Definition: Comedy is anything that makes you laugh.
Forms and Genres:
Stand-up comedy
Talk shows
Films
Inside jokes with friends
Challenge: Few people attempt to create comedy themselves, realizing that making something funny is difficult.
The Difficulty in Creating Comedy
Lack of Originality: Initial attempts at comedy often feel unoriginal and uninteresting.
Learning Comedy: Merely learning the rules of comedy does not necessarily make one funny, similar to how memorizing numbers doesn’t make one good at math.
Process of Creating Comedy:
Start with a small idea, even a word.
Transform a boring sentence into an interesting one, then a funny one, then a punchline.
Continuously refine and regroup material.
The Goal of Comedy Writing
Starting Point: Transition from nothing to something funny.
Basic Joke Structure: Consists of a setup and a punchline.
Setup: Establishes a premise.
Punchline: Breaks audience expectations.
Example: Generating responses to "What’s the most complex thing you do in your kitchen?"
Various levels of expectation-breaking responses
Joke Delivery
Importance of Delivery: A joke’s success heavily depends on how it's delivered.
Setup and Delivery: Must flow naturally and not confuse the audience.
Example of Bad vs. Good Delivery:
Bad: Confusing premise with a lack of flow.
Good: Clear and engaging with proper pacing.
Commitment: Always commit to the joke; audience senses loss of confidence.
Examples from Famous Comedians
Louis CK: Uses complete silence effectively in delivery.
Norm Macdonald: Delivers "so bad they’re good" jokes with confidence.
Refining the Joke
Specificity: Increasing specificity can improve comedic writing.
Specific language enhances humor.
Risks offending the audience if not balanced well.
Rule of Thumb: No subject is off limits if the joke is funnier than offensive.
Cadence in Joke Telling
Cadence: The rhythm and flow of a joke are crucial.
Learning Cadence: Practice, reading, and listening improve cadence.
Example Exercise: Shortening complex feelings into punchy phrases.
Developing Comedy Skills
Beginning: Start with writing one funny line.
Growth: Gradually increase to writing more lines and connecting them.
Advanced Skills: Learning further skills as goals expand (e.g., Bo Burnham and The Simpsons).
Conclusion
Objective Nature: Unlike other arts, comedy cannot be faked.
Improvement vs. Giving Up: Comedy challenges individuals to improve rather than quit.
Final Thought: Comedy is likened to cancer in its harsh reality and necessity for improvement.