Recently, I've noticed that most people aren't that funny. This is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it is bad when they keep trying and trying and failing continuously. In this how-to-article, I am going to explain to you how to be funny so that everyone will think you're awesome.
If you aren't very funny, you have two options.
Numero La De Uno: (Spanish for "Number One")
Stop trying to be funny. Laugh at other people's jokes and/or just be serious. Serious people can often times add a lot to a conversation. If everyone was funny, that would get old fast. Also, who would we funny people perform cruel ironies to?
Numerocios El Dose: (Spanish phrase meaning "Number Two")
Read the rest of this article and there's a chance you may actually be able to muster the humor to make people laugh. Even if it's at you.
Obviously, we are going to be covering Numerocios El Dose (again, this is Spanish for "Number Two" for all those uncultured out there). Let's begin.
1. Appearance
Believe it or not, appearance has a lot to do with how you look. If you're ugly or have something wrong with you, you're already on your way to making people laugh. Embrace these imperfections about yourself and don't be afraid to laugh at them or even make fun of them. Often, it doesn't matter if people are laughing with you or at you - as long as they're laughing!
2. Delivery
You can tell the funniest joke in the history of modern civilization, but if you don't know how to tell it, you're going to find that your audience either loses interest or are laughing out of politeness. Keep eye contact, use inflection, pretend to be confident, and don't give minute details that don't add to the hilarity of the joke or story you're telling.
3. Be Culturally Acceptable & Tactful
Different cultures have different views on humor. It's important to not offend anyone while making a joke. It's also important to show off your knowledge of their culture. Who knows, you may be able to teach them something new about themselves. For example, if you're hanging out with Hispanic people, be sure to speak some Spanish. It doesn't matter if you really know Spanish or not - what's important is the fact that you are giving them respect with your words and actions. Pretty much all you have to do is throw in some, "la", "el" "de" and add "ocios" and "o" to the end of random words. This will show them that you're not just some uncultured American moron, but someone who has visited other lands and is comfortable speaking in another language. People laugh when they are comfortable - so the first step in making a person of another culture laugh is to make them believe that you are similar to them in some way.
Often times, you will meet Asian people. They really like to laugh, even though they can't see when they do. A quick, harmless joke about their small, slit-like eyes can be a good way to break the ice. Just make sure they are comfortable enough with you before you do this. Just like with the Mexicans, Asians like it when you speak a little bit of their language. With Asians, be sure to add some "chong" and "h-ying" in the middle of some words. This works for pretty much all Asian cultures, as their speech is simply different dialects of the same root language.
4. Don't Laugh At Your Own Jokes
I know that you think you're probably one of the funniest people ever. This is a fine thing to think, as long as other people don't catch on right away. If you make a joke, do not laugh until at least someone else laughs first and even then, sometimes it's best to either slightly smile or just keep a totally straight, serious face.
If you can say something completely ridiculous and insane without cracking a smile while everyone else in the room is cackling at your hilarity, then you are doing well. This can also get fun if at least one of the people in the room do not understand that you are being humorous. They may think your a complete idiot, which can open up all sorts of doors for continual straight-faced mockery of them.
5. Be Weird
If you are a normal person with a normal job, a normal family, normal clothes, and a normal, boring life, people will rarely be intruged with you enough to laugh at you and/or your humor. What you need to do is establish a reputation of being a wacky character so people will be excited with anticipation of the humor you're bound to provide them. They'll key in on your every word and gesture and laugh at the slightest thing you do. Sometimes, you won't even have to be funny, and people will laugh at you. This is known as humor-dividends. (Like in the Stock Market)
6. Explain Why Your Jokes Are Funny
This can get tricky. Basically, you're mocking the people who seriously explain their jokes and attempting to make them funnier. Those who do not possess a sense of humor, will think you're a prentenious jerk for explaining your joke. When you find someone like this, make sure you continually explain why your jokes (or other's) are funny. Often, others present will find it hilarious, as the humorless one you are mocking thinks you are a complete imbacil.
7. Constantly Be Joking
In normal conversations, sneak in quick, subtle references to funny things, and just carry on with the conversation. I'm not sure if this can be learned. You have to be fast and not dwell on it. If the person (or group) you're talking to picks up on the small, subtle joke, take it from there. If not, don't worry about it and just continue with the conversation and be sure that another opportunity will soon present itself.
Fallback:
If all of this is just way too complicated, over your head, or you're just too lazy to try it, simply use some of the following situational humor. If a joke is funny once, it stands to reason that it will be funny twenty more times. Simply recycle and re-use these jokes as you see fit. Enjoy!
| Situation | Jokes |
|---|---|
| Somebody is very tall. |
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| Somebody is very short. |
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| Somebody stumbles. |
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| Somebody burps. |
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| Somebody hurts himself. |
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| Somebody says something untrue. |
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| Somebody says, "You can say that again." |
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