how to be funny: the science behind comedy

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doverhog: May 31, 2013; Defender of democracy and human rights 🇺🇦

doverhog posted:

When you do comedy, you should aim to be making fun of yourself, before god. That's the basis of my posting.

PS. god does not exist

# ? Feb 12, 2019 16:11

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 14:42

Dilkington: Aug 6, 2010; "Al mio amore Dilkington, Gennaro"

timing

jimmyjams posted:

what is comedy

# ? Feb 12, 2019 16:51

Kharohz: Jul 25, 2007; THE BELL TOLLS FOR THEE

Fruity20 posted:

i've been here for quite awhile now and....I can't seem to engage with the topics on here. When I add a post, it doesn't seem to be funny. heck, I don't even know half of the Similes here. For any of you goons out there, how do you do comedy? does it just happen or is there a science behind it?

Lurk longer

# ? Feb 12, 2019 16:52

Bloodfart McCoy: Jul 20, 2007; That's a high quality avatar right there.

OP, write a drat sketch and test out what you�ve learned.

# ? Feb 12, 2019 17:43

tensac: Jun 9, 2011; is it anything?

Flail your arms around maniacally whilst bumping into things and make sure you smash as much glass as possible, slip and fall and poo poo yourself then slip in your poo poo. Make sure you get as much poo poo on yourself as possible. Smear poo poo all over everything as you topple furniture and set fire to your shoes. Grab a cat and poo poo on it. Try to get some poo poo into it's mouth. Fumble with a turd but keep dropping it and as you bend to pick it back up fall and rinse and repeat. This is called Slapstick. Good luck in your endevour.

# ? Feb 12, 2019 18:28

Fruity20: Jul 28, 2018; Do you believe in magic, Tenno?

protomexican posted:

According to YouTube comments, start by not being a woman.

i'm a girl....so that means i'm unfunny? :thunk:

# ? Feb 12, 2019 18:37

vyst: Aug 25, 2009

Good comedy just hits you right in the face

# ? Feb 12, 2019 18:38

Bloodfart McCoy: Jul 20, 2007; That's a high quality avatar right there.

tensac posted:

Flail your arms around maniacally whilst bumping into things and make sure you smash as much glass as possible, slip and fall and poo poo yourself then slip in your poo poo. Make sure you get as much poo poo on yourself as possible. Smear poo poo all over everything as you topple furniture and set fire to your shoes. Grab a cat and poo poo on it. Try to get some poo poo into it's mouth. Fumble with a turd but keep dropping it and as you bend to pick it back up fall and rinse and repeat. This is called Slapstick. Good luck in your endevour.

The Aristocrats!

# ? Feb 12, 2019 18:42

Stefan Prodan: Jan 7, 2002; I deeply respect you as a human being... Some day I'm gonna make you *Mrs* Buck Turgidson!; Grimey Drawer

its easy op you just combine a cuss word with a random noun like "gently caress knob"

see now thats funny

# ? Feb 12, 2019 18:54

kalel: Jun 19, 2012

Stefan Prodan posted:

its easy op you just combine a cuss word with a random noun like "gently caress knob"

see now thats funny

this but unironically

dick manger

# ? Feb 12, 2019 19:06

Icochet: Mar 18, 2008; I have a very small TV. Don't make fun of it! Please don't shame it like that~; Grimey Drawer

If you belong to any minority you're allowed to mock that minority. I have a slight limp so I do a routine about disabled people. I do the "DUURRR DURRR" voice and people howl with laughter and give me huge bags of money.

# ? Feb 12, 2019 19:39

Mozi: Apr 4, 2004; Forms change so fast
Time is moving past
Memory is smoke
Gonna get wider when I die; Nap Ghost

vyst posted:

Good comedy just hits you right in the face

as a bong-hit transplant recipient i find this characterization demeaning and unfair

# ? Feb 12, 2019 19:52

Sorryformybadjokes: Apr 21, 2004; I identify as a simian who pronounces the 'silent' letters in words.; Fallen Rib

the funniest thing I ever did was trick my closest male friends into looking at my dick through a high powered snipers optic

# ? Feb 12, 2019 20:50

dsf: Jul 1, 2004

BloodRed posted:

the funniest thing I ever did was trick my closest male friends into looking at my dick through a high powered snipers optic

lol if you have to trick your male friends into looking at your dick.

me and my friends are constantly showing our dicks to each other and trading hot dick tips and secrets.

