1. FUNNY JOKE POLITICS How & how not to use humor in communications

2. Being funny can... dethrone & deflate an opponent allow you to say things you couldn’t with a straight face puncture an argument make messages much easier to pass along broadly deflect criticism, show humanity

3. When does it work? Rarely.

4. When does it not work? Often.

5. Why? Care too much; don’t want to make light Comedy is bad at communicating new ideas Focus is too specific; no entry point Wrong messenger Also: it’s really, really hard

6. How? Meet them half way Need to find a shared premise: common ground The more surprising, the funnier

7. Formulas for funny Ridiculing character Pushing argument to extreme Translate to human speak: sociological or psychological Connect to pop culture Juxtapose Language A with Message B

8. Ridiculing character

9. Push argument extreme

11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7bzdj9RlG4

12. Push argument extreme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7X8u5IEEBc

13. Translate to human speak

14. Explain with pop culture http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nqtL-P8kzo

15. Language A, Message B

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs

17. But, really, how? Don’t go with first idea — brainstorm 10 more Commit. Context matters — find something to copy Don’t underestimate the power of swearing, kittens, and sex

18. You don’t have to be funny Best as a mindset, not a format Just be interesting.

19. Good people Andy Cobb — andrewtcobb@ca.rr.comandrewtcobb@ca.rr.com Lee Stranahan — lee@stranahan.comlee@stranahan.com Andrew Boyd — andrewontheroad@gmail.comandrewontheroad@gmail.com Robert Greenwald — Brave New Films