Comments on: Have You Heard The One About… http://usinghumor.com/2008/11/have-you-heard-the-one-about/ Strategy, Tactics and Instruction Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:33:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: DanBrantley http://usinghumor.com/2008/11/have-you-heard-the-one-about/comment-page-1/#comment-113 DanBrantley Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:04:43 +0000 http://usinghumor.com/?p=261#comment-113 Chris, I have been in those groups myself. It certainly hones your one-liner skills! John, Absolutely correct about written humor being hardest. There is no tone of voice, or nuance of inflection to get a point across. The words have to be chosen carefully and extensive editing is nearly always required. All of this has to be accomplished while using a distinctive, personal, voice and style, otherwise the humor can appear forced and is not so succesful. If by invulnerability you mean fearlessness, or a disregard for consequences, I agree. Most successful humorists, like successfull basebaall batters, have struck out as many times as they have hit home runs. The best ones keep swinging, or writing as the case may be. Chris,
I have been in those groups myself. It certainly hones your one-liner skills!

John,
Absolutely correct about written humor being hardest. There is no tone of voice, or nuance of inflection to get a point across. The words have to be chosen carefully and extensive editing is nearly always required. All of this has to be accomplished while using a distinctive, personal, voice and style, otherwise the humor can appear forced and is not so succesful.
If by invulnerability you mean fearlessness, or a disregard for consequences, I agree. Most successful humorists, like successfull basebaall batters, have struck out as many times as they have hit home runs. The best ones keep swinging, or writing as the case may be.

]]> By: John Baker http://usinghumor.com/2008/11/have-you-heard-the-one-about/comment-page-1/#comment-112 John Baker Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:23:48 +0000 http://usinghumor.com/?p=261#comment-112 Writing humour is one of the most difficult things to do. A study of the use of humour in the novel or in drama, rather than through the joke or the music-hall kind of comedy is very instructive and always involves an assertion of invulnerability. Writing humour is one of the most difficult things to do. A study of the use of humour in the novel or in drama, rather than through the joke or the music-hall kind of comedy is very instructive and always involves an assertion of invulnerability.

]]> By: chris http://usinghumor.com/2008/11/have-you-heard-the-one-about/comment-page-1/#comment-111 chris Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:06:51 +0000 http://usinghumor.com/?p=261#comment-111 in my circle the humour is in the repackaging or lack of it. do it successfully and you're the star, fail and you're the new joke of the night. but you're absolutely right, there isn't much new humour. @ robin i love brit humour. most americans don't seem to "get it" and i used to think that it's because it was "smarter." but i think it's because you leave a little bit more of a leap of faith to get to the funny. you don't "sell" the punchline, you just kinda leave it there. a lot of people like to be taken by the hand and lead to the laugh. imo, of course. in my circle the humour is in the repackaging or lack of it. do it successfully and you’re the star, fail and you’re the new joke of the night. but you’re absolutely right, there isn’t much new humour.

@ robin i love brit humour. most americans don’t seem to “get it” and i used to think that it’s because it was “smarter.” but i think it’s because you leave a little bit more of a leap of faith to get to the funny. you don’t “sell” the punchline, you just kinda leave it there. a lot of people like to be taken by the hand and lead to the laugh. imo, of course.

]]> By: DanBrantley http://usinghumor.com/2008/11/have-you-heard-the-one-about/comment-page-1/#comment-110 DanBrantley Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:47:44 +0000 http://usinghumor.com/?p=261#comment-110 Robin, Multicultural humor is an entirely different animal - I should probabaly post on that. A friedn of mine was making aresentation in London and mentioed "falling on our fanny" which in the US is a milder way of saying ass or butt, but in the UK fanny means the exact opposite (so to speak) The presentation went downhill from there. VE Thanks for the comment, Customization is the key, absolutely. And the more you utilize your personal humor lens, the easier it is to pick out those little details that make the difference. And you do have a singularly unique point of view displayed on your blog. I LIKE it! Robin,
Multicultural humor is an entirely different animal – I should probabaly post on that. A friedn of mine was making aresentation in London and mentioed “falling on our fanny” which in the US is a milder way of saying ass or butt, but in the UK fanny means the exact opposite (so to speak) The presentation went downhill from there.

VE
Thanks for the comment, Customization is the key, absolutely. And the more you utilize your personal humor lens, the easier it is to pick out those little details that make the difference. And you do have a singularly unique point of view displayed on your blog. I LIKE it!

]]> By: VE http://usinghumor.com/2008/11/have-you-heard-the-one-about/comment-page-1/#comment-109 VE Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:34:24 +0000 http://usinghumor.com/?p=261#comment-109 I would agree that humor is recycled when you look at it from the point of the method and type of humor one is using. It's in the details and material where one can be original. I try to make the majority of my humor original and creative. It does stand out as a result; I get comments all the time from people wondering where I come up with this stuff. Sure; I know some of it has been done before but perhaps not in the same way. Others...I know nobody would have come up with. Good post! I would agree that humor is recycled when you look at it from the point of the method and type of humor one is using. It’s in the details and material where one can be original. I try to make the majority of my humor original and creative. It does stand out as a result; I get comments all the time from people wondering where I come up with this stuff. Sure; I know some of it has been done before but perhaps not in the same way. Others…I know nobody would have come up with.

Good post!

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