# ? Feb 12, 2019 23:09

tensac: Jun 9, 2011; is it anything?

Bloodfart McCoy posted:

The Aristocrats!

Mr. Plinkett. Aristocrats is more of a ribaldry.

# ? Feb 13, 2019 03:01

Smythe: Oct 12, 2003

numberoneposter posted:

The last thing you see before you die. Ytmnd.com bro. Epic

# ? Feb 13, 2019 03:20

Winifred Madgers: Feb 12, 2002

gleebster posted:

Words with a K in them are funny. Try posting nothing but the word Kikkoman until you get the hang of it.

bukkake

hey it works!

# ? Feb 13, 2019 06:17

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

I landed a book deal, late last year, where I take simple jokewriting formulas and show teachers how to use them to increase student learning retention.

There are simple formulas (which goons use instinctively) to create a joke. For instance, this:

Dilkington posted:

timing

jimmyjams posted:

What is comedy

Is a great example of a 180. Dilkington gives some solid advice, timing is the key to comedy. Then goes the completely opposite direction by messing up their own timing. These things are innate to a lot of GBS goons but other people haven't learned it.

It works: I've built a career on writing comedy, even though I'm really not that funny (see my post history). But formulae like these have helped me build a comedy writing career. There is science to comedy

# ? Feb 13, 2019 07:04

gary oldmans diary: Sep 26, 2005

post a baffling carlton

https://i.imgur.com/zOblm1r.mp4

seriously what the hell carlton

# ? Feb 13, 2019 08:15

Comfy Fleece Sweater: Apr 2, 2013; You see, but you do not observe.

dsf posted:

lol if you have to trick your male friends into looking at your dick.

me and my friends are constantly showing our dicks to each other and trading hot dick tips and secrets.

Haha same

Just a lot of sucking dicks, as a prank

Waking up and there�s Bob, sucking my dick and I�m all like awww duuuuude you got me lol

# ? Feb 13, 2019 08:17

Blurry Gray Thing: Jun 3, 2009

Subvert people's expectations. They expect one thing, you give them something else and then they laugh because the absurd is funny.

See: all of my posts on this, a comedy website.

# ? Feb 13, 2019 08:21

jimmyjams: Jan 10, 2001; King Kong of Megadongs
Gobblin' them mega schlongs
Makin' sure they mega long
Stroke' 'em if they mega strong

Blurry Gray Thing posted:

Subvert people's expectations. They expect one thing, you give them something else and then they laugh because the absurd is funny.

See: all of my posts on this, a comedy website.

what is a comedy website

# ? Feb 13, 2019 08:37

Comfy Fleece Sweater: Apr 2, 2013; You see, but you do not observe.

jimmyjams posted:

what is a comedy website

An online web zone that is run so badly, it becomes hilarious

# ? Feb 13, 2019 09:29

Nut to Butt: Apr 13, 2009; by FactsAreUseless

jimmyjams posted:

what is a comedy website

it's like a hip hop operating system

# ? Feb 13, 2019 09:56

SweetMercifulCrap!: Jan 28, 2012; Lipstick Apathy

Blurry Gray Thing posted:

Subvert people's expectations. They expect one thing, you give them something else and then they laugh because the absurd is funny.

See: all of my posts on this, a comedy website.

This and timing are two of the biggest keys to being funny in person. But you can't just be lolrandom, you have to have some wit and creativity too. I suck at being funny on the forums but I'm moderately funny IRL and I think I owe much of that to growing up with classic Simpsons and MST3K.

# ? Feb 13, 2019 10:00