As is often the case, I’ve been thinking a lot about comedic persona lately. I know, if you’ve spent any time reading what I write, you’ll find that shocking. I’m super interested in it and it’s something I take seriously. It’s also something I think more comedians should take seriously, because if you don’t know who you are on stage, your audience won’t either. You might make them laugh a few times, but you won’t leave a mark. And if you’re doing all this work just to be forgettable, congrats!, you’ve just reinvented middle school.
One thing that’s got me thinking about this is John Vorhaus’s book Creativity Rules. In it, he talks about character development using a strategy he calls “filters.” Basically, to build a compelling character, you choose three words that define the character. It goes like this: Filter 1 + Filter 2 + Filter 3 = Character. These three filters become three lenses through which everything your character says and does gets interpreted.
I read that and immediately thought, Ah yeah, that also sounds like a way you could develop a comedic persona. Because whether you’re acting, writing, or standing on a sticky stage at a brewery in the middle of Kentucky, the question is the same: Who are you? And why are you like this?
So, I started playing with the formula. For me, it’s probably something like: 1) The (Too) Unfiltered Friend + 2) The (Too) Unaware Intellectual + 3) The (Too) Unfazed Troublemaker. Put those together and you get a guy who’s a little too honest, a little too convinced he’s right, and a little too calm for opening his big mouth when he shouldn’t have. That’s one way to consider my character. At the same time, that’s also actually me. Of course, that’s slightly exaggerated. But not by much. The best personas, I think, are always grounded in truth. They’re the real you, the you that’s funny around your friends. The you that has your guard down.
Once you have your three filters, you add in the big stuff: 1) Controlling Idea; 2) Primary Orientation; and, 3) Fundamental Question. For instance, the controlling idea is the thing your character/persona wants or believes. Mine might be: “If we could just be honest about how messed up we all are, we’d be fine.” The primary orientation is your character’s/persona’s main identity. For me, that’s probably “Christian,” “dad,” or “teacher/intellectual.” I walk into most rooms trying to explain things, make people feel better, or make them laugh until they rethink their life choices. And then there’s the fundamental question. This is the wound that never fully closes. It’s the question your whole persona dances around. For me: “Will anyone actually listen to me if I’m not fixing something?”
When you combine all of this, you don’t just have a “bit.” You have a person(a). And that’s what comedy really is. You’re not just telling jokes. You’re sharing your unique vantage point, your unique perspective. You’re revealing a version of yourself that, at one and the same time, is super unique but people can recognize. You’re handing the audience a lens and saying, “Here, take a look at this. This is how I see the world.”
This is why I try to write from life experiences, even if they’re embellished. My best material is the stuff I’ve already lived through am already dealing with or wearing. Moving beyond myself, if this is something you might be interested in, you just have to figure out which three filters are running your operating system, and then run every joke through that. Who knows, suddenly, a story about your kid refusing to wear socks becomes a deeply layered exploration of your control issues, your fragile masculinity, and your unresolved need to be respected.
So, try to find your filters. Get honest with yourself and build your persona like it’s a weird Lego set of your psyche. And remember: It’s not about being “funny enough.” It’s about being recognizably you. Because the best laughs come from the places we’re most afraid to show, places of deep emotional connection and truth. And if that fails, I don’t know, maybe just do a fart joke. But only if it fits your filters.