As a general rule, if you have to explain a joke it’s probably not a very good one. This doesn’t mean the joke isn’t funny. That’s a much more subjective concern and, as the joke teller, it must have been funny to you. No, what “not a very good one” really means is that the joke was unsuccessful. It didn’t connect. More specifically, it didn’t connect with your audience.
What is your intention when you tell a joke? If we look to the dictionary definition of a joke, courtesy of Merriam-Webster, it is “something said or done to provoke laughter”. But laughter in whom? Is it enough that it makes you laugh? The obvious answer is no.
Have you heard the story about the joke that’s only funny to the person telling it?
Leave it to one of our favourite podcasts, This American Life, to find the one example where a joke that’s only funny to the person telling it still manages to land successfully, on stage in front of an audience. Comedian Tig Notaro tells the story about the time her mother-in-law, Carol, came up with a joke. Have a listen.
You tell jokes with the intent to provoke laughter in others. Which means for a joke to be successful, the audience needs to find it funny. Which means, in order for a joke to be told successfully you need to consider it from the perspective of the audience. Put yourself in their shoes. How will the joke be received?
There’s another equally important part of the dictionary definition of a joke: “a brief narrative with a climactic humorous twist”. Essentially, a joke is a story. And so, the rules that govern whether a joke is successful or not equally apply to stories in general.
We all tell stories, to ourselves and to others, everyday. It’s how we create meaning and connection with the world. And we tell our stories with intent – there’s a reason we share our stories. We want others – our audience – to connect, to respond in a particular way, perhaps with laughter, or surprise, or anger or sympathy. And yet, how often have you listened to your own stories the way others hear it?
Have you ever truly considered what effect the words you use and the way you use them have on your audience? Are you getting the results you wanted? Are you telling your stories successfully?
When I started writing this I had every intention of explaining not one but two jokes: the play-on-words behind the name of this blog, and the supplemental play-on-words behind the title of this inaugural post. The very first sentence was set up for me to break the very rule I was highlighting.
But, as The Wise reader, whether you admire or abhor my use of wordplay, I hope you connect with the idea of telling stories with intent, with consideration and empathy, and to achieve results.
If you’re curious and would like to know how Ten Days Later can help make your words work for you, please get in touch.
