There’s a few origin stories of the ‘why did the chicken cross the road?’ joke. The lighter theory is that it it is an anti-joke – one that intentionally falls flat. The darker theory, is that the joke is a reference to suicide, as in ‘death by automobile’. The ‘other side’ referring to the afterlife: Heaven. Nivana. Or Hell, if …
How scripted is stand-up comedy?
In a nutshell, stand-up comedy is as scripted as a movie. Which is probably why so many stand-up comedians have migrated into TV and movie roles. Just take Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Australia’s own Eric Bana. All performed on stage before they moved to screen. And the similarity between stand-up and movies doesn’t end there. Academy Awards go to those …
Are the best keynote speakers funny?
What do Tim Urban, Sir Ken Robinson and Amy Cuddy all have in common. First, they are the most watched presenters on TED, having each been watched by over 60 million! And second, they all include humour in their presentations. And since close to 50,000 talks have been given at 10,000 events since TED launched in 2009, it’s fair to …
Online Stand-up Comedy Courses
If you’ve ever wanted to learn stand-up comedy, but don’t have the time to hit the late night open mic nights, or undertake a stand-up comedy course, then an online course might be for you. Here’s a comprehensive list of online stand-up comedy courses to choose from: Hard Knock Knocks Online Course Price: AU$199.95 | Learn more If you don’t …
Comedian Focus: Jeff Green
How well do you know comedian Jeff Green? Well did you know that for the 1994 Perrier Awards, one of the highest achievements in comedy, Jeff was narrowly pipped at the post by Aussies Lano & Woodley? This only spurred him on. In 1996 Jeff appeared on his own stand-up show Jeff Green Live, recorded London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, and consequently shown …
What’s the pros and cons of taking a first date to stand-up comedy?
Your’ve got that first date. Woo-hoo! That’s the first hurdle. Now the second hurdle is to ensure this first date isn’t a disaster. So what to do? Where to take them? How to spend the evening? How about taking a first date to stand-up comedy?! Think about it! You’re shoulder to shoulder, knees touching, and you don’t have to say …
Do you have to be born funny to be a stand-up comedian?
A misconception is that you have to be born funny to be a stand-up comedian. Certainly you have a sense of humour, just like you need a sense of smell to be a chef, or sense of tone to be a musician, but you don’t have to be the centre of attention or the class clown to be a stand-up …
What’s the funniest pun?
“Why should you take an extra pair of socks when you go golfing?” “In case they get a hole in one!” A pun can lighten the moment. But used too often, you can become annoying. Mind you, that hasn’t stopped an endless supply of books being written on the subject. Often referred to as ‘dad jokes’, puns are so engrained …
How important is it to add humour to my presentation?
In Australia, we love a good laugh. We’re known for our dry wit and our ability to find the funny side of even the most difficult situations. So it’s no surprise that humour is often used in our presentations. A presentation with humour can help to break the ice and make the audience feel more relaxed and increase attention, which …