Coldwashed Comedy

Although a stand-up comedian’s primary goal is to obtain a natural and positive reaction from the audience – a chuckle, smile, or best of all, a laugh – the process of obtaining that goal is methodical and meticulous and involving carefully orchestrated sequences and frequent rehearsals.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Although many people believe that delivering punchlines is a natural talent, this isn’t true in all cases. And even if it is, people who are naturally able to make others laugh still acknowledge the necessity of practicing their material. Indeed, practice still makes perfect in delivering punchlines.

THE FORMULA FOR PERFECTLY DELIVERED PUNCHLINES
The punchline formula is simply based on common sense but spelling it out will prevent you from getting tempted to messing the whole thing up and deluding yourself into thinking that you could create something new in the world of stand-up comedy.

The formula: set-up before punchline.
A set-up provides the premise for your joke. The punchline must always come after the set-up and never before. Keep in mind that the briefer the set-up, the more impact the punchline will be able to create.

TYPES OF SET-UPS
There are various ways for you to prepare the audience for a punchline. A number of examples are provided below:

A Contest of Outrageous Claims – Remember how kids boast to each other about their respective possessions? “My mother is so great…”, “My mother is greater…” and the punchline will always be provided by the last kid, “Well, my mother is the greatest…”
Listing – Provide a list of any type but make sure that the last item on the list will supply the punchline.
Comparing – There are many people, things, places, and events in this world that are opposite. Popular topics on which you can easily create punchlines are America vs. France, America vs. England, America vs. Japan (are you getting the drift here?), men and women, degree holders and the uneducated, rich vs. wealthy, and so forth.
Irony – Life, love, and wealth are one of the most common topics in which you can point out ironic details.
Exaggerated Imitations – Think of common and typical qualities of various types of people and then imitate them in an exaggerated sense. Wives, for instance, are usually described as nagging, husbands are characterized as philanderers, and so forth.

Last but not least is the type of punchline delivery. You can make it into a climactic moment or deliver it with a deadpan expression. What’s important is that you do it so effectively and in the way that’s most comfortable for you!

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