jmaster6If you have read the Killer Stand-up Comedy System, you know that it is not the punchlines that make the set ups work, it is the set ups that make the punchlines work as you are trying to learn stand-up.

You also know that punchlines are personal reactions to information provided in the “set up” (I hate using the term set-up — it makes stand-up comedy seem so mechanical and contrived).

Take any street joke, for example…

The punchline of any joke is a spoken or physical “reaction” by one of the characters to information provided in the set-up of the joke.

The same thing applies to stand-up comedy– most all spoken word comedy for that matter.

So, I what I am trying to say is this…

If your punchlines are weak, you should be looking at your set-ups.  Why?

Because the chances are very good that your set-ups don’t give you a chance to “react in a funny way”, the way you would do naturally in everyday conversation using your unique sense of humor and point of view.

This is why it is so important to talk about things that are personal to you and “push your buttons” in some way. It will be these personal “things” that will give you plenty to react to as you are developing your stand-up comedy act.

It is far easier to “react” to information that YOU really want to talk about than to try to “react” to some plucked-from-the-air information, idea or “premise” that you think might be funny.

So if you want to really want to improve your act quickly…

Pay close attention to your set-ups. And I can almost guarantee this…

Most of your set-ups are probably too long.

I would appreciate you comments below.

Cheers,
Steve Roye
The Professor of Funny for Money

About the Author/Founder of the SCP Blog


Steve Roye is the author of the Killer Stand-up Comedy System and is a globally recognized expert in the field of stand-up comedy material development and presentation strategies -- for entertainers as well as speaking professionals.

Please check out the Featured Articles page for direct links to articles on this blog for pro comedians, comedy entertainers, and speaking professionals.

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