"It's all in the 'delivery???'" (Telling the same

Post Reply New Topic

Header 1: Saying the same thing as someone else, but getting different results

In middle (and maybe high) school, I'd hear someone say something that turned out to be funny to whomever was listening.

Then later, I tried telling the same jokes and never got the same results. What was a "hit" coming from someone else was a "flop" coming from me!

If they have already heard it, they would've said so.

Several years later, I told a friend about this situation and asked him why it didn't work when I did it.

He said, "It's all in the delivery." I asked him to explain what he meant by "delivery." He said it's pretty hard to explain.

Header 2: Overhearing and wondering how he pulled THAT off

In a video store, I was scoping out a DVD when I heard a regular visitor (in a black jacket) tell an employee something quite insulting. (I don't remember what it is now and probably wouldn't share it anyway if I did.) Him saying that in the first place surprised me considerably. What surprised me even more was how the she maintained a happy attitude despite this. I asked him how that was and he gladly told me "It's all in the delivery. You see, you can get away with saying just about anything insulting as long as you smile the whole time."

That's one way to make your delivery good, but I know that I know for sure that there is more to it than just smiling while saying something. What else can anyone here tell us about the "delivery" and the other ways to perfect it?

Thanks in advance,

-ENG

Cadence, timing, and word-choice. These are all important aspects of joke-telling. If your cadence, rhythm of how you speak the words, sounds awkward, it is no good. Unless the joke calls for atypical cadence. Timing is everything. I'm sure you've heard that little gem, as well. If you can mimic word-for-word the joke as you heard it, this is good. Humour is pretty subjective. If that's the case, then why do so many people find the same thing funny? I don't know.

Telling jokes is definitely an art. Some develop this ability on their own, while others learn & observe how to be funny. Personally I love a good joke, but I wouldn't call myself a comedian.
In my experience, good jokes are spontaneous, organic, arising from the moment. I like it when people say fuinny things in response to a funny situation. If you can improv a funny saying, that is very good.


Notice how I didn't try to define "funny?"

also know your audience

_________________
Name: Yoshiyahu
Drive to Madness: Love..........and power!! !! !! !! !! !! !
Omni: Potent
Omni: Temp
Face of Madness: Myself

If someone said something insulting to me while smiling, it would be more insulting than if he were not smiling.