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  • Using Humor

    Humor is generally the interpretation of life and experiences in a way that can make people laugh. Humor, however, is a subjective thing. What’s funny to one person may or may not be funny to another.

    Humor can come about in two ways. First, something is humorous when our normal expectation of what should happen is somehow changed either in a subtle or dramatic way. This can be applied to life situations or simple language variations.

    Humor can also come about when a situation or conversation takes a sudden, unexpected turn or shift in perspective. Nearly anything can be the focus of this perspective especially people which can lead to humor through humiliation or a type of verbal abuse – but in a funny way. Don’t ask me why, but that’s what usually happens.

    Have you ever noticed how the set-ups to jokes usually contain three of something – i.e. a priest, a rabbi, and a lawyer? This also has to do with preconceived notions of expected outcomes being changed in and credible way. Here’s a good example:


    “A gardener, an architect, and a lawyer are discussing which of their vocations is the most ancient. The gardener comments, "My vocation goes back to the Garden of Eden, when God told Adam to tend the garden." The architect comments, "My vocation goes back to the creation, when God created the world itself from primordial chaos." They both look curiously at the lawyer, who asks, "And who do you think created the primordial chaos?"


    When the lawyer responds with his answer, it is made within the pattern established already in the joke, but it bends the expectation of what he’s going to say. Of course, there are so many of these types of jokes today, that people almost come to expect the lawyer is going to say something that will bash himself and people generally find that very funny.

    As with your introduction, we should caution you about the use of humor throughout your speech. Sure, people love to have a laugh – especially when hearing a speech, but you need to use it wisely in your speech. There’s a big difference between being witty and telling jokes. Unless you’re very experienced, you should avoid the joke telling and stick with a few well-placed witticisms.
    If you're not a naturally "funny" person you won't suddenly transform yourself into one just because you're standing up in front of a group of people. If anything that tends to make you less, not more funny. So whatever happens don't be persuaded to tell a few jokes if that's something you would never dream of doing informally at a social gathering.
    If you do feel comfortable telling jokes, then use them sparingly, as punctuation - unless you're to be "best man" at a wedding or the entertainment after a social dinner, wall-to-wall jokes are usually inappropriate.
    Jokes in a speech should always be tailored to the audience and material. Gag writing is a specialized writing technique and there are quite a few good books around on comedy writing, if you're interested in learning how to do it.
    If you're looking for jokes to adapt there are some good joke books available in bookstores and of course you can find them online via the usual big sites - try keying in +JOKES+(YOUR SUBJECT). If you key the same thing into a search engine you'll also come across jokes archived on websites devoted to the subject concerned.
    Something you need to be mindful of is copyright and legally you may not have the right to use a joke as it appears in a book or on a website, because when you give the speech that could constitute public broadcast. Circumstances vary from country to country. If you're at all concerned about the copyright implications of using jokes in your speeches you should ask your legal advisers for guidance.
    But all good things must come to an end. At this point, we believe you’ve got a good speech down on paper. Now let’s wrap it up!

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