The Critical Importance of Expression Alignment in Stand-Up Comedy
What is hugely important for any comedian to understand, regardless of their style or content, is this:
If what you are saying (your stand-up comedy material) doesn’t match up with what your face, body, and voice are communicating…
The audience immediately senses, on some level, that what you are saying is not genuine or is “made up.” They feel as though they are being “joked” or manipulated.
The second that happens…
Your ability to generate laughter just went down the drain.
What I am referring to is often called body language alignment (or the lack of it). It could also be accurately described as communication alignment or expression alignment.
The Key to Perceived Genuineness
In a nutshell: If the alignment isn’t there when you deliver your stand-up material, neither are the laughs.
This aspect of perceived genuineness—whether a comedian’s material is 100% true or 0% true—is what keeps an audience engaged, lowers their defenses, and allows them to laugh at the highest levels.
How to Ensure Proper Expression Alignment
There are two ways to help make sure your body language alignment or expression alignment is natural and effective. Both require extensive rehearsal before showtime:
1. Developing a Stage Character
If you are more comfortable being a character rather than yourself on stage, you may want to consider taking an acting class—either online or locally.
I know very little about acting, but I have said this before:
Great actors are masters at being someone else.
Great comedians are masters at being themselves.
So, if you plan to have a character-based act, I highly recommend seeking guidance from an acting professional (not a stand-up comedy coach). Understanding how characters are developed will help you capture the genuine body language alignment necessary for your comedic persona.
2. Being Yourself on Stage
If you are more comfortable being yourself on stage, rehearsal is key—specifically, rehearsal that captures how you naturally express yourself.
This is exactly what the Killer Stand-up Online Course is about.
A Simple Experiment: Observe Stand-Up Comedy in Action
As I say in most of my articles…
Don’t just take my word for it—test it for yourself.
Go to any stand-up comedy open mic night anywhere on the planet. Pay attention to those moments where what the comedian is saying doesn’t align with how they are saying it.
Make a note of:
- Drops in laughter levels
- The absence of laughs altogether
See for yourself if delivering stand-up comedy material in an inauthentic manner affects audience response.
Further Reading on Body Language
For those who take a more academic approach, I recommend checking out books on body language—they will fully support the information I’ve provided here.
No “Magic Pills”—But This Comes Close
There are no magic pills that instantly make comedians funny. But if there were…
What I’ve presented in this article would be at the top of the list for funny people who truly want to rock the stage quickly (as well as for any professional speaker).
However, if you believe that only the structure or order of your words determines the laughter you receive—both offstage and onstage—then make no mistake:
You have a very hard “row to hoe” when it comes to generating the laughs you want as a comedian.
Related Video: