‘Humor’ Archive
Want to be Funnier? Robert Fripp & John Kinde Have a Lot in Common
Observational humorist John Kinde
Patricia Fripp using John Kinde humor techniques
Want to be Funnier? Robert Fripp & John Kinde Have a Lot in Common by Patricia Fripp
My brother Robert Fripp always tells his audiences that he started tone deaf with no sense of rhythm.
However, he learned, rehearsed, and had the discipline to become one of the greatest guitarists in the world.
My friend, Las Vegas show partner, and a comedy mentor John Kinde claims he also learned the skills that amaze so many of us. John is an observational humorist. A frequently asked question is “How do I get to be funny?” His newsletter HumorPower is one I look forward to receiving.
Continue reading ‘Want to be Funnier? Robert Fripp & John Kinde Have a Lot in Common’
Telling a Joke–The Dialogue From The Platform
Anytime you’re giving a speech, always remember it’s a conversation. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking we’re presenting a monologue. It’s easy to think of a speaker as the vehicle delivering a load of wisdom. In reality, every speech is a conversation. A two-way conversation with the audience.
It’s important to remember that this dialogue is not with the audience as a group, but rather a one-on-one conversation with each person. You’re speaking individually to each person in the audience. For example, you’re making eye contact with one person at a time. When you find your self mechanically spraying the audience with eye contact, you are actually NOT making eye contact with anyone. Continue reading ‘Telling a Joke–The Dialogue From The Platform’
Lights, Camera,… HUMOR! The Rule of Three
Fellow students of humor, stand up and make ‘em laugh! I say “fellow students” because through teaching others and making techniques and concepts graspable I, too, gain more clarity. I’m still on my own ever-changing path of humor mastery.
Many of you have heard me speak in person. One of the favorite things that I like to teach is the Rule of Three – with a humor twist. Some of you may be aware that in professional presentations a “list of three” is often used to illustrate examples. For instance, in my observations about happiness, I talk about the excuses we all make. We would be happier IF: “If I just had a little more money… If I just had a little more time… If the kids were just a little older.” Continue reading ‘Lights, Camera,… HUMOR! The Rule of Three’
Humor for Selling Products and for Selling Your Message
Twenty to thirty years ago, humor was commonly used to sell low-priced products. We remember Mr. Whipple squeezing the Charmin and Clara Peller asking “Where’s the beef?” Today, when you watch TV, you’re likely to see humor being used to sell automobiles. Over the years, advertisers have gained a greater appreciation of the value of humor for feeling good, building relationships and selling products. And so have speakers come to appreciate the more sophisticated value of humor for selling their message. Continue reading ‘Humor for Selling Products and for Selling Your Message’
The Call Back
Every year the World Championship contest is an amazing event. Lance, the 2005 World Champion, was wonderful! He connected with the audience and executed his speech perfectly. Lance’s message was simple and crystal clear. And a speech well worth studying!
My favorite line, however, came from one of the other contestants, Rowena Romero. During her interview she talked about how previous winners were all known for something. Rowena said, “David Brooks is known for his blue Jeans—Darren LaCroix is known for his fall on his face, I’ll be know for my stool.” (Rowena stood atop a footstool during her speech.) Continue reading ‘The Call Back’
When They Do Not Laugh—What Do You Do?
The eyes of your audience are fixed on you. You deliver your best new humor line. They stare at you in silence.
It has happened to all of us. It will happen again. What do you do?
The conventional wisdom from experienced professional speakers is valid. Pretend you were serious. Humor, properly delivered, should be a surprise. If you told them a joke was coming (telegraphed your punchline), you probably did it wrong. Delivered properly, since it was a surprise, they didn’t know it was supposed to be funny. So don’t let them know that YOU thought it was funny. The “look of expectation” is what gives you away. It’s that look on your face which begs for a laugh. Begging is not a gesture that connects you with your audience! Continue reading ‘When They Do Not Laugh—What Do You Do?’
A Humorist Adapts Fripp’s Presentation Principles
An article on public speaking and presentations by John Kinde and Patricia Fripp
As one of my humorist speaker friends John Kinde, well-known for his Humor Power newsletter says, “Great speaking skills give you the illusion of competence. The flip side: Poor speaking skills give you the illusion of incompetence! If your presentation skills are weak, you will probably appear less than competent even if you happen to be a master of the subject matter.”
Continue reading ‘A Humorist Adapts Fripp’s Presentation Principles’
Show Me the Funny!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 30 years of studying humor, it’s this. You CAN learn to be funny. Some people think you need to be born funny, the class clown. I’m a laid-back, serious, Norwegian from North Dakota and I’ve won humorous speech contests at the Toastmasters District level four times and three trophies at the Regional level representing the funniest of 10,000 people. If I can do it, you can do it. And if you don’t look funny or have a reputation for being funny…great! You’ll take advantage of the element of surprise, one of the basic elements that makes humor tick.
In this special report I’ll refer to some activities in Toastmasters Clubs that are relevant to both Toastmasters and non-Toastmasters. If you’re not a member, consider checking our a club in your local area. Visit the Toastmasters’ website: http://www.toastmasters.org Continue reading ‘Show Me the Funny!’
Less is More
As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
Brevity makes strong structure.
The punchline is the payoff. Traditional wisdom is that the shortest distance between the setup and the payoff is best. When a story has a long set up before getting to the joke, it’s said that the punchline is carrying a lot of baggage. Top comedians work hard on writing a tight setup because it’s the most effective way to structure a joke. Continue reading ‘Less is More’
Observational Humor from John Kinde: Fripp is Recycled!
John Kinde is on of my Las Vegas friends and humor mentors. He often entertains my speaking schools audiences. This is one of his recent posts on his Humor Power blog.
You can read some more of his advice on my website in humor articles.
If you’re mainly looking for a bunch of jokes, skip this article. However, if you’re interested in a deeper look at the principles and psychology of creating humor, read on.
What’s the difference between Observational Humor and Customized Humor? Continue reading ‘Observational Humor from John Kinde: Fripp is Recycled!’
