How to make someone laugh

The funniest things can come from the most tragic events. In fact, that is the funniest funny, when you take a very depressing situation, and see the comedy in it.

If you want to make someone laugh, read this Snapguide:

You have to be aware of the CULTURE of your audience. What is funny in one culture might be offensive in another. But sometimes you might find a moment when you can get away with some things.

Talk about things that are COMMON KNOWLEDGE. Common knowledge is relative. If you are speaking to politicians, some things are not common knowledge to them, like....

Use slang where it fits. It will add some comedy to your words. Using too much slang will just make you sound ignorant.

Describe things in a way that gives your audience a mental picture of what you are talking about. They can better relate to something if they understand or see the situation better.

Be brief! Don't over describe.

EXAGGERATE! Exaggeration is what really makes a dull moment funny. This is how you go from a chuckle to a burst of laughter.

I joke about how poor my brother and I were in our apartment. We couldn't eat because we could only afford half of everything.

We had cereal but no milk. We had eggs but no yolk. We had Ramen but no noodles.

I used to joke about the clothes our mom had us wear to church. We had these white, hot cotton shirts that I called SHEEP BACK. Payless shoes with two braids in the front. Belt with split ends...

Pants were so high the belt was strapped around our chest. Had to breathe through our eyes 'cause the smell of church perfume stopped up our nose and mouth.

Had those black socks I called Michael Jackson socks, 'cause you could moon walk on the kitchen floor they were so slippery. Had a dollar store bow tie.

Bow tie so tight couldn't even get puberty voice because it was choking our Adam's apple

See? I gave visuals then I exaggerated them. I also used ('cause) in place of (because). This use of slang might only be funny to a certain culture however.

I was brief in my descriptions. I didn't monologue. And while starving is not generally funny, I found the comedy in it. For people who can relate, it will be funnier. Like college students. haha.

AVOID CLICHE! Don't finish your lines with stuff people expect to hear. And you don't have to curse or be insulting to be funny.

The more you learn to simply observe things and find the comedy in them, the funnier you will be.

I once tasted some food that was nasty. Instead of saying it tastes nasty, or that it tastes like crap. I said it tasted like dog. (I don't eat dogs, but I assume they don't taste good.)

Again... check your culture.

Ciao!

Extras:

Buster Keaton, a silent film actor, used exaggeration of motion to add comedy to his films.