Tag Archives: comedy

Writing for stand up part 1: What is a joke?

By Andrew | Published: March 12, 2010
Jokes subvert assumptions. Consider this joke from Jimmy Carr: My girlfriend said she wanted me to tease her. I said “alright, fatty”. Carr creates an assumption (that his girlfriend wants to be teased playfully) then subverts it (by teasing her maliciously). It’s a classic setup/punch joke; the first sentence (setup) leads us in one direction, [...]
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What’s the worse that can happen?

By Andrew | Published: February 22, 2010
There’s potential for lots of things to go wrong. But at least you can console your self with the fact that it’s unlikely to be as bad as the stand up comedy gig described in this clip by Bill Hicks. (Click here to watch this 5:43 minute video on YouTube)
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Stand up comedy course: Week 4

By Andrew | Published: February 18, 2010
Read my write ups from weeks one and three. I really enjoyed this week’s class. My set is beginning to take shape. I’m gradually accumulating material and the different parts seem to segue into each other nicely. After the class I was so pumped with adrenaline I had difficulty sleeping. I’ve been listening back to my [...]
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