To all the young people out there...STAY IN SCHOOL!. =================================================== Jerry Aragon/Humor Doctor humordoctormd@yahoo.com Articles: (45+) http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Aragon |
So You Want To Be Funny, eh? I've been in the humor business for a very long time, and I'll share with you a few of the things I think are important for those who might want to get into comedy. Question: Can anybody learn to be funny? Answer: No! The first requirement in learning to be funny is the individual must be alive! Wallflowers, politicians, and nerds need not apply. Question: What is the single most important quality a person should have, if a person wants to get into comedy? Answer: Honesty! Be honest with yourself as to your abilities, capabilities, and limitations, or you're going to get stung! Question: What other qualities should a person have? Answer: High self-esteem and confidence. At some point in time, you are going to get embarrased; get egg on your face, and eat plenty of crow, so you must have the ability to get up, dust yourself off, and continue on your way. Question: What if I don't have high self-esteem or confidence? Answer: Do I look like 'Dear Abby' to you? Question: Is personality important? Answer: Starting out, I think having a good personality is crucial. You must be interesting. At this point, you don't have to be funny, but you must be interesting. Movies, articles, and websites must be interesting, to get and keep the readers and/or viewers. This is why you must be honest with yourself as you size yourself up. If you can't tell an interesting story, to keep someone's attention...go back to the womb! Question; Are comedians different from everyone else? Answer; Yes! We see the world differently from everyone else. That's because we're always looking for the funny things around us. And, that takes a lot of effort and work. For those who do not want to make that effort, they will never capture the funny things around them Question: What is another important aspect of getting into humor? Answer; Patience...a long time for the learning process. And, I try to excercise patience and get to know the people around me...their likes and dislikes before I start shooting my mouth off. This is important so I don't offend anyone and so I stay out of trouble. Question: What about style? Answer; All of us have our own fingerprints, and style is very important. Most importantly, don't ever copy anyone! There's only one Bob Hope; one Erma Bombeck; and one Bill Cosby. Develop your own style. And, if you can't develop your own style, you don't belong in this business. Question; How is the best way to start out in comedy? Answer: You should keep all your material short and memorize it all to start with. You can start out with a few simple memory exercises such as: memorize your name; your telephone number; your pets name; or where you keep your underware, etc. Then, you can go on to more advanced things such as memorizing the street where you live; the place where you work; the name of the grocery store down the street. I know this is tough and asking a lot, but just do your best! Later, you can memorize an entire sentence, and then a short paragraph...and WOW...you'll be on your way... good luck! Question: Can you give me an example of material I can start out with? Answer: Yes. Why don't you start out by showing everybody you know your paycheck! Or, maybe you can show everyone an old photo your proud mother took of you while you were potty training..these two things should get you plenty of laughs! Question: What are the important technical elements in comedy. Answer: Delivery and timing are crucial. Keep your material short so you can deliver it all smoothly. Timing is crucial...be careful what you say, where you say it, and who you say it to. Question: What is a no-no in comedy? Answer; The worst thing you can do is to use the same material over and over and over again! This gets old very quickly and people will get annoyed with it. That's one reason why comedians are always looking for new, fresh material. Question; Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall? Answer: Yes...practice; practice; practice! And, if you don't practice, you'll probably get your 15 minutes of fame in a pool hall. Question; Jerry, so you think you're a funny person? Answer; Does a porcupine cross his legs very carefully? Question; Do you have any other advice for me? Answer; Accomplished people, in any endeavor, did not get where they are over night. They have put in a lot of long hours, and are dedicated and comitted to their work. There's no such thing as "over night success." |
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To all the young people out there...STAY IN SCHOOL!. =================================================== Jerry Aragon/Humor Doctor humordoctormd@yahoo.com Articles: (45+) http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Aragon |
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