by jmcinnis | Sep 30, 2010 | A. Humor Writing, B. Research Techniques, D. Appropriate Humor, Funny Jokes, Workplace Humor
Sometimes the humor is not in researching the subject thoroughly, but rather in stepping back and looking at the big picture – their name. Companies name themselves and their products all sorts of whacky things, for all sorts of whacky reasons. Watch any commercial,...
by jmcinnis | Sep 11, 2010 | A. Humor Writing, D. Appropriate Humor, Funny Jokes, Workplace Humor
Jokes and joke writing are about taking things to the extreme. As I’ve said before, when you want to imply that someone is old, you don’t say 110 – because it’s plausible, you say 310 because it’s outrageous. So make sure in your joke writing that you’re taking things...
by jmcinnis | Sep 8, 2010 | A. Humor Writing, D. Appropriate Humor, Funny Jokes, Workplace Humor
Okay, I just talked about proving a premise, but another technique for fast humor is DISPROVING a premise. The easiest way to do that is to find a principal that we all typically agree on. This can be a phrase or a statement or whatever, and make it counter-intuitive....
by jmcinnis | Aug 27, 2010 | A. Humor Writing, B. Research Techniques, D. Appropriate Humor, Funny Jokes, G. Topical Jokes, Workplace Humor
Sure there’s timing of your jokes when you say ‘em, but the time I’m talking about is a little different. Yesterday I was at the new Aria hotel in Las Vegas. . .very cool, very high tech! When I walked into the room, music from the TV kicked on, the room lights lit...
by jmcinnis | Jul 27, 2010 | A. Humor Writing, C. Humor Delivery, D. Appropriate Humor, Funny Jokes, Workplace Humor
Okay, now part two of kicking off with a joke. As I mentioned, getting into the joke is sometimes the hardest part, so use one of these tactics to set yourself up right. 1. Address what they see. If you’ve got some outstanding feature/hairdo/etc. . .mention it off the...
by jmcinnis | Jul 12, 2010 | A. Humor Writing, D. Appropriate Humor, Funny Jokes, Workplace Humor
One of the big reasons that groups get together is to give out awards! If you’re speaking at the awards banquet (or even writing about the awards prior to the event) then you’ve got a great opportunity to include humor. Most award recipients enjoy jokes about the...
