him/her Callback - a joke with a punch line that refers to a joke you did earlier in your set

Step #3 - Writing the Routine Joke Order Look at your list of jokes and pick out the funniest one - put it at the end of the routine Now figure out your funniest joke and put it at the beginning. This way you start and end strong The third funniest joke will go just before the end The next funniest joke will go just after the first joke and so on until you’ve filled your time allotment The number of jokes you tell will depend on your delivery and how long your jokes are Joke Order Look at your list of jokes and pick out the funniest one - put it at the end of the routine Now figure out your funniest joke and put it at the beginning. This way you start and end strong The third funniest joke will go just before the end The next funniest joke will go just after the first joke and so on until you’ve filled your time allotment The number of jokes you tell will depend on your delivery and how long your jokes are

Step #4 - Rehearse the Routine Stage Persona - determine which comics you identify with or laugh at - you should not be exactly like them, but your style will be similar Rehearse - most jokes aren’t about the actual words but the way you say them -- practice makes funny Timing - gather as much pre-performace criticism as you can to “fix” how you say things Stage Persona - determine which comics you identify with or laugh at - you should not be exactly like them, but your style will be similar Rehearse - most jokes aren’t about the actual words but the way you say them -- practice makes funny Timing - gather as much pre-performace criticism as you can to “fix” how you say things

Stand-up Assignment Prepare a stand up comedy routine with the following requirement in mind: NO brown bagging/working blue NO personal names - unless it is you/your family don’t use personal names of students, friends, teachers, administrators, or others in a negative or derogative manner that may be offensive Time limit 5-7 Prepare a stand up comedy routine with the following requirement in mind: NO brown bagging/working blue NO personal names - unless it is you/your family don’t use personal names of students, friends, teachers, administrators, or others in a negative or derogative manner that may be offensive Time limit 5-7

Stand-Up Assignment -Work the Crowd - talk TO the audience, get the to respond to you. Talk about current events, holidays, etc. so the audience can relate to you - Movement - should be limited when performing. Don’t wander around the stage. Move with purpose - Voice - use an expressive voice with vocal variety to keep people interested Use a variety of jokes - and use your own material -Work the Crowd - talk TO the audience, get the to respond to you. Talk about current events, holidays, etc. so the audience can relate to you - Movement - should be limited when performing. Don’t wander around the stage. Move with purpose - Voice - use an expressive voice with vocal variety to keep people interested Use a variety of jokes - and use your own material

Stand-Up Assignment No Hats, gum, etc. when performing Note cards are ok to use on stage. This does NOT have to be memorized, although it is suggested that you know it well enough so you don’t read from the notecards. DO NOT write the jokes down word for word on the notecards. Worth 50 points No Hats, gum, etc. when performing Note cards are ok to use on stage. This does NOT have to be memorized, although it is suggested that you know it well enough so you don’t read from the notecards. DO NOT write the jokes down word for word on the notecards. Worth 50 points