How To Tell a Joke

Expand the description and view the text of the steps for this how-to video. Check out Howcast for other do-it-yourself videos from lodgerfilms and more videos in the Humor Techniques category. You can contribute too! Create your own DIY guide at www.howcast.com or produce your own Howcast spots with the Howcast Filmmakers Program at www.howcast.com Have you ever bombed telling a joke? Never fear—it takes skill, practice, and timing. Just follow these steps to have them rolling in the aisles. To complete this How-To you will need: Yourself A friend An audience A tape recorder Step 1: Choose topic Choose a joke about a topic you can relate to. Your audience doesn’t need to believe that you really got fired from your job yesterday, but if you’re only 12, it might be harder to imagine that you could have. Tip: Steer clear of played out topics. Does anyone ever need to hear another mother-in-law joke? Step 2: Determine your take Determine your take on the topic—is something silly, strange, or difficult? Sometimes this will be easy, as the joke will actually state your stance, as in, “Isn’t it strange how?” Whatever your stance, commit to it. It will drive your joke. Step 3: Examine structure of joke Examine the structure of your joke. The setup contains all of the information necessary to prepare for the laugh—but it shouldn’t be funny. The second part, or the punch line, surprises the audience by changing their perspective, which makes them laugh. Tip: Sometimes you’ll have …
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Tagged as: Joke, Tell