Backwords:
What’s So Funny
How does comedy work? Five headlining comics deconstruct the jokes that make them laugh
Vancouver Magazine, Summer 2001
In time for the Vancouver International Comedy Festival (starting July 20), we thought we’d get some professionally funny people to tell us what tickles them, and why. Jack Herbert once said that a comedian is “a fellow who finds other comedians too humorous to mention.” Not our yuksters. They all generously cited a fave from another comic’s work, then supplied us with one of their own.
Comedian:
Brent Butt, Vancouver-based headliner, 2001 winner of Best Male Standup Comic in Canada.
That’s a Good One
“Jack Benny is jumped by a robber who points a gun at him and demands, ‘Your money or your life!’ There is a loooooong pause, and when the robber repeats, ‘Your money or your life!’ Jack says, ‘I’m thinking, I’m thinking.’”
Because
“It is fundamentally hilarious, and I also admire the joke because in one phrase it tells you everything you need to know about Jack Benny’s character. In my mind, it’s a perfect joke.”
Now Try One of Mine
“Police have it easier in a small town. ‘Can you describe the man who robbed you?’ ‘Yeah, he was Dwayne.’”
Comedian:
Gerry Swallow, Victoria-based screenwriter of Say It Isn’t So and the upcoming Black Knight.
That’s a Good One
“’Hitler was right!’ (Pause here, long enough to evoke a murmur from the crowd, then…) ‘Moustaches should be small an unobtrusive.’” – told to me second-hand, though I believe it belongs to a comic from Minnesota
Because
“There’s nothing like bringing a crowd to the edge of hostility, then reeling them back in. Of course, some people would never recover from the setup. But then those people should avoid comedy altogether.”
Now Try One of Mine
“My friend Steve just got married. Before he got married, he sat down and he typed out a list of household chores and duties for his wife. Can you believe that? Come on, typing’s women’s work.”
Comedian:
Sarah Silverman, comedian/actress, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld
That’s a Good One
“I didn’t start masturbating until I was 11. Because before that I was getting laid.” – Garry Shandling
Because
“No need to dissect its structure. It makes me laugh!”
Now Try One of Mine
“I really wanted to get a dog. I was looking around for one but then I realized that I travel around so much that it’s just not fair. So I think I’m going to have a baby.”
Comedian:
A. Whitney Brown, formerly of Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show
That’s a Good One
“We’ve all been surprised by the success of Star Trek. It’s been shown in 73 different countries, although not always by the same name. In Japan, for example, it’s called Sulu: Master of Navigation.” – written for William Shatner on SNL
Because
“It’s about the most basic human failing – everything’s about us. From ancient China calling itself the centre of the world, to the outrage at Galileo’s claim that the heavens don’t revolve around the earth… it’s a very, very old story, succinctly told.”
Now Try One of Mine
“There’s a billion people in China. That’s hard to imagine. That means that even if you are a one-in-a-million kind of person, there’s still a thousand exactly like you.”
Comedian:
Irwin Barker, national headliner and Vancouver-based comic
That’s a Good One
“I saw an ad in the paper for a job as an estimator. On the application form, when they asked my age, I said, ‘Oh, about 30.’” – Toronto comic Derek Edwards
Because
“I like it because the punch line is so simple yet you don’t see it coming. The essence of any good joke is surprise, an unexpected response that puts a new meaning on the setup.”
Now Try One of Mine
“I have an aunt who is a perfect combination of fatalist and optimist. Last week she fell down the stairs and broke her leg. She just laid there saying, ‘Am I ever glad that’s over with.’”