SpeechList Issue #2: 5 kinds of jokes that don't work... and 5 kinds that do

Issue 2 - July 5, 2005

by Rob Cottingham
http://www.robcottingham.ca/
(c) Rob Cottingham 2005

IN THIS ISSUE...

1. Welcome to SpeechList: Writing To Be Heard!
2. Feature article: The fine art of the opening joke
3. Off the cuff
4. Your turn
5. Subscribing, unsubscribing and passing along the news

1. Welcome to SpeechList: Writing To Be Heard!

Welcome to the second issue of SpeechList: Writing To Be Heard. I'm glad you've signed up.

If you're new to the list, or if someone has forwarded this copy to you, here's what you can expect from each issue:

• A regular feature article focusing on a practical aspect of speechwriting.
• Occasional news and commentary from the world of speechwriting.
• Selected feedback from readers.
• Easy unsubscribing if you decide SpeechList isn't for you.

I'm your host, Rob Cottingham -- a speechwriter and public speaker with experience writing for national and provincial political leaders, corporate CEOs, union leaders, community activists and innovative thinkers and commentators. My politics skew left, but you should be able to get something out of SpeechList regardless of your political stripe -- and no matter whether you're priming a politician, pumping up your sales reps or persuading your town council to put a crosswalk on your corner.

2. Feature article: The fine art of the opening joke

So two speechwriters walk into a bar...

There's a good reason that the established wisdom around public speaking tells you to begin with a joke. The right joke can get you off to a roaring start:

• It signals to the audience that they can at least count on being entertained.
• It establishes common ground between you and the audience. Shared laughter can be a powerful bond.
• It humanizes you, and tells the audience that you have both wit and a sense of
  fun.
• It relaxes the audience and gives them an implied permission to respond to
  what you're saying. And it relaxes you; getting a big laugh at the outset is tremendously reassuring.
• It can signal the theme of your speech in a memorable way (one that people are
  likely to repeat outside the auditorium or banquet hall).

But beware. The wrong joke can tell an audience something much different about you, and set you up for a fall.

:: A CASE IN POINT

A Vancouver professional society recently sponsored a breakfast presentation. Every audience member had risen early and paid good money to hear what they had every reason to expect would be some valuable information.

The speaker was introduced, went to the podium and said, "Actually, I haven't always been in this industry. I was in the submarine business until it went under."

(The speech, need I add, had nothing to do with submarines.)

Pity the speech hadn't been at night; at least there would have been crickets chirping to break the ensuing painful silence.

It's not as though the right opening joke would have saved an otherwise mediocre presentation. But the wrong one made an already-nervous speaker even more anxious -- and if there's one emotion audiences can't help but share with you, it's anxiety.

What's more, it signaled to the audience that their expectations of a professional, useful presentation were about to be dashed. (As it turned out, that's just what happened.)

:: BUT SERIOUSLY...

Because jokes aren't meant seriously, they can slip into a final draft without the vetting you ought to give them. Don't let them.

I've seen the news coverage of major speeches focus exclusively on a single joke that, taken out of context, reflected badly on the speaker. That's especially dangerous when you're writing for a controversial public figure or organization under a lot of scrutiny.

Ask yourself: could this joke come back to haunt me... or hurt my client?

Here are a few tips that have worked well for me over the years. Of course, humour is more of an art than a science, so there are exceptions to most of these rules... but they can help ensure you open with a bang instead of a bomb.

:: FIVE KINDS OF JOKE THAT DON'T WORK

• Sarcasm.
• Offensive jokes.
• Jokes unrelated to the event, the audience, the theme or the speaker.
• Jokes that require long, complex set-ups.

And, as much as it pains me to admit it,

• Puns.

:: FIVE KINDS OF JOKE THAT DO

• Modest jokes. A successful chuckle is better than a failed belly laugh, especially at the beginning. Don't feel like you have to bring the house down. Last week, Nelson Mandela started his Live 8 speech with just a hint of levity: "As you know, I recently formally announced my retirement from public life and should really not be here."
• Short jokes. A long, meandering joke - especially at the beginning - only serves to confuse listeners, who will start wondering what your speech is actually about.
• Topical jokes. Find a joke that relates to something that will already be on the minds of audience members. It can be about the venue, a recent news item or a timely piece of pop culture; as I write this, a joke about high gas prices would probably go over well.
• Gentle, good-humoured jokes. Self-deprecating jokes work well at the outset; they express a certain level of trust in your listeners. Save the devastating, hilarious attacks on your opponent or competitor for later in the speech, once you've banked some goodwill with your audience.
  Bill Clinton remains a master of poking fun at himself. Receiving an award a few months ago, he said, "One of the things that I had to deal with, when I left office was what I was going to do. I was too young to quit, too inept to play golf, too out of shape to play saxophone and too much of a Calvinist to lay down."
• Jokes that relate to your main theme. Even seizing on a key word or notion from the joke can give you the transition you need to use your joke as a springboard into the rest of the speech.

3. Off the cuff

Recent speechwriting posts at Rob's blog at http://www.robcottingham.ca :

Speechwriter Terry Edmonds, out from behind the curtain

You've heard Terry Edmonds, even if you've never heard him. He's written speeches for Donna Shalala, Bill Clinton and John Kerry, and now he has a wide-ranging interview at Gothamist.

click here

Government speechwriting has its rewards

The thought of working for government fills some writers' hearts with terror. "Work within a bureaucracy? Have my words and imagery dulled down and bowdlerized by the forces of unimaginative conformity? Never!"

That's the stereotype... but as Sally Kearns points out over on the Washington Speechwriters Roundtable, the stereotype is often far from reality.

click here

4. Your turn

If you've enjoyed what you've read here, if you've disagreed with something, or if you have something to add or an idea for an upcoming issue, please drop me an e-mail at feedback@robcottingham.ca. I'll include a sample of the feedback I get in every edition.

5. Subscribing, unsubscribing and passing along the news

Know somebody who'd be interested in SpeechList? Please forward this message to as many people as you'd like.