We were all taught as youngsters that honesty is the best policy.
I remember walking through M.E. Moses Department Store when I was five or six years old. I grabbed a piece of Double Bubble chewing gum from a display and popped it into my mouth. It wasn’t a minute later that Dad asked me what I was chewing and where did I get it… a painful teachable moment ensued. After which I had to go to the front counter to pay for my gum, and admit to the cashier that I had already chewed it. I felt horrible.
Lesson learned… I vowed from that moment to never again… get caught. if I was going down it would be for something worth it, not some lousy piece of gum!
Truth is an essential part of using humor. But we aren’t talking about the common meaning of truth versus lies. In humor, truth is adherence to the internal logic of the story or situation. I actually did not vow to become a better criminal as I stated above. In that sense I was lying, but the story, the humor, is still “true.”
In the story there are several items (truth) that people can identify with; young child, department store, wanting gum and taking it, parental disapproval, making restitution, embarrassment, shame. We have all had these emotions. Most of us have been in similar situations, either as a child or as a parent, perhaps as both.
The story sets up a familiar situation, leading to what is supposed to be a familiar conclusion. But a different, equally logical, equally true, conclusion is stated. This is the twist that makes what appears to be a familiar story into an amusing one.
Both conclusions are valid and true. While it can appear that humor is a free flowing, madcap whirl of whimsical references and inanity, actually there is an internal logic that, if violated, results in that horrible fate… death by silence. See: Oh My God What Have I Done! for tips on bailing out when humor goes bad.
Some professional comedians like Stephen Wright have made an art of exploiting the tiniest particles of truth in their comedy. For example his classic line, “I like to go skating… on the other side of the ice.” The absurd notion of skating upside down on the other side of the ice is what initially gets the laugh, but it is our familiarity with the “truth” of ice skating that sets it up and makes it work. And maybe, there is more “truth” here than we know, perhaps, with the proper equipment someone could skate on the other side of the ice.
Let me know what you think in comments, and if you need your Using Humor fix before anyone else, subscribe for free in the sidebar.
on Oct 16th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Some of my favorite lines are ones where you expect the line to go one way, the logical way, and then the twisted ending is presented instead. A lot of comedians that incorporate music into their act and adhere to a rhyming scheme for most of the song get good laughs by setting up a line to most likely end in a swear word, and then it ends with something completely different perhaps with a pause before the unexpected word. This is almost overused but still laughable.
on Oct 16th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
I whole heartedly agree. It’s the little skew of our expectations that makes a lot of humor work. Sure there are lots of other techniques but at its core I think that’s what brings forth the true humor of a story of a line. I also think it’s interesting that if you twist a similar story in an opposite direction you end up with horror. That’s another discussion though.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
on Oct 16th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
GM: Learning to see the twists is the key.
Jim: I hadn’t thought about it, but you may have a point about horror.
Thanks for commenting.
on Oct 18th, 2008 at 8:20 am
If honesty is the best policy, its a mystery to me why its not employedby politicians. Great tips once again Dan, thanks. Is it fair to sum up by saying there should be an element of truth in our stories that will resonate with people? The WHOLE truth can be pretty damn boring sometimes!
on Oct 18th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Bill,
I think politicians practice situational truth, similar to Microsoft Windows Help messages, hat they say may be accurate, but isn’t helpful.
Exactly my point, for humor to work there has to be an element of connection, teh truth of the story. But usually, as you say, he whole truth can be boring. Although there are a few stories out there that are hard to believe because they are so outrageous.
Hmmm… this could be another post…. Thanks! Bill!
on Oct 18th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Its been done, Dan – ‘Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction’…… but hey, it hasn’t been done by YOU! :>)
on Oct 21st, 2008 at 7:09 am
I love Stephen Wright! Great way to represent your point!