FUNNY JOKE POLITICSHow & how not to use humor in communications

Being funny can...

dethrone & deflate an opponent

allow you to say things you couldn’t with a straight face

puncture an argument

make messages much easier to pass along broadly

deflect criticism, show humanity

When does it work?

Rarely.

When does it not work?

Often.

Why?

Care too much; don’t want to make light

Comedy is bad at communicating new ideas

Focus is too specific; no entry point

Wrong messenger

Also: it’s really, really hard

How? Meet them half way

Need to find a shared premise: common ground

The more surprising, the funnier

Formulas for funny

Ridiculing character

Pushing argument to extreme

Translate to human speak: sociological or psychological

Connect to pop culture

Juxtapose Language A with Message B

Ridiculing character

Push argument extreme

Push argument extreme

Push argument extreme

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7bzdj9RlG4

Push argument extreme

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7X8u5IEEBc

Translate to human speak

Explain with pop culture

QuickTime™ and aMPEG-4 Video decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nqtL-P8kzo

Language A, Message B

Language A, Message B

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs

But, really, how?

Don’t go with first idea — brainstorm 10 more

Commit.

Context matters — find something to copy

Don’t underestimate the power of swearing, kittens, and sex

You don’t have to be funny

Best as a mindset, not a format

Just be interesting.

Good people

Andy Cobb — andrewtcobb@ca.rr.com

Lee Stranahan — lee@stranahan.com

Andrew Boyd — andrewontheroad@gmail.com

Robert Greenwald — Brave New Films