Although it varies from person to person, it’s most often what the speaker says, more than what he or she does, that triggers the joke.  Most jokes depend on the content, the words, to establish the humorous connection that results in laughter.  But occasionally, it’s the physical action or delivery that makes the joke funny.

At a recent club meeting, we presented our regular Observational Humor segment at the end of the meeting.  Every member is given the opportunity to share their humorous observations.

Here are some things that happened during the meeting which set-up some of the funny lines:

1.  Ryan evaluated a speech and suggested that the speaker, when pointing at someone, not use his finger but rather point with his entire hand, palm up.  He suggested that pointing with the index finger might be interpreted as rude.

2.  At the end of the meeting, we opened the floor to Observational Humor comments.  Ryan, one of our consistently funny members, presented several excellent Observational Humor Lines. 

When it came time for my monologue, I opened with:  “Ryan…Great Observational Humor!”  And I pointed at him with my index finger.  It got a very small reaction.  Not counting the possibility that the joke just wasn’t funny…what happened?

1.  Was the audience so focused on what I was SAYING that they were not paying any attention to what I was DOING?  It’s normal for an audience to focus on the meaning of the words and to make interpretations and connections.  In the process of doing that, it’s not surprising that they might miss a nuance in the physical presentation.

2.  Was the audience confused because it looked like I was singling out Ryan for excellent Observational Humor and not others who also presented good lines?  Confusion is normally not a good trigger for humor.  It draws people away from what was supposed to trigger the laughs.

3.  Was the audience wondering why I was recognizing Ryan for excellent Observational Humor lines, when that’s what he consistently does anyway?  Again, the confusion factor comes into play.

I made the immediate judgment that the pointing was a good humor trigger and that the audience just didn’t notice the gesture. 

So after a beat or two with little laughter, without saying a word, I pointed again in a very exaggerated gesture.  Big laugh.  I had faith in the joke and gave it a second chance.  I gave it the time needed to be recognized and processed by the audience.  And it worked.

Keep in mind, the success of a humor line may sometimes depend on your physical delivery moreso than the content or the words.

1.  This might require that you stop talking to allow the audience to focus on the physical.  It might be pointing.  It could be a flirty glance at someone.  Or it could be a nervous smile.  The physical element could be one of a thousand things.  The presentation might demand a pause in the talking for the visual to register.  By repeating the gesture without talking, I gave it that chance. 

And the audience realized, “Oh, I get it.  He’s pointing.”  They were then able to make the connection with, “Ryan said not to point.”

2.  The more physical and high-energy the speaker is, the more the elements of physical delivery take center stage.  The style of the speaker affects the need to focus on the content versus the physical.  My humor is largely content dependent and I sometimes have to take special effort to draw attention to the physical.  It’s an opposite consideration for a very physical-style speaker.  Are you a content or a physical speaker?  Your strength takes care of itself.  Your weakness needs the attention.

3.  The physical element of the joke can be accentuated by enlarging the delivery, making it bigger.  Or you could draw attention to it by isolation, delivering the gesture in a window of silence.

Through experience, you’ll develop an awareness of all aspects of presentation and automatically develop the proper balance in your presentation to make your humor work.

New Joke Contests are announced at the start of the month (alternating months).

New Cartoon Caption Contests are announced at the start of the month (alternating months).  The next caption contest is March 1, 2012.

Your humor challenge is to compare Being Single with other things; objects, activities, institutions, etc.  Here are some examples:

Being single is like bath water.  It’s not enjoyable when it’s not so hot.

Being single is like playing basketball.  You’ll impress no one if you dribble on your foot.

Being single is like the stock market.  It has its ups and downs.

Write as many humor lines as you can.  Then select your best lines and submit them.  If you submit more than three, the extra lines will be eligible for honorable mention.  Only your first three will be judged by our panel of judges for first, second and third place.  Select and submit your best entries, and your city/state/country, by February 15, 2012, to HumorPowerTips@HumorPower.com

THE SET-UP (What happened and what was said during the meeting before the monologue was presented.)

1.  Scott suggested that Dana was looking for someone to dance with.

2.  Dana gave a humorous speech about kissing.

3.  The emcee for the evening introduced “Nancy Grace” as a theme for the meeting.  He referred to her Wardrobe Malfunction on Dancing With The Stars.

4.  The word of the evening was STRIDENT.

5.  A guest said that he came to Toastmasters to work on his social skills.

6.  A guest said he came to Toastmasters because his boss encouraged him to come.

7.  In his kissing speech, Dana said that when you kiss a woman you want to make the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

8.  A speaker talked about getting rid of bees.  He said that after the bees are gone, the honey which remains in the walls of a house can cause over $10,000 damage.

9.  Talking about ladder safety, a speaker described ladder mittens which are used to prevent damage to the walls.

10.  A speaker talked about restaurant inspections and mentioned a restaurant named Heart Attack Grill.

11.  A speaker said that health inspectors have found restaurant kitchens with live roaches and mice.

THE MONOLOGUE

I went dancing Saturday night.  I had a great time Dana…and Scott.
(A call back, dropping myself into someone else’s story.  Used SCOTT as a topper.)

Dana…we enjoyed your speech.  50% of the women were hoping for free samples.  And 25% of the men.
(A humorous suggestion of free samples, followed by a topper, 25% of the men.)

To the average man, a kiss from Dana would be as welcome as a wardrobe malfunction from Nancy Grace.
(A joke driven by a comparison.)

If you want to improve your social skills…chew Strident gum.
(Using the word of the day for a sound-alike chewing gum joke.)

Like our guest, I also came to Toastmasters because of my boss.  That was 39 years ago.  If this is your first meeting, in forty years THIS is what you have to look forward to.
(Self deprecation.)

When you’re over 60 you learn that when you kiss a woman, you want to make the hairs stand up in her nose and ears.
(Using a standard joke of “old age comes with hair in your nose and ears.”)

And you learn that when you divorce…your honey can cause over $10,000 damage.
(Connecting divorce with bee eradication by using the double meaning of HONEY.)

After tonight’s program, I’ll be leading a Multi-Level-Marketing program on selling Ladder Mittens at inflated prices to friends and family.
(I used this line because I thought that Ladder Mittens was a funny sounding word.)

Then we’ll be having dinner at the Heart Attack Grill, which is located in the Palm Mortuary.  When you arrive there the Host will ask you, “Plot or Crypt?”
(I used this joke because other restaurants mentioned in a speech were identified by location, but Heart Attack Grill was not.)

Tonight we learned that when eating in a restaurant, and you find live roaches and mice in your food, you should notify the Health Department.  If you find DEAD roaches and mice in your food…you should use chopsticks.
(I thought that it was interesting that the speaker on health inspections only identified inspection problems with LIVE roaches and mice.  I decided to ask “what if” DEAD roaches and mice were found, and twist it with the use of chopsticks to solve the problem.)

New Cartoon Caption Contests are announced at the start of the month (alternating months).

New Joke Contests are announced at the start of the month (alternating months).  The next Joke Contest is February 1, 2012.

Here are the top captions for this month’s contest:

** FIRST PLACE **

Perhaps you should have saved the 500 page novel you just finished writing before turning off the computer.

     Tom Nee, Oak Lawn, Illinois

** SECOND PLACE **

Allow me:  !@#%  &&%#  !!?!  *#@!  There, feel better?

     Marty Bernstein, Oak Park, Illinois

** THIRD PLACE **

Now you can tell your friends in construction that you also do back-breaking work.

     David Novick, Dayton, Ohio

HONORABLE MENTION (in random order)

  – I said retweet, not retreat!
  – Parrot and owner attacked by a Google of Geese.
  – Repeat after me: Excessive tweeting may cause dizziness, requiring medical tweetment.
  – I said nice life…not it’s your wife!
  – This is only a test of the national Life Alert system.
  – What are the Kardashians up to now?
  – I told you that you should have voted.
  – Uh-oh. His boss just located his Facebook site.
  – Your parole officer friended you on Facebook?
  – Polly is a hacker!
  – Oh!…birds-and-the-bees.com…I can’t wait!
  – Yawk!  I said I wanted a cracker not a hacker.
  – Oh no! A dear Polly letter!

Visit cartoonist Dan Rosandich who has an extensive and in-depth archive of categorized cartoons and cartoon pictures available for licensing at negotiable fees.

Last night Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globe Awards for the third year.  Some people were surprised he was chosen as this year’s emcee because many thought he was over-the-top offensive last year.  But in his pre-show appearances, he made it clear that he was going to do some sharply-pointed humor this year, too.  The anticipation of what he was going to say helped build the tension, which is an important trigger for humor.

Here are some bits from his monologue (not the whole monologue) and some observations:

So where was I?
(A transition from last year’s performance to this year’s.  Sets the stage for “more of the same.”)

Nervous? Don’t be. This isn’t about you.
(He will start primarily with jokes about the sponsor of the event and himself.)

Hello, I’m Ricky Gervais and welcome to the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.  Voted for by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
(His formal opening lines establish the fact that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was an authority figure, a fact which may not have been well-known to the television viewing audience.)

Tonight you get Britain’s biggest comedian, hosting the world’s second biggest awards show on America’s third biggest network.
(Uses the rule of three.  Pokes fun at the host network.)

Sorry, is it? Fourth. It’s fourth.
(A topper.  And another joke poking fun at the host network, an authority figure.)

For any of you who don’t know, the Golden Globes are just like the Oscars, but without all that esteem.
(Uses humor to compare the Golden Globes to the Oscars.  Again poking fun at the “boss.”)

The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton.
(Uses pop culture to make a comparison.)

Now the Hollywood Foreign Press have warned me that if I insult any of you or any of them or offend any viewers or cause any controversy whatsoever, they’ll definitely invite me back next year as well.
(The technique of extrapolation.  Was offensive last year.  Will be offensive again this year.  Will be back next year for more of the same.)

They actually gave me a list of rules. I’m going to ignore them, but I thought it would be good to read them out.
(Using a list is a good way to say something funny while pretending they’re not your words.)

No profanity. That’s fine. I’ve got a huge vocabulary. No nudity. See, that’s a shame. Because I’ve got a huge…vocabulary. But a tiny….
(Self deprecation.)

Homeland…It’s about a load of immigrants who came to America about 100 years ago and they got involved in bribing and corruption and they worked their way up into high society. But enough about the Hollywood Foreign Press.
(More humor at the expense of the “boss.”)

I’m joking. I love them and they’re good sports for inviting me back. What I didn’t know is they do an awful lot for charity and their non-profit organization. Just like NBC.
(A softener, which is the equivalent to saying, “I’m just joking.”  Which he then follows up with another jab at the authority figures.)

(Gervais has poked fun at NBC, the Hollywood Foreign Press, and himself.  He’s ready to start the show.)
Should we get on with it?

It took some time, but I eventually came up with a perspective which allowed me to overlook the barking:  If prowlers were checking out my backyard, the dogs would bark.  The last thing prowlers would want is something announcing their presence.  At night, if the dogs were not barking, my backyard was secure.  Free guard dogs!  They were part of my security system…and I didn’t have to feed them, care for them, or take them on walks.  With my new perspective, I was rarely bothered by the barking.

Now I’m looking for a positive perspective on the neighbor’s cat that poops in my garden.  The thought of free fertalizer doesn’t do the trick.

New Cartoon Caption Contests are announced at the start of the month (alternating months).

New Joke Contests are announced at the start of the month (alternating months).  The next Joke Contest is February 1, 2012.

Here is the cartoon:

Write as many captions as you can.  Then select your best three captions and submit them.  You can submit more than three lines, the extra lines will be eligible for honorable mention.  Only your first three lines will be judged by our panel of judges for first, second and third place.

Select and submit your best entries, and your city/state/country, by January  15, 2012, to HumorPowerTips@HumorPower.com

Visit cartoonist Dan Rosandich who has an extensive and in-depth archive of categorized cartoons and cartoon pictures available for licensing at negotiable fees.
http://www.danscartoons.com

1.  The Obama Technique.  Don’t waste your time creating “second term” jokes.

2.  The Gingrich Technique.  Start by preparing a humorous concession speech.

3.  The Mitt Romney Technique.  Look for ways to make fun of other people’s first names.

4.  The Cheney Technique.  If someone fails to laugh at your jokes, claim you shot him by accident.

5.  The Rick Perry Technique.  Just speak and you’ll naturally say something funny.

6.  The Bill Clinton Technique.  Insist that, “I did not laugh with that woman.”

7.  The Hillary Clinton Technique.  When it comes to humor in your house, wear the pants.

8.  The Ron Paul Technique.  Laugh at your own jokes.

9.  The Herman Cain Technique.  When a joke fails, say with a straight face, “I have never told a joke.”

10.  The Jon Huntsman Technique.  Only one percent will realize you told a joke.

11.  The Nancy Pelosi Technique.  Drive home your jokes with the power of facial expression.

12.  The Joe Biden Technique.  Learn to tell jokes with your foot in your mouth.

13.  The John Boehner Technique.  If you write a joke which you love, but the President likes it too, never use it.

14.  The Michele Bachmann Technique.  In a marriage, the woman should deliver the punch lines…the husband should be the straight man.

15.  The Reagan Technique:  Say “Well,” and pause until you think of something funny.

16.  The Bush Technique.  Remember that neither 41 nor 43 are especially funny numbers.

17.  The Nixon Technique.  If people don’t laugh at your jokes, say “I am not a comedian.”

18.  The Ford Technique.  If all else fails, fall flat on your face.

19.  The Jimmy Carter Technique.  Realize that although people will not immediately laugh at your jokes…Years later they will appreciate you.

20.  The Kennedy Technique.  Use clever similes, like:  “I am a jelly roll.”

21.  The Johnson Technique.  Marry someone with a fun-sounding name.

22.  The Eisenhower Technique.  Effective only with people in their 80s and older.

New Joke Contests are announced on the first of the month (alternating months).

New Cartoon Caption Contests are announced on the first of the month (alternating months).  The next caption contest is January 1, 2012.
 
Here are this month’s top lines:

** FIRST PLACE **

persona non grata
persona non Prada:  Someone who shops at a thrift store.
     Marty Bernstein, Oak Park, Illinois

** SECOND PLACE **

haute cuisine
oat cuisine:  High-fiber diet.
     David Novick, Dayton, Ohio

** THIRD PLACE **

deja vu
deja new:  Retro fashions.
     Melanie White, Rowlett, Texas

HONORABLE MENTION (in random order)

ante bellum
ante potbellum:  Before the potbelly.

billet doux
bullet doux:  Hate letter.

pro bono
go Bono:  Shouted at a U2 concert.

savoir faire
save our fare:  Don’t raise transportation prices.

sang froid
sang Floyd:  Pink Floyd on the karaoke machine.

grand prix
grand spree:  Christmas shopping.

ex libris
ex-Liberace:  Formerly flamboyant pianist.

comme si, comme ca
come see, consume:  Merchant’s sales slogan around Christmas.

O sole mio.
Oh, sole me:  I’ll have the fish platter.

Post Meridiem
Post Meridiem:  The afternoon paper.

prego
pray go:  Please get lost.

Ay caramba
I can rhumba:  I’m a great dancer.

je ne sais pas
Jenny says wha?

oy vey
oy stay:  The guest that never leaves.

joie de vivre
joie de relieve:  After what seems like an eternity, you finally find a rest room.

billet doux
billet through:  A Dear John letter

femme fatale
hem fatale:  The very-mini skirt worn by a femme fatale.

dolce vita
dolce eater:  Someone with a sweet tooth.

savoir faire
savoir hair:  An excellent hair stylist.

deja vu
deja clue:  The detective later realized that the first clue contained the solution to the case.

faux pas
faux fox:  Fake fur.

que sera sera
que Sara Sarah:  How do you spell your name?

fait accompli
feta compli:  A properly-aged Greek cheese.

flagrant delicto
fragrant dictato:  Coco Chanel reciting a recipe for a perfume to her stenographer.

pro bono
probe Ono:  Questioning John Lennon’s widow.

savoir-faire
savior fare:  The Last Supper

veni, vidi, vici
vendi video vice:  I sell porno movies

force majeure
farce immature:  Juvenile humor.

ipso facto
calypso facto:  A style of music and dance originating on Trinidad and Tobago.

bon mot
Bond mot:  A clever remark from 007.

carpe diem
carpe per diem:  Take your lunch money.

caveat emptor
Dick Cavett emptor:  Be careful what you say on a talk show.

coup de grace
coupe de Grace:  Two-door auto for Monaco royalty.

aficionado
afishionado:  A highly-accomplished angler.

angst
sangst:  Fear of performing a song in public.

au courant
au current:  Up-to-date wiring

cause celebre
Claus celebre:  A Hollywood Santa.

faux pas
fo pa:  A present for dad

je ne sais quoi
je ne sais quay:  I don’t know where the boat will dock.

quid pro quo
squid pro quo:  I’ll give you some calamari for that.

vox populi
Magnavox populi:  TVs for everyone.

ala mode
ala commode:  Stylish bathroom.

habeus corpus
flabbeus corpus:  Time to join a gym.

mea culpa
mea pulpa:  I’m the one who mashed it and I’m sorry.

que sera sera
que seran Sarah:  Where’s the plastic wrap?

rigor mortis
bigger wartis:  That bump on your hand is hard.

vice versa
vice versatile:  Highly skilled in bad habits.

gracias
grassy ass:  A friendly acknowledgment to a long-timer on Occupy Wall Street.

faux pas
faux pa:  Someone pretending to be your father.

por favor
poor flavor:  Something that tastes bad.

ichi ban
nietzsche ban:  No philosophers allowed.

veni vidi vici
weni nidi Nietzsche:  I wimpy, I penniless, and I responsible.