The Lie That Holds Comedians Back
Comedy Is Built, Not Given (Comedy Mindhacks #88)
I’ve heard some version of this statement more times than I can count: “Comedy can’t be learned; you either have it or you don’t.” That’s a lie! It’s a dumb, elitist statement. I’ve heard it at open mics, in YouTube videos, from newer comics who think they’re God’s gift to the mic, and from veterans who’ve been doing this so long they think people are “born this way.” Anyone can learn stand-up. People aren’t just born comedians. I get that stand-up comedy looks like magic from the outside. It looks like some people just walk on stage and it happens. But, honestly, that’s not what’s going on. But that’s the trick of it, to make it look easy and spontaneous.
Of course, some people are more quick-witted than others. And some people are more naturally comfortable on stage. Fine! All that helps. But comedy isn’t a genetic trait like eye color. Comedy is a craft. There’s both an art and science to it. It’s built on three things: 1) Seeing clearly; 2) Thinking carefully; and, 3) Communicating precisely. My view is that, if you can learn to observe the world, understand why something works or fails, and shape language in a way that creates surprise, you can get good at stand-up. In fact, you can get really good.
As I said, it starts with seeing clearly what’s going on around you, that is, paying attention. Every strong joke has its roots deep in recognition. You notice something then share it with the audience who laughs because something clicks. They think, “That’s exactly right!” even if they have never said it out loud. But to get that sort of response, you have to understand the world people are actually living in. You have to be aware of socio-cultural norms, taboos, trends, and the like. You have to be up to speed and up to date on the unspoken rules of relationships, work, family, and everything in between. What you don’t need? Some rare gift. You simply need to notice what everyone else is overlooking, what annoys you, what confuses you, and what people pretend is normal when it clearly isn’t.
Then, once you can see it, you need tools to shape it. This is where a lot of people get stuck because they assume tools make things less creative. Wrong! They make things sharper. Literary and rhetorical devices like exaggeration, callbacks, misdirection, and the rule of three are linguistic handles you can grab onto when you are building a joke. And the more of these you can familiarize yourself with, the better. The same goes for basic logic. Some of the best punchlines work because they sneak in a flawed assumption, a logical fallacy, that the audience buys for a second before realizing what just happened. It’s all about language and logic. Let me say that again: It’s all about language and logic.
That’s the same principle for writing a course lecture, a sermon, a TED talk, a song, a poem, a eulogy, or anything. Do the language and logic fit the context? Because…it’s all about language and logic. It all comes down to the way we frame ideas, the way we create and shift meaning, and the way we setup and break expectations. A college degree isn’t necessary for this. Heck, a high-school degree isn’t even necessary for this. (Though, I encourage the pursuit of both!) To succeed, a person just needs curiosity, a desire to constantly grow, and a drive to repeatedly hone their skills.
If all of that feels like a lot, here’s an easy way in: start with storytelling. Most good stand-up is well structured storytelling. A comedian sets something up with a story, builds tension, then shifts it in a way the audience did not expect. That shift is what leads to the surprise which leads to the laugh. Take something simple from your own life and shape it, add detail, then lead the audience in one direction. Then, at the last second, turn it. Try it out loud. Listen for where it works and where it drags then adjust. That’s the process.
Here’s what I have seen over and over again: People who think they are naturally funny sometimes stall out because they never learn how to build. And people who start quieter, more analytical, often improve more quickly because they’re willing to study and practice. Any craft, whether it’s comedy or something else, rewards those who show up, who write, who fail, who rewrite, and who come back again. So no, a person doesn’t have to be born funny to be a good comedian. But to be a good comedian, you do have to be willing to work. And if you’re even asking the question, “Can comedy be learned?” hey, that’s a good sign! That likely means you already have the most important piece: curiosity. And that’s where it all starts!
JOKE WRITING COURSE: By the way, if you have any interest at all in learning about your persona, how to write some jokes, or doing stand-up comedy, check out my online joke writing course, “The Joke Writer’s Lab,” HERE.
JOKE MEMORY COURSE: My companion course to “The Joke Writer’s Lab” is now live: “The Comedian’s Memory Lab.” Learn how to conceptualize, organize, and memorize your entire comedy set. This method works for 10 jokes or 100, a set that’s 3 minutes of 1 hour. You can get it HERE.