Think of an exaggeration. The more absurd, the better.
Step2
Set up the joke by providing an expectation. If you say, "My dog was so big ...", you leave the audience anticipating the punch line, which will tell them how big your dog was.
Step3
Wait for someone to ask, "How big was it?"
Step4
Deliver the punch line by repeating the opening. "My dog was so big, he ate his chow out of a satellite dish."
Tips & Warnings
If your audience doesn't pick up on the fact that you're telling a "How (blank) was it?" joke after you give them the setup, repeat the setup with even more emphasis on the word "so."
When a teller laughs at his or her own joke, the joke loses its effectiveness. This is especially true if the teller laughs before the punch line.
on 11/22/2005
An excessively long punch line is not as effective as a quick unexpected funny one. Also, if you're telling a joke to little kids, don't make it too complicated.
on 11/22/2005
Outside of a comedy club, these jokes are only effective when used to insult somebody, particularly someone present or whom all the people listening know. (I.e., my husband is so lazy, he trained our dog to bring him the remote control.)
Comments
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 An excessively long punch line is not as effective as a quick unexpected funny one. Also, if you're telling a joke to little kids, don't make it too complicated.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Outside of a comedy club, these jokes are only effective when used to insult somebody, particularly someone present or whom all the people listening know. (I.e., my husband is so lazy, he trained our dog to bring him the remote control.)