How Stand-Up Comics Sell You Jokes

There are many valuable lessons about effective copy in the rhythm and timing of comedy.

There’s also great lessons in the art of joke writing.

Styles vary greatly among comedians… not much similarity in the styles of Bill Cosby and Chris Rock, but they’re both brilliant.

(Personal opinion alert: if you’re too offended by language to see the magic in “art with an edge” then you are suffocating your own potential.)

However, this topic is about much more than rhythm and flow… here’s the REAL value in the comparison: Persuasion.

Not NLP Dr. Spock mind-melding shiznit or PUA nonsense…

… just good ol’ fashioned: premise, set up, punchline.

If you’re searching for the hidden formula in stand-up comedy, there it is. It’s a condensed version of the classic essay format you’ll find in the first paragraph of any decent op/ed piece in your Sunday paper.

It goes like this:

1) Begins with a topic sentence that introduces a general theme.
2) Follows the topic sentence with sentences that narrow the focus of the theme.
3) Narrows the discussion of the topic by identifying an issue or problem.
4) Finishes by making a debatable claim a thesis statement.

Of course, the best comics stretch that theme beyond recognition to create a style all their own.

YouTube some of Carlin’s stuff. He starts out with a premise, makes his case, then “tags” the joke relentlessly until it’s played out.

Then watch Cosby take the same formula and stretch every detail in the opening statement — stopping to meticulously examine micro-scenarios before finally closing it up with a final “statement.”

Same formula, wildly different styles. And the key to success in each case is that moment where you mutter breathlessly between laughs: “It’s so true!”

This is an endless topic. I’d love to know who your favorite comics are, and how they might inspire your marketing.

Speak up and be heard in the comments section.

Kevin