funny

Humor at Work: Stand-up Comedy at Corporate Training

By on November 11, 2011 in News

Cincinnati, OH – I attended a training last week and was surprised to find that one of the evening activities was to visit a comedy club for a social event. I was even more surprised to find out that the headlining comedian was none other than Rajiv Satyal, the Funny Indian and personal friend of mine.

Rajiv had a great set for the intimate crowd, until he decided to bring me up on stage to perform some material. I couldn’t resist the chanting of the crowd so I got on stage and performed a completely unprepared 3-minutes of old corporate material that went over surprisingly well considering I had no idea I was going to perform.

A big thanks to Rajiv for all of the laughs and for forcing me on stage. It was a great time. To learn more Rajiv and his corporate comedy ways, check out funnyindian.com. You can also check out our corporate entertainment offerings.

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How to Be Funny Book Review

By on February 15, 2011 in Book Reviews

This is a Book Review for How to Be Funny: The One and Only Practical Guide for Every Occasion, Situation, and Disaster (no kidding) by Jon Macks. You can also check out other book reviews on Humor That Works or see our recommendations in our Humor Resources.

Book Synopsis

An invaluable guide on how to “lighten up” from a distinguished pro who has provided laughs for JAY LENO, BILLY CRYSTAL, STEVE MARTIN, ROBIN WILLIAMS, BRAD GARRETT, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, AND MANY MORE.

Who hasn’t wished for the perfect withering comeback line, a clever tension-breaking quip, or a winning flirtatious remark? Being funny is hard work and not everyone is a natural. How to Be Funny is a witty guide that teaches readers precisely how to be funnier in everyday life. It’s a must-read for anyone who has to speak in public, be engaging and funny at work or at play, or who hopes to one day go out on a date.

My Thoughts

You can’t blame someone for being ambitious, but Jon Macks may have tried to do much. The book is titled How to Be Funny, but it misses the mark in the “how to” department, and it certainly doesn’t cover every occasion, situation and disaster (how could it, it has less than infinite pages).

It’s not all bad–Macks is definitely a witty guy and the book starts out very promising. The 13 “Rules” for being funny are a great starting point for any comedian (have a point of view, surprise them and sell the joke to name a few), as is the definition of the different types of “humor.”

The problem is that Macks doesn’t live up to the title. For a book that’s supposed to cover every situation, there are quite a few types of humor comedy missing (it’s clear from the context of the book that Macks makes the mistake of using humor and comedy as synonyms–this is incorrect, comedy is only one type of humor). Even putting aside my personal pet-peeve of incorrectly using “humor,” the book barely gets you past the initial stages of comedy.

The later part of the book does include some interesting sound bytes (“word bytes?”) from various comedians, but nothing that really grabs your attention. If you’re  looking for insights from professional comedians, Comic Insights by Franlyn Ajaye is a much better option.

My Favorite Part

The aforementioned 13 “Rules” (referred to as The Building Blocks of Funny) are great for setting the stage of being funny. Each one is relevant to comedy and Macks helps explain the context of each of the rules. Perhaps the best insight comes from the rule of Understanding the Hidden Truth: “Every great joke uncovers something. Funny people say out loud what the rest of the world is thinking.”

The Bottom-Line

The book fails to live up to it’s ambitious name and only starts the discussion on what it takes to “be funny.” I don’t fault Macks, what he attempts to do is very difficult, he just doesn’t set the right expectations about what he’s able to deliver.

Rating (out of 5): :-) :-) :-)

Buy it on Amazon: How to Be Funny: The One and Only Practical Guide for Every Occasion, Situation, and Disaster (no kidding)

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10 Great George Carlin Quotes

By on October 15, 2009 in Learn with Humor

George Carlin was one of the best comedians of our time.  In between his bits that made some people cringe at his use of language, he educated a world of people with insight and wisdom in a colorful way.  His “Modern Man” routine is the greatest bit on wordplay I’ve ever seen:

Here are 10 Great George Carlin Quotes to get inspired:

  1. “Just when I discovered the meaning of life, they changed it.”
  2. “Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster is a maniac?”
  3. “I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.”
  4. “‘One thing leads to another?’ Not always. Sometimes one thing leads to the same thing. Ask an addict.”
  5. “Property is theft. Nobody ‘owns’ anything. When you die, it all stays here.”
  6. “Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.”
  7. “Most people with low self-esteem have earned it.”
  8. “Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.”
  9. “Some people see things that are and ask, ‘Why?’ Some people dream of things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’ Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that.”
  10. “The status quo sucks.”

For even more great quotes, check out 101 Greatest George Carlin Quotes.

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10 Great Bill Cosby Quotes

By on August 31, 2009 in Learn with Humor

Bill Cosby is one of the great comedians of our time and has passed down some great wisdom over the years.  Any time I have to go to the dentist, I think of his legendary take on the experience:

Here are 10 Great Bill Cosby Quotes, the sit-down comic himself:

  1. “A word to the wise ain’t necessary – it’s the stupid ones that need the advice.”
  2. “Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.”
  3. “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
  4. “People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what’s bitter and move on.”
  5. “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
  6. “The essence of childhood, of course, is play, which my friends and I did endlessly on streets that we reluctantly shared with traffic.”
  7. “The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now.”
  8. “There is no labor a person does that is undignified; if they do it right.”
  9. “Civilization had too many rules for me, so I did my best to rewrite them.”
  10. “Immortality is a long shot, I admit. But somebody has to be first.”

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