HOW TO BE FUNNY Starting with yourself and your family
How can you be funny about your family? Easy-peasy.
I went on an Amused Moose stand up Comedy course. We were asked to talk about ourselves, as introduction to the group.
I said, "My husband and I have separate bedrooms. Mine is in London, his is in Singapore."
I had not intended that to be funny. But everybody found it funny.
You can see many stand up comedians talking about their nearest and dearest. Spouses. Children. Grandchildren.
List All the Members Of Your Family - And Pets
Mother
Father
Children
Grandchildren
Uncles and aunts
Cousins
Pets - dogs, cats, birds, fish, others
Successes
My impoverished, plain, lame aunt, the Cinderella of her sisters, had to work as a piano teacher. She married a wealthy widow whose son she taught.
Failures
Divorced
Died young
Married the wrong person
Lost all their money
Kept coming to you with sob stories
Contrast - eg only children and big families
You are an only child. Contrast with someone who has many brothers and sisters.
A neighbour.
An ancestor.
I was always embarrassed about being an only child, especially in countries like the Philippines where everybody has brothers and sisters. Then I went to Shanghai.
The tour guide, asked me, 'Do you have any brothers and sisters?'
I reluctantly confessed, "No. I'm an only child. I suppose you have lots of brothers and sisters?"
She greeted me like a lifelong friend.
"No. I'm the only one. So was every other girl in my class at school."
What are the advantages? Fewer Xmas presents.
What are the disadvantages? Fewer presents to buy.
Your Nationality
Have you ever tried to conceal it. Did that work?
Concealing Being American
My American friend, Peter, on holiday in Morocco, found he and his companion were being charge the American prices, which were double the British prices (in turn double the local prices. So he and his friend, who were studying in London, England, put on imitation British accents.
After shopping they went into a cafe and kept up the fake accents. Some British people at the next table overheard and got into conversation.
Later, Peter and his friend drove off. But their car broke down.
Fortunately the Brits passed and stopped. The family offered to take Peter and his friend back home for tea and phone a garage.
Peter and his friend had to keep up the fake accent for hours.
The car took two days to repair. During this time Peer and his friend had to keep up their accent and create whole fictional families in the UK.
At the end of the stay, the British family wanted to exchange addresses. Although Peter and his friend had addresses, it was in a temporary hall of residence. Peter finally confessed he was American.
The Brits laughed and laughed. They had spotted the phoney accents all along. Being British, they were too polite to comment. They were as relieved as Peter that the pretense was finally over.
I went on an Amused Moose stand up Comedy course. We were asked to talk about ourselves, as introduction to the group.
I said, "My husband and I have separate bedrooms. Mine is in London, his is in Singapore."
I had not intended that to be funny. But everybody found it funny.
You can see many stand up comedians talking about their nearest and dearest. Spouses. Children. Grandchildren.
List All the Members Of Your Family - And Pets
Mother
Father
Children
Grandchildren
Uncles and aunts
Cousins
Pets - dogs, cats, birds, fish, others
Successes
My impoverished, plain, lame aunt, the Cinderella of her sisters, had to work as a piano teacher. She married a wealthy widow whose son she taught.
Failures
Divorced
Died young
Married the wrong person
Lost all their money
Kept coming to you with sob stories
Contrast - eg only children and big families
You are an only child. Contrast with someone who has many brothers and sisters.
A neighbour.
An ancestor.
I was always embarrassed about being an only child, especially in countries like the Philippines where everybody has brothers and sisters. Then I went to Shanghai.
The tour guide, asked me, 'Do you have any brothers and sisters?'
I reluctantly confessed, "No. I'm an only child. I suppose you have lots of brothers and sisters?"
She greeted me like a lifelong friend.
"No. I'm the only one. So was every other girl in my class at school."
What are the advantages? Fewer Xmas presents.
What are the disadvantages? Fewer presents to buy.
Your Nationality
Have you ever tried to conceal it. Did that work?
Concealing Being American
My American friend, Peter, on holiday in Morocco, found he and his companion were being charge the American prices, which were double the British prices (in turn double the local prices. So he and his friend, who were studying in London, England, put on imitation British accents.
After shopping they went into a cafe and kept up the fake accents. Some British people at the next table overheard and got into conversation.
Later, Peter and his friend drove off. But their car broke down.
Fortunately the Brits passed and stopped. The family offered to take Peter and his friend back home for tea and phone a garage.
Peter and his friend had to keep up the fake accent for hours.
The car took two days to repair. During this time Peer and his friend had to keep up their accent and create whole fictional families in the UK.
At the end of the stay, the British family wanted to exchange addresses. Although Peter and his friend had addresses, it was in a temporary hall of residence. Peter finally confessed he was American.
The Brits laughed and laughed. They had spotted the phoney accents all along. Being British, they were too polite to comment. They were as relieved as Peter that the pretense was finally over.
Useful Websites
https://www.a-speakers.com/speakers/brad-ashton-keynote-speaker/
Brad Ashton's books on comedy:
“How to Write Comedy”,
“The funny Thing about Writing Comedy”,
“The Job of a Laughtime”, and
“Stand up and Be Laughed at”.
https://www.a-speakers.com/speakers/brad-ashton-keynote-speaker/
Brad Ashton's books on comedy:
“How to Write Comedy”,
“The funny Thing about Writing Comedy”,
“The Job of a Laughtime”, and
“Stand up and Be Laughed at”.
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author of 20 books, and a speaker and speech trainer.
Her books include:
Wedding Speeches & Toasts
Quick Quotations
Writing Poetry For Fun
Angela's Alarming Animal Poems
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author of 20 books, and a speaker and speech trainer.
Her books include:
Wedding Speeches & Toasts
Quick Quotations
Writing Poetry For Fun
Angela's Alarming Animal Poems
Comments
Post a Comment