What we laugh at ...

Stevie Ray's Lecture


Saturday Judy and I went to the Minnesota CCFA Education Event in Bloomington. It was an excellent event, with a lot of information on how to handle IBD.

After the featured medical speaker, they brought Stevie Ray on stage. Who would have thought that a comedian would be able to give such a good message. No, he didn't get into "Laughter, the Best Medicine" and other material, but he did mention that. He has studied laughter professionally for years and told us many of the mechanics behind what causes laughter. Now I know why the "Ole and Lena" jokes during the sermons weren't funny. (That's another long story. Ask me sometime when I'm vulnerable.)

If your group is looking for a keynote speaker for your business meeting or convention, I'd recommend this guy. Every point he makes during the lecture is punctuated with funny stories, hilarious examples, and gentle picking on people in the audience. He even gives tips on who to pick out in the audience for a little fun!

I can't do his lecture justice, but I can relate some of the wisdom behind the stories.

Four laws of laughter:

1. Unexpected - There must be surprise. That's why babies laugh so often. Everything is a surprise, even when the spoon falls on the floor.
2. Recognition - Laughter comes easy if you can recognize yourself in the story they're telling.
3. Superiority - You have to laugh at someone! It helps if that person is socially higher than the speaker. Don't make fun of the sick, disabled, downtrodden. It's just not funny.
4. Delight - Happy people can laugh.

Given those laws, there is one more ticket that must be punched before you can garner laughter from someone. You've got to give them a cue that it's OK to laugh. Otherwise, they might think you're telling a sad story! Give them a cue and permission to laugh.

Now, if you're going to tell a joke ... There is the standard formula for that joke.

1. Premise - Set the stage. (Two penguins walk into a bar.)
2. Setup - Tell them what they need to know, but no more. Keep it short. Too much information (Tuesday, or was it Wednesday ... ) can kill a joke. People get tired and distracted sooner than you think. A story that goes over a minute is probably too long.
3. Punch line - This usually involves and exaggeration. Keep this part very tight, nothing extra.
   

If this guy is on the agenda for a conference you're attending ... go.

= = = = Guy