“Unmasking the Comedy Crisis: How One Clumsy Mistake Can Ruin Your Storytelling Success!”
Have you ever wondered why some of the most profound messages in history come wrapped in the simplest packages? Picture this: Jesus, not in a solemn debate, but cracking jokes like Bill Burr at an open mic night! “What’s with this crowd not bringing their own snacks?” he might quip, blending humor with wisdom. Yet, there’s a reason why comedic approaches are scarce in sacred spaces. In today’s world of storytelling, there’s a growing tension between comedic bits and narrative depth, often leaving audiences craving more than just punchlines. This article dives deep into that very disconnect, illuminating a landscape where the art of storytelling is often overshadowed by the quick wit of stand-up comedy. Are we missing the greater truths in exchange for a brief laugh? Let’s explore this nuanced conversation together. LEARN MORE.
There’s a reason Jesus didn’t perform with his improv group during the Sermon on the Mount
Imagine Jesus as Bill Burr —
Red hair cut all buzzed close to his balding head, that Boston warble accent, “What’s with this crowd not bringing their own snacks? This is how it is in this country, they expect YOU to feed them!”
It’d be funnier, but you wouldn’t keep it in your pocket the way you do a parable.
In 2023, I asked hundreds of storytellers and creators, “What are your biggest storytelling pet peeves?” One response came up repeatedly:
“Comedians coming to storytelling shows and just doing 5-minute stand-up sets. It’s just joke-joke-joke. There’s no meat on the bone.”
This disconnect isn’t just frustrating for audiences, it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about what makes stories powerful.
Breaking jokes down into their parts allows you to reconstruct them later
Jokes and stories are different creatures with different purposes. Even a funny story, which might have rolling belly laughs throughout, isn’t a comedy bit. This is because the goal and structure of stories differ fundamentally from stand-up sets.
A joke has a simple structure: a premise or setup, followed by a payoff.
Twitter offers perfect examples of this formula:
Breaking this joke down into its components:
- Premise: Love bombing wouldn’t work on me.
- Payoff: I would just be like thank you, this is exactly the appropriate amount of love.
- Tag: Ramp it up, actually.
Jokes typically work by setting expectations and then subverting them. The premise functions as a hook, priming you to ask, “Why wouldn’t it work?” The obvious answer might be, “She can see right through it.” That answer gets subverted…
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