How to make someone laugh has always been a question for many, what is it that makes people tickle and how can I do it too?! Well here we learn from the greatest of fictional characters that have inspired me to be funny...let's see how they do it.
Personally having a sense of humor has helped me a lot in life, I've made friends, have better experiences with strangers, got out of troubles, and always had a good! Now, do I have to tell you the benefits of laughter?!?
In a very basic sense, it helps you and people around you have a good time, no wonder stand-up comedian are on a rage these days...
The goal of this post is to give you an introduction to various types of humor and how you can use them for a better public appearance. Don't worry if you're not inherently funny or jokes don't come that easily to you, after reading this post you'll be a lot better.
All my life I've been a funny character, not necessarily a class clown but yeah I had my moments! But of course, it didn't was always like that, when I was a little kid someone told me girls liked a funny guy, and I wondered what actually makes a guy funny, what do I have to say to make someone laugh?
Turns out it's not what you say literally but most of the time how you say it that actually makes it funny! A real funny person could make anything funny! And later if try the story you're setting up for failure.
All the great comedians had a funny bone in them to speak they had a particular way to make people laugh and now we're going dive in some of the funniest people who inspired me to be funnier.
1. CHANDLER BING
Show: "friends "
Humor: Sarcasm
He's definitely the funniest one of them all! The secret for his success in humor is because Chandler's and Matthew's humor overlap a lot he's Chandler in real life too, and that is the take out of the entire article, you go through all the humor types and see what resonates with you.
Chandler has a very acerbic, sarcastic sense of humor, he's always commenting on his friends, and on himself, making reference jokes from all over the world, that's noteworthy cause in its essence to make more people laugh you have to appeal to a larger crowd, ie have enough knowledge about at least the popular topics and news, the cult movies and unusual characters around you!
So that you can base your jokes on them and also understand others' jokes when they try.
Tips:
1. Observe people and their natures, 1 reason Chandler is so funny because he knows and understands his friends.
2. Try and keep commenting on your friends and their behaviors, probably what they were or how they do their thing or something embarrassing that only a few of you know!
3. Purposely misinterpreting things. This is a good way to dodge a situation or make something funny which was not, usually to ease the tension of the situation.
Eg, when phoebe gave birth to a girl who was supposed to be a boy, the father shouts" Chandler's a girl!!" On which Chandler comments " oh no! Kindergarten flashback!"
2. SHELDON COOPER
The bittersweet one! ( shelly cooper is a smelly pooper!)
Show: the big bang theory
Humor: straight up spitting facts! Aka Offensive humor.
This, in my opinion, is the most dangerous type of humor, Because what you're doing essentially is picking out the flaws in people and slapping it in their faces! They can be something true about them or something they're cool about.This is funny if done among friends but can be brutal if done to enemies.
It's safe to try it only with your closest friends because this one gets offensive!
Eg Sheldon on numerous occasions brings out how all the work Leonard does is derived or he's not a capable scientist, how engineers are good nothing, why geology sucks... you get the drill.
Tips:
1. Observe your friends and their pasts.
2. Find a place and hit where it hurts.
3. Use the most inappropriate time for your comments, this way no one will be expecting it!
4. Mainly comment about what you don't like about the person but directly, and the key is showing something heinous which is supposed to be normal. That way people will know it's a joke and you don't mean it.
5. Also make it recurring, ie. Keep making jokes on the same topics so people get used to it and not get offended. And of course, timing is the key!
Caution: you should only comment on things a person did, not what a person is.
Eg, if a person tripped u can comment on it but if he's disabled, or fat or thin, dark or pale, that shouldn't be based on any of your jokes.
3. JAKE PERALTA
The excited class clown!
Show: Brooklyn 99
Humor: physical (that's what she said!)
Jake's humor is pretty physical, what I mean is, he makes us laugh by these huge gestures and actions. Getting into stuff without knowing it, by sheer enthusiasm, he's hoping on the ground like a child all the time.
This, I guess is the easiest 1 to portray, because physical humor is the surest way to make someone laugh, even the most articulate and well put sarcastic comments needs a reference, the simplest of cry needs your thinking and attention ( no wonder Joey didn't get most his jokes!) but physical humor, on the other hand, needs no brain( on the audience's part at least) to make you laugh!
Tips:
1. Let yourself free and get into loose character, the jokes should be free-flowing.
2. More than the jokes it's about the actions and gestures, your expressions, and how loud you take your pitch, experiment with yourself, make characters of your own. Play with them! This is supposed to goofy!
3. Don't worry if the jokes fail, people get awkward when they see such physicality in-jokes, allow yourself to get awkward and weird, make inappropriate comments, do things unexpected!
4. JIM HALPERT
Subtle social guy.
Show: the office
Humor: misinterpretation and pranks
Jim is the eye of the office he observes and notices everything thing in the office and is self-aware enough to give his precious looks to the camera.
This one the most subtle and free-flowing humor, you don't try to be funny here, these jokes come naturally to you!
Tips:
1. Very subtly comment on whatever you are into, this is more of a situational comedy than the break out laughter one.
2. Agree to whatever people are saying until they themselves understand how ridiculous they sound.
3. Sway the conversation in different directions except the one needed.
4. Playing harmless pranks on your friends and colleagues.
5. The key is to say absurd and ridiculous things seriously, so only people who know you can understand your joking!
Eg. Asking a stupid question in the classroom so seriously that the teacher starts explaining how you got it wrong or gets awkward.
5. JOHN DORIAN ( DR.JD)
I wish I was superman! That way I could show off my underwear.
Show: scrubs
Humor: Inceptive humor
This is a tough one to crack since it's not directly being funny but creating a narrative on which jokes place themselves, being a character you as the audience could make jokes on.
If observe this character you'll see he creates these scenarios in his head which are absurd, funny, inappropriate, and amazing! This one is putting your goofy dorky heart out and being honest to yourself, it's accepting how you know the right to do but not always do it. Being okay with however you are and making it fun.
Tips:
1. Building unimaginably absurd stories that are funny.
2. Creating narratives that everyone knows is ridiculous.
3. Being someone opposite to what you expected to be.
4. Being honest and fearless about your assumptions and stories because they may to ridiculous to others but are true to you.
For a better understanding of these types of humor, I encourage you to watch these shows. Find which one appeals to you and what you can bring in your arsenal.
Honorable mentions:
- Michael Scott( the office)
- Rajesh Kootrapali (big bang theory)
- Will Smith ( fresh prince of bel air)
- Rahul Gandhi
- Perry Cox( scrubs)
- Peter Griffin (family guy)
- Gina lenneti(b99)
If you have some other shows/ people or characters that influenced your sense of humor, please share in comments, and if you have any recommendations put it down.
Also, follow me on my social media handles, (I keep posting something funny often).
Chitavan character of amol paraskar in Tripling, it is Web series.
ReplyDeleteI like his character, he has no tension about future, didn't have any future plan but still he living is life freely, live in the present that what I learn from this, enjoy every moment don't think extra that harm you. Just go on road trips and enjoy all the moments. Must watch this Web series.
Hey loved your suggestion! Can you suggest more Indian comedies?
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