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Team-Building Activity – Telephone Pictionary

By on July 6, 2011 in How-To Humor

What’s better than Pictionary? Telephone Pictionary that helps you get to know your team a little better.

Telephone Pictionary, a game that combines elements of the classic verbal exercise of Telephone with the fun drawing of the game Pictionary, is great for any size group, so long as they can be broken into smaller groups of 5-10 people each.

To play, give each person a sheet of paper for every person they have in a group (so if 8 people, each person gets 8 sheets of paper). Next, have them write down some type of phrase on the top sheet of paper and then pass their entire stack to the person on their left. That person will read the phrase, move that sheet to back of the stack, and draw a picture representing that phrase on the next sheet of paper. They’ll then pass it to the person on their left, who will then look at the drawing, move that sheet to the back of the stack, and then write a sentence that describes that picture. This repeats until the stacks make it all the way around the circle.

NOTE: Each person has a stack of paper to start, so everyone in the group is always doing the same thing, just on a different stack of paper.

For more detailed instructions you can share while doing the activity, check out the presentation below.

For more on team-building activities, check out our humor training programs.

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Stand-Up Comedy: The Book (Review)

By on May 10, 2011 in Book Reviews

This is a Book Review for Stand-Up Comedy: The Book by Judy Carter. You can also check out other book reviews on Humor That Works or see our recommendations in our Humor Resources.

Book Synopsis

All the world loves a clown and whether you want to clown around at parties or make a living as a standup comic, comedian Judy Carter can show you how to ‘do’ comedy.

My Thoughts

Judy Carter is also the author of The Comedy Bible, written in 2001, and though this book is older (1989) and I read it second, I still think it’s the better book. Much of the same praise from The Comedy Bible remains the same:

If you are brand new to stand-up comedy, you will learn some of the basic terminology like setup, punch, and callback. It’s also written as if it were a workshop, leaving the reader to do exercises and activities which encourages the best way to get better at comedy: by doing it.

However, what I like about this book better is that it’s more focused. The Comedy Bible tried to do too much–this focuses on building your first set as a stand-up comedian. It doesn’t claim to help you climb to the top in the business, nor is it diluted with a poor attempt at teaching you how to write sketch comedy: it’s written specifically for the person who wants to try stand-up for the first time, and to-date, is the best book that I’ve found for that.

There is one watchout with the book: comedy has evolved in the 20 years since the book was written and, though most of it holds up, some of the techniques are outdated–namely the idea that every thing you say has to be in the style of “setup/punch.” You’ll be OK  if you follow the tips in the book, just know that you won’t be on the bleeding edge of comedy.

My Favorite Part

I enjoy the journey the book takes you through as you start to develop a possible stand-up set. The reminders are also helpful: “Remember, comedy doesn’t kill. The trick to dealing with fear is to go on in spite of feeling afraid.”

The Bottom-Line

If you’re brand new to comedy and interested in trying stand-up (or are still in your first year), this book can help you get a jump-start on the process. It won’t make you an instant success and you’ll want to use your own sense of style to determine what’s right for you, but it is a good primer to the fun, yet challenging world of stand-up comedy.

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

Buy it on Amazon: Stand-Up Comedy: The Book

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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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The Comedy Bible Book Review

By on January 15, 2011 in Book Reviews

This is a Book Review for The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom–The Comedy Writer’s Ultimate “How To” Guide by Judy Carter. You can also check out other book reviews on Humor That Works or see our recommendations in our Humor Resources.

Book Synopsis

Do you think you’re funny? Do you want to turn your sense of humor into a career? If the answer is yes, then Judy Carter’s The Comedy Bible is for you. The guru to aspiring stand-up comics provides the complete scoop on being — and writing — funny for money.

My Thoughts

Pavarotti once said, “Learning music by reading about it is like making love by mail.” The same is true for comedy–the best way to get better at comedy (whether it be stand-up, sketch or other) is to get out there and do it. With that said, a book can help speed up the learning curve, so long as it’s the right one.

The Comedy Bible isn’t that book. Don’t get me wrong, Judy Carter does share some helpful information and the book will likely help the novice performer, it’s just not the first book (or second, or third, or …) I’d buy on the subject of comedy.

Not to be a Negative Nancy (apologies to any readers named Nancy), there are some pros of the book. If you are brand new to stand-up comedy, you will learn some of the basic terminology like setup, punch, and callback. It’s also written as if it were a workshop, leaving the reader to do exercises and activities which encourages the best way to get better at comedy: by doing it. Finally, it covers more than just writing comedy, giving a high-level view of the business and industry of comedy.

Now, to be a Negative Nancy (again, apologies), the book isn’t up to par with other books out there. Carter’s understanding of comedy seems misguided at some points (she suggests Bill Cosby tells jokes; far from it, he’s a storyteller who rarely has the traditional setups and punchlines of “jokes”). And for a book that includes Hack Attack Warnings, she presents a number of rules and ideas that would make someone a “hack.” To be fair, the book is from 2001 so it could be that in the last 10 years, comedy has evolved and the old “good” is the new “bad.”

My Favorite Part

To me, the most helpful tips come from the section headings of Funny Money. There’s nothing innovative about the tips, and they are pretty general, but they are the most helpful, including tips like: “Create a ton of material,” “Study other comics,” and “Highlight your persona.” 

The Bottom-Line

If you’re brand new to comedy, I’d skip this one until you’ve read something better. If you’ve already read a few books on stand-up and need some help writing material, skim the first part of the book and start in Part Two, forcing yourself to actually adhere to the timelines. If you are looking for more insight into the business side of things, jump straight into Part Three.

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

Buy it on Amazon: The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom–The Comedy Writer’s Ultimate “How To” Guide

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