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Have you ever bombed when trying to be funny? OK, if you’re a comic, or a speaker, you probably are going to lie, right?
I’ll admit it – even, I, the author of “The Comedy Bible” have bombed. Yes, I’m been in that “no-laughs” misery zone that segues into that “I-know-I-can-get-them” desperation mode.
It isn’t pretty.
Here are some of the STUPID THINGS that I have done when bombing:
- I start pacing. The bad news is that I look like a moving target. The good news is that I’ve racked up 3.2 miles on my Fitbit.
- I start laughing at my own jokes. How phony is that? Obviously I’ve heard them before.
- I talk faster. One time I finished an hours worth of material in 15 minutes. A big problem when you’re the headliner. Now what?
- I walk into the audience to do crowd work. Not such a smart idea to get closer to the very people who hate you.
- I talk louder. Yes… a middle-aged woman shouting is SO much funnier.
- I start criticizing the audience. And we all know how well that works when trying to get someone to love you.
- I get dirty. Right! As if talking about pubic hair while people are eating nachos is attractive.
So, what is the number 1 secret to being funny? It’s to NOT TRY to be funny. Every time I haven’t done well, it’s because I wasn’t into what I was saying. I was just up there TRYING. “Trying” is not BEING..
So, rather than going onstage thinking, “I’m going to try to get people to laugh”; go onstage to COMMUNICATE your point of view, your opinions, your message. Even if you don’t get laughs, you still will have a purpose. And most importantly, going onstage DOING rather than TRYING will make you authentic, and even get you laughs.