Critical Humor_ The Best Way Don't Hurt Someone

Most of us will attack defensively only to be told that we were overreacting. Then we wonder if we were mistaken. After all, the person had a smile on his face and even laughed. But you still felt like he attacked you so you had to fight back somehow.

When preparing humorous material, it is worthwhile to take a step back and review the structure of a well-told joke or story. There are four basic components to effective humor: the introduction, the groundwork, the build-up and the punch line. Similar to introducing a topic at the beginning of a speech, the introduction to a joke or story grabs the audience's attention and prepares them for what is to follow. You want them to be listening attentively and expectantly before diving into your humorous material. Try to make your introduction succinct.

When you know you've got their attention, transition into laying your humor's groundwork. This involves setting the scene, painting the picture and unrolling the storyline that will ultimately lead up to the punch line. In this phase, try to draw your audience in to the situation as much as possible. Make it as vivid and descriptive as possible so they can readily place themselves in the scenario you are depicting. Be careful that you don't spend too much time on the groundwork or rush to the next stage. Even if you've told this joke/story a hundred times before, keep in mind that it's the first time this audience is hearing it. Pace yourself so the humor will be effective and produce the desired results.

As the plot progresses and you build up to your story's climax, you transition again. At this point, you want your audience to be intensely interested in what is going to happen. A sense of tension has to exist before the resolution. Utilize the element of drama to evoke as much anticipation as possible. Finally, give your audience the punch line. Most effective punch lines contain some element of surprise. There has to be some kind of twist to your joke's conclusion so you keep your audience guessing. Nothing diffuses the impact of a joke more than if people know all along what the punch line is going to be. Make the punch line short and to the point. Your efforts will fizzle if your audience has to sit there and try to figure it out.

Humans are the only species that laughs because we are the only animals whose minds can rise above the here and now, the real and the practical.
In saying that humor requires a playful, emotionally disengaged attitude, I do not mean that it does not apply to serious issues, nor that it does not accomplish anything. As we will see, humor can apply to the most serious issues and can accomplish a great deal.

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

Find critical humor and more useful information about humor archive on general directory .

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated