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November 15, 2009

Humor: Joys of a Used Car

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 4:51 pm

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Duncan Kelly asked:


My 1988 VW is not just a used car. It is also a previously abused car. There’s bits of airconditioner left bolted on in the engine compartment with big gaps where the working bits should have been. My mechanic tells me that the engine’s got piston slap, and needs a major transplant. My kids tell me that if I gave them the car for free, they would still walk.

Which isn’t a bad idea. They need to get some exercise and fresh air.

But hey, there are some advantages in owning a beat up relic of a bygone era. For one thing, I don’t fear shopping trolleys banging into my car, or people opening their car doors onto my car, because it actually makes it look better. Knocks some of the rust off as well. Putting the gearlock on is like locking up your used teabags. I mean, who wants the thing anyway? If a thief steals my car, it’s his own fault. He musn’t come crying to me when all his robber buddies laugh at him, and the thing squirts oil on his freshly stolen shoes. And when the starter motor drops out on the freeway, that’s not my fault. The car forgot long ago what a freeway is anyway. It shakes too much at speed, and I can’t hold the steering wheel. When it sees an on ramp, it says “Let’s not go there!”

In between all the body filler and rust nestles little oases of virgin metal. Where these are is not known to man, but they must be there or I’m sure the car would collapse like a pile of dry sand. With no airconditioner, I would normally open the window on hot days, if the window winder hadn’t broken off. Luckily the rust holes provide quite a lot of ventilation. In rainy weather I use a small mop to clean the rainwater off the inside of the windsheild. Otherwise it drips on my feet.

I took the car in last week to see what I could get as a trade in. It was quite funny looking at the saleman’s expression as it changed. “Where is your car sir?” “Uh, it’s that VW over there, that dirty cream colored one.” “Oh. Uh… Oh I see. Have you tried the scrap dealers, sir?” “Yes I have, but they say it’s mostly body putty and filler, so there’s not much metal to sell…” At this point the conversation becomes somewhat predictable, as the salesman suddenly remembers a previous engagement and disappears from view.

Well, at least I have no onboard computers to worry about. Or electric windows. Or windows. The windows are there, but that’s about it. I don’t have to worry about getting puffed up with pride. And speeding fines are only a distant fantasy. Hitch hikers put down their thumbs when I approach, and then put them up again for the garbage truck that is trying to overtake me.

I’m thinking of selling the car, so if you want it you gonna have to be quick. I may decide I like a car with character, and change my mind!

 



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“some of the Humorous Latest Sardar Jokes”

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 3:49 pm
Rahul Roy asked:


If you visit Indian and some neighboring countries of it, you’ll hear lots of bone tickling jokes. And among all funny and humorous jokes you’ll certainly hear Sardar jokes. These Sardar are the residents of Punjab (one of the state of India), they are famous for their jokes which are very humorous.

It is hard to locate when the first Sardar jokes was said or who was the first one to say those jokes but the jokes regarding them are still very famous as they were in the past. People enjoy Sardar jokes more rather than other jokes.

In these jokes the behavior of Sardar are reflected in humorous manner so that they sound funny and create laughter. You might be wondering as what are these Sardar jokes… Here are of the latest Sardar jokes:

Once a Hindu, a Muslim and our dear Santa Singh were standing together . An Englishman came up and asked, “Hey guys, what is your favorite flower?”

The Hindu replied, ‘Lotus’

‘Ha, I clean my shit with that!’ the Englishman jeered.

The Hindu got angry, the lotus being our national flower.

The Muslim replied: “Chameli”

‘Ha I clean my shit with that!’ The Englishman response

The Muslim also got angry but kept quite.

The Englishman asked Santa, ‘Sardarji, and what is your favorite flower?’

Patriotic Santa replied: ‘Cactus! and replied, “Now clean your ass with that!”

———————–

Jasmeet caught her husband Santa Singh searching high and low all around his living room.

Jasmeet: “What are you searching for?”

Santa Singh: “Hidden camera!”

Jasmeet: “And what makes you think that there are hidden cameras here?”

Santa Singh: “That guy on TV knows exactly what I am doing. Why every few minutes he keeps saying, you are watching the Star World channel. How does he know that?”

———————–

Banta Singh wants to celebrate his wife’s birthday by throwing a party. So he goes to order a birthday cake.

The salesman asks him what message he wants to put on the cake.

Well he thinks for a while and says: Let’s put, “you are not getting older you are getting better”.

The salesman asks, “How do you want me to put it?”

Sardar says, well put “You are not getting older”, at the top and “You are getting better” at the bottom.

The real fun didn’t start until the cake was opened the entire party watched the message decorated on the cake:

“You are not getting older at the top; you are getting better at the bottom”.

———————–

These were some of the funny latest Sardar jokes. You can find a huge collection of these jokes on web. These jokes are really a good opener of laughter. So if you are lonely and bored, don‘t hesitate to find some latest Sardar jokes on web and have fun reading them.



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Top 7 Tips to Bring More Humor Into your Life

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:47 pm
Raymond Lee asked:


Why don’t we laugh more often? Mainly because we have learned not to. Parents and teachers spend a good deal of time telling children, “ Wipe that smile off your face”; “Get serious”; “Settle down”; and “Stop acting silly.” In addition, laughter requires both spontaneity and surrender of control. As people become adults, they place a good deal of value on self-control and often feel ambivalent about spontaneity. But a mature adult should also understand the need for levity now and then. When Steven Spielberg was filming the holocaust movie Schindler’s list, he became so saddened by his subject that a few times a week while on location in Poland, he called comedian Robin Williams and asked him to run through some stand-up routines. If you have a particularly funny friend, you might do the same, but if not, tickle your funny bone with the help of these tips and suggestions.

1. Encourage Laughter

Encourage others to laugh. Mirth is contagious.

2. Look Out For Absurdities

Keep an eye out for the absurdities of everyday of your life. Amusing quips and situations happen all the time. If you look for them, you will find them.

3. Give Gifts

Instead of flowers or food, give sick friends humorous gifts. Try a joke book, a comedy video or a few gag items.

4. Know Your Audience

Humor is individual. Psychology Today magazine once published 30 jokes and asked readers if they found them funny. More than 140,000 readers from all over the map replied. Every joke was rated “very funny” by some readers and “not all funny” by others. In the words of comedian Henny Youngman, “ Humor is a form of communication understood by some and misunderstood by most.”

5. Develop A Humor First-Aid Kit

Keep a funny book or tape close at hand and dip into it several times a day. Wear humorous buttons and post cartoons, amusing bumper stickers and other witty items where you live, work and play.

6. Laugh At Yourself

Those without a sense of humor, once quipped, can be very funny. Of course, they do not mean to be, and when people begin laughing, those who are unintentionally funny may become embarrassed, self-conscious or insulted. If this happens to you, try to step outside yourself and see your gaffe the way your audience sees it. Laugh at yourself and people laugh with you, not at you.

7. Keep It Tasteful

Do not poke fun at anyone’s race, ethnic group, gender, weight, occupation or anything else that might be offensive. Also avoid sarcasm and ridicule. If there has to be a butt of the joke, target yourself or some inanimate object.



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November 14, 2009

Spice Up Your Lives With Online Peppy Humors

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 11:23 pm
Wain Roy asked:


Humor is the spice of life. Life without fun and humor is simply vain. Thanks to technological advancement in recent years, sources of humor have evolved themselves to new heights. Movies or plays are not the only source of humor of today. In fact, the duration of these stuffs leaves little option for people who can hardly afford to spend even an hour. Quick sources of humor surround our daily lives but we hardly care to look around and feel their presence.

Humor is not restrained to words or enactments. Even pictures possess the capacity to evoke laughter. A hoarding on the roadside can not only attract the attention of the passersby but also bring out smiles if it possesses a fun element. Funny pictures apart, funny videos are also an excellent source of quick humor.

Undoubtedly, funny videos offer moments of quick relief. These light moments are extremely important to cheer one’s spirits and shrug off every stress. In fact, visual sources of humor like videos and pictures create greater impact. Pictures and videos drawn from real life help one to connect to their own experiences. Most of the funny videos available on the Internet are drawn from real-life incidents, which help convey personal elements with a hint of fun.

Funny pictures, on the other hand, may incorporate cartoon sketches of well-known figures as well as real-life pictures. A number of them convey jokes to laugh your belly out. These hilarious stuffs evoke emotions to help our body attain equilibrium of health and happiness.

Physicians and therapists too emphasize on the advantages of humor in one’s life. Funny stuffs like pictures or videos can work wonders for people who are prone to depression. Even a five-minute fun break from your hectic schedule can be truly refreshing. Besides, the joy of watching funny videos with your friends or family is a nothing short of a priceless experience. These happy hours are a great way to strengthen your bonds with your near and dear ones.

So make the most of your lives by gorging in little tidbits of humor. The Internet is one platform from where funny stuffs like jokes, pictures or videos can be easily accessible. Take your pick of the jokes, funny pictures or funny videos to bring a fresh lease of life into the dull drudgery of your monotonous lives.



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Enjoy Political Humor — The Legacy of an Open Society

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:57 pm
Peter Garant asked:


George Bernard Shaw once said, “The problem with political jokes is that they get elected.” Well, at least there are a lot of material for political humor. Even if the global economy is practically crashing down around everyone, people can always enjoy political humor.

Understanding the Humor in Politics

People enjoy political humor because it is something that everyone can relate to. The public generally blames the government for everything, so everyone basically appreciates humor in politics. In truth, this particular source of hilarity is almost always delivered in a satire-like fashion. It is generally amusing and it does not disregard the real issue. In fact, it addresses whatever political issue is at hand. To fully appreciate and enjoy political humor, however, you should not regard it as an attack on a particular statesman or politician. Adopting this kind of thinking or attitude will prevent you from really appreciating this type of humor.

Instead of regarding it as an attack, think of it as a personal observation of the person delivering the satire-like lines. After all, underneath the surface humor lies the intent to bring forth an issue to promote change. If you are a politician and you have found yourself a favorite subject, you should consider the truth beneath the jokes and deal with it. Usually politicians who have kept an upright image of themselves are difficult subjects, so comedians generally avoid adopting them as topics.

Humor and Politics – They Go Hand in Hand

You can never have politics without a dash of humor. Political humor is not a new concept. Comedy in politics has been around for centuries. In fact, it is as old as politics itself. An example of ancient sense of humor is Lysistrata, a Greek play written by Aristophanes.

Political humor is actually a legacy of a free society. Unfortunately, there are still some countries that do not allow political ribbing and attempt to limit jokes. For example, Italian televisions are controlled by the government, so people cannot wholly enjoy political humor. A visiting dictator once asked former President Bill Clinton why he didn’t just arrest individuals who questioned and criticized the then President’s poor judgment. Fortunately, for comedians, the United States adheres to free speech.

Modern Political Comedy

Comedians are fairly inventive now days when it comes to this kind of humor. And now more tahn ever people truly enjoy political humor when they hear the jokes while they go about their business. They also appreciate political jokes more when they can relate to the comedian’s sentiments. This type of humor is fairly common during the election period. The comedians are at the top of their form dishing out satire after satire.

Political satire, however, varies from one comedian to another because the views of these people vary. The jokes will depend on how a comedian regards a particular official or the government itself. Nowadays, it is easy to enjoy political humor. Irreverent movies are practically flaying politicians alive.

Political humor exists in order to prevent the hubristic tendencies of politicians from developing. This particular humor has been around for centuries and as long as people enjoy the right to speak their mind, they will always enjoy political humor.



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November 13, 2009

Humor as a Stress Reducer and Energizer

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 10:12 pm
Milan Kovacevic asked:


 

Work is often associated with stress, and we know that stress is one of the main causes of illness, absenteeism, and burnout. Humor is a great stress reliever because it makes us feel good, and we can’t feel good and feel stress simultaneously.  At the moment we experience humor, feelings like depression, anger, and anxiety dissolve.

Humor and, its partner, laughter also reduce stress by activating the physiological systems including the muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular, and skeletal. In fact, we may even lose muscle control, as many of us have, when we laugh so hard that we fall down or wet our pants. Laughter has been labeled a jogging and juggling of the internal organs. When we laugh we feel physically better, and after laughter we feel lighter and more relaxed.

In addition, humor provides a psychological stress reducer as it snaps our thinking to another channel. Norman Cousins called it trainwrecks of the mind. One of the characteristics of humor is that it involves incongruity. We find things humorous when they are incongruous or mismatched. Good jokes guide us down one path only to suddenly track us onto another. The tracking is what we call the punch line. As we are tracked over, our thinking shifts and, in fact, breaking the mind set of the thinking leads to increased creativity.

Consider the story of the midwestern farmer crossing Harvard square searching for the library. He approaches a stately looking gentleman, who happens to be a Harvard English professor, and he asks, “Excuse me sir. Can you tell me where the library is at?” The professor looks somewhat disdainfully and replies, “At Harvard we do not end sentences with prepositions.” After a pause the farmer turns back to the professor and asks, “Well then, can you tell me where the library is at…Asshole.” In this joke we are guided down one path and suddenly tracked over to another. The incongruity is what we experience as humorous.

We know that all good lecturers have many jokes, stories, and anecdotes that are shared in order to command attention and energize the audience. Humor wakes us up and increases our attending. An office bulletin board loaded with cartoons, one liners, jokes, pictures, etc. is one way to invite humor into the workplace. A few moments of humor at work can lead to increased productivity as the newly energized employee returns to his or her task.

If you are having a bad day and would like to brighten it up, all you might have to do is to read a joke a funny story.  There are plenty of resources on the web, including humor blogs, Digg-Humor, Funny-Or-Die and Fun’N’Love.

Humor is a major career asset, so let’s be serious about humor and use humor to lighten our seriousness in the workplace. As we increase our personal humor quotient and spread our humor contagiously to others, we will begin to see the “lite” at the end of the tunnel.

 



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Are You Humorous, Listen to Humorous Speaker?

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 10:57 am
ibrahim asked:


All people generally have a humorous streak in them, however morose and dull they may be. Of course, listening to a humorous speaker gets rid of one’s cares and worries. Humor is there in all walks of life. It is necessary to identify it and feel it. When a humorous speaker addresses the audience the humor translates to the people and they are all taken in by it.

Humorous speakers make people laugh. ‘Laughter is the best medicine’. This is something that we all know. So, enjoy the laughter evoked by the humorous speaker.

Humorous speakers deal with all kinds of subjects. They talk about sports, politics and social events. They give keynote addresses, give after dinner speeches and generally touch upon any topic of discussion. They bring the humorous angle which makes the whole speech interesting.

When an organization arranges a meeting and the subject is a very dry and dull, a humorous speaker can put life into it.  The audience will be completely captivated by the humorous speaker and the subject will be better understood and retained. The humorous speaker will definitely improve the whole show and people will always remember it.

The humorous speakers give anecdotes, stories and give examples from life and personal experience to make people relate to what they are listening. The humorous speaker has to be both a professional speaker and a competent speaker. The best humorous speakers are members of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the International Federation for Professional Speakers (IFFPS).

Humorous speakers give speeches that are tailored to suit individual customer’s needs. Each occasion demands a different type of approach and speech. The speaker with a speech laced with humor can go a long way in effectively putting across the ideas and views held by the particular organization and the views of the people involved.

It is very essential to feel the pulse of the audience and catch their attention. The humorous speaker is able to do just that. Even the most disinterested person in the audience benefits from a humorous speech. The attention is caught by the humor. Once the interest is shown by the audience, the rest of the task becomes easy.

The humorous speaker speaks in friendly manner, easing the situation and giving funny anecdotes. These are ideas that people can relate to and it makes them laugh. Thus, the rapport between the speaker and the audience is established. The speaker now has the audience with him. They are eager and ready to listen to him and follow whatever suggestions and ideas that are given.

The humor in a speech is the only way in which the audience can keep awake throughout a speech. Sometimes, the professional speaker might speak for an hour but what he has said might not have got across to the audience merely because of the lack of the humor element in it.

Even motivational speakers depend on humor to get their views across. The audience will be ready to listen, become motivated and follow whatever the speaker says because the element of humor has established the connect between the speaker and the audience.

A humorous speaker can make a difference to the occasion. Whether it is a small party, a corporate training program or workshop or an educational training program, success is sure with a humorous speaker addressing it.

The personal style and humor of the speaker will evoke a full participation from the audience which will lap up all that is said with full cooperation. So, humor is the key for a successful speech. Even a person, who is not innately humorous, will be able to enjoy a speech full of humor and gain by what is being said. A person with a sense of humor will be able to appreciate it even better and make full use of it.



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Humor ~ What is It?

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 3:58 am
John Bell asked:


Humor is always linked to comedy. It is generally recognized as something acceptable to, and enjoyed by everyone, no matter what his or her age. Learning to smile is one of the first recognizable displayed characteristics of newborn babies.

The rhythmic expulsion of air from the lungs is recognized as laughter in a matter of weeks following the birth, and is a primitive form of basic communication. Mother Nature has already equipped young babies with a powerful tool they can use to good advantage as a key factor in human bonding, the building of special relationships and social cohesion in the years that follow.

If asked, most people would state they had a good sense of humor. Used for professional entertainment it becomes an art, whether it is for business or pleasure. It requires careful planning and skilful delivery. I have learned from experience that such skills can be taught and then must be regularly practiced by those interested in becoming comedians.

Humor is totally subjective, always provoking, and generates different reactions from different people. Effective comedians are few and far between partly because what is funny to one person is not funny to another. The large majority of an audience must quickly consider they have some kind of rapport with a comedian. The best comedians are considered to be intellectual observers of human activity. They are philosophical spectators of the humorous anomalies found in life.

Making others laugh is a masterful skill that can change lives. People who can get others laughing are usually seen as being charismatic and are usually highly admired in society. Humor also takes a key part in the act of attraction. In many cultures giggling is often a sign of a secret sexual tension expressed by both men and women. You’re giggling aren’t you?

Humor makes uncomfortable situations more comfortable. It allows individuals to laugh no matter how grim living gets. It is such a nice feeling people will pay money to others to make them laugh. It is cathartic; it encourages an individual to purge their problems and painful emotions through the joy of laughter.

Study top comedians and you will soon realize that those skilled in delivering humor are great storytellers. Comedy is often based upon conflicting drama thrown up in life. It is not funny having to be funny. You need to be seriously funny to impress others. It is no joke. I mean that seriously.

Comedy and wit have little to do with an ability to tell jokes. People who ‘tell jokes’ are often seen as boring individuals with little sense of humor. They often begin their comedy routine with words along the line of ‘Have you heard the one about”? True comedy is the practically enacted theory of the absurdities so often found in human relationships.

Experienced comedians are not afraid to laugh at themselves because humor is a universal human activity that allows the comedian to become a philosophical spectator of his own life in relation to those around him. Popular topics often revolve around the boss, their children and/or their partner or spouse.

As a professional speaker I have two roles. As an after-dinner speaker my sole purpose is to entertain the audience. As a keynote, motivational presenter I become a serious speaker seeking to help my audience remember important messages by using humor as a powerful tool. I have learned from experience that even the most focussed of audiences have an attention span of less than seven minutes. By injecting humor into my talks I help my audience stay alert and absorb important material.

Laughter is the best medicine. Unless of course you are asthmatic when inhaled steroids are likely to come highest on your list. Which is why I am so popular with healthcare professionals. As the saying goes ‘Physician heal thy self’ this is exactly what I am helping to facilitate when I make my medical audiences laugh.

Laughter is a physiological response to a trigger I activate in the audience. Members of the medical profession are no different to anyone else. They regularly feel anxiety, stress and even anger. By making them laugh I pull on a laughter trigger that releases endorphins, which in turn, counteracts the unpleasantness they may be feeling at that moment in time. Furthermore, happy people feel good to be around. Patients can feel so much better simply by being around healthcare professionals who appear happy. Everyone hates a ‘doctor death’ character who always look as if they are about to give out bad news.

Laughter in the workplace is important too for the boosting of staff morale and for the increase in productivity that usually follows. A happy staff is a productive staff.

During the talks I give around the world I often use examples of humorous real-life examples from my own family relationships to illustrate the principles of human awareness. Looking at an audience I can usually tell those going through a difficult relationship. They are the miserable looking individuals who work so hard trying not to even smile when those around them are struggling to stem a flow of uncontrollable laughter. I always work on the principle ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time’. I think Abraham Lincoln said that. Or was it Bob Dylan?

I am in no doubt that laughter is the key to a happy marriage. If you are able to laugh at each other, it shows you are able to affectionately tease and play – something so important in all human relationships. A happy marriage takes effort. I have been happily married for 34 years. We keep our relationship fresh by each and every week, without fail, treating ourselves to a meal in a top restaurant with a good quality bottle of our favourite wine.

She goes out each Tuesday and I each Thursday evening.

In conclusion ~ humor is a fundamental basic in the art of effective public speaking. It can make the difference between a great talk with an enthusiastic audience and a disastrous monotonous monologue.



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Humor: I Don’t Do Mornings

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 3:43 am
Duncan Kelly asked:


Some people are morning people. They get up before the sun rises and they go for a run around the local golf course, scaring the bird trying to get the first worm. They get back home for breakfast and have a shower. Then they catch up on all their letter writing and birthday cards. After making a few calls and concluding a few deals, they toddle off to work, arriving 20 minutes early.

I don’t do mornings. The alarm clock is like the sword of damacles hanging over my slumber. It’s strident clamour heralds the death of my dreams and the destruction of the land of Nod. I hit the sleep button and scrape another few minutes of sleep from the desolation of another workday. The inevitable moment arrives: if I delay one more minute I will be seriously, noticeably, late for work. After chucking on some mismatching clothes, (because my eyes are still stuck shut with sleep) I stumble off to work, eventually waking up about an hour after getting there.

Morning people don’t believe in the existence of non-morning people. They think we are either mad or lazy liars. But go and pick up a morning person for a call out at 7pm and then the boot is on the other foot. They yawn expansively as they get in the car, they mutter incoherent sentences, and only your terrible driving keeps them from sleeping for the remainder of the 3 hour trip. They look at you in awe as you drive on through the night, and cannot believe that your are still wide awake and alert at 2 in the morning. they think you are some kind of freak, but they are impressed none the less.

Yup, we night people can keep going as long as we have to. We don’t do mornings, but we do do nights. Moring people doodoo nights! When the world is sleeping, we go on working, quietly acheiving and prevailing where others would fall down and sleep. We are the epitome of the long life battery, as we keep on keeping on through long nights.

Night people are often unseen, like the long haul train driver, the night flight airline pilot, the technician on a call out, the night watchman. But don’t ask us to get up early. That is being cruel. Our bodies are not designed for early morning activity. A morning run would kill us, and doing anything financial before 9am would be a fast road to bankruptcy. Writing a birthday card would lose a friend and create an enemy!

So if you’re a morning person, spare a thought for your yawning colleague. He’s not lazy. He’s not crazy. He’s just not in the right time zone.



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Humorous Top Ten Lists – How to Hit the Funny Bone

Filed under: Humor — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:48 am
Don G. Asmus asked:


Research every top ten topic.

If you skip this crucial step, you will be forced to start every list from square one. And starting from scratch can be very slow and frustrating. Therefore, whenever you attempt to write a humorous top ten list, your number one objective should be to gather as much information about the topic as possible.

The humorous twists come later. At the outset, you need something to twist. And that precious something is information. Without it, you literally won’t know what you’re talking about; or the best ways to poke fun at it.

Conducting a thorough job of research often turns up a considerable amount of inside information that provides precisely the ammunition you need to fire off a few hilarious lines that perfectly fit the topic of your list.

Less words mean more laughs.

When composing funny top ten lists, don’t give your readers too many words to process. Keep each list entry as short as possible. You must ruthlessly pare down each list entry to the absolute minimum number of words that will get your point across.

Extraneous words cause two fundamental problems: First, the extra words lead your readers off on confusing mental tangents. And secondly, readers frequently stumble over the unnecessary words and lose their train of thought. Either way, the end result will be a failure to understand your punch lines.

Remember: You’re not telling jokes! Every list entry must be a solid punch line. A funny top ten list must go bang, bang, bang; without benefit of any additional set-up lines. The title of your list is the only set-up line allowed.

After that, each entry must be totally self-contained, and able to stand on its own merits. Funny top ten lists are like Henny Youngman humor: “Take my wife … please!”

Allow your lists to mellow.

Funny top ten lists share one fundamental truth with every other kind of creative endeavor: your twelfth revision is sure to be better than the previous eleven. The first thoughts that you record are rarely the best that you have to offer. It usually takes a considerable number of rewrites to reveal all the possibilities.

That’s why you should work on a list until you either run out of ideas, or run out of enthusiasm. Then, put the list aside until you once again feel the creative urge. This might take anywhere from several hours to several days.

However, you can be sure of one thing. When you return to the list with a fresh perspective, you are practically guaranteed to find a number of ways in which to improve it.

Don’t beat a dead horse.

This happens all the time; even with experienced comedy writers. You come up with what seems to be a potentially productive idea for a top ten list. You quickly write one or two reasonably good entries; and then … nothing. You have hit a dry humor hole, which can easily develop into a frustrating writer’s block.

Don’t force the issue. Just put the list aside and periodically return to it, in order to see if inspiration will strike you once again. However, you must be prepared to face the very real possibility that certain lists will occasionally defeat you. Most of the time, these are just temporary defeats; which the passage of time, and a little renewed effort, will overcome.

At other times, however, it’s best to simply admit defeat, and just walk away from a problematic list. The unmistakable sign that it’s time to abandon a list is when you simply can not rekindle your original enthusiasm for the task.

On those occasions when you are forced to fold your tent, make sure to salvage the best parts of the abandoned list for use in the creation of future lists. You’ll be amazed to discover how often these odds and ends from abandoned lists turn out to be a perfect fit for lists you compose months or years later.

Copyright 2009. Funniest Top Ten Lists. All rights reserved.



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