Course Content Archives - CRS Backup 8-5-25

Humor Technique: Twist Something Familiar

You can create humor by referencing an expression or idea people are familiar with, then going somewhere they don’t expect you to go that causes them to see that familiar thing in a new way.

Examples:

“People say Go Big or go home like you should only want to Go Big. But the thing is, I love going home.” – Eric Dreiblatt

“It seems to me whoever said “Brevity is the soul of wit” should’ve said “Brevity is wit.” – Kevin Bleyer

“I knew I couldn’t do P90x when I saw the commercial, where they show a Before body and an After body, and I saw the Before body and thought, “Oh man, I would kill to look like that guy. He looks unbelievable. Does the Before body guy have a DVD?” – Nate Bargatze

Bonus Video: 5 Sources of Humor

Course Content

5 Sources of Humor

What if a hilarious moment or comment doesn’t appear in the next week now that I’m thinking like a comedian and ready to write it down?

Great question! You can always generate funny content by starting with a relatable premise, and then doing something with it that’s surprising.

In this clip I walk you through 5 sources of humor you can be considering when looking to generate a funny anecdote or idea to take through the S.T.E.P.S. process.

#1: Relatable: When people relate to you, they feel happy because you have something in common. When people remember something, they are happy to reconnect with that experience. When you make people happy, they associate that happiness with you, which sets them up to find whatever you’re saying funnier automatically.

Draw your starting point from a relatable experience or phase of life: being a teenager, moving to a new place, navigating a stressful time, etc.

#2: Surprise / Tension: Look for premises that have surprise or tension built into them.

What if your dog had to go to your job? What if you thought you were being really quiet, but you were actually being really loud? What if you thought you were being really subtle, but you were actually being really obvious?

#3 Perspective Shift: What if there was a piece of info you didn’t know that made you see the situation one way (and take action) and later find out the piece of information that changed your (or the listener’s) whole perspective on that same moment?

#4: Conflict: Creating tension allows us to relieve that same tension, which is how jokes work. Playful example of conflict: social awkwardness. People laugh primarily because they relate, and as an added bonus, they’re so glad it happened to you and not to them.

#5: Characters: Embody the character(s) in your story by using voices, capturing mannerisms or distinct personalities, and commit to it. Use yourself as a character. What if you almost said or did something that was embarrassing, but didn’t? Well, what if in the story you did do it? That would be a great story, wouldn’t it?

Stumble and Acknowledge – Sarah Silverman

Course Content

Stumble & Acknowledge

Sarah Silverman

In this moment from her 2017 special “A Speck of Dust,” Sarah means to say one group but says another group instead. The audience immediately realizes that she made the mistake, and then she quickly calls attention to her stumble, has fun with it, and then finds humor in the stumble.

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Transcription: “We did this show, and there were protestors outside. Um, you know, “right to life,” uh, Westboro Baptist Church-y, NPR people. And… Not NPR. NRA. That is… They are different. Completely different tote bags.”

Whatever our politics, I think we can agree that “tote bags” is a delightfully harmless comparison point to focus on between these two very different groups. This joke is satisfying to the listener because of the way Sarah caused you to think That’s the wrong group, but instead of awkwardly pretending it didn’t happen, she acknowledged it and had fun with the mistake. Nothing is more tension-resolving and enjoyable to an audience than when the speaker says the thing everyone is thinking.

This joke may have been an organic mistake at some point, or perhaps it was always planned, but Sarah’s playful reaction to her wrong word choice is a great example of how to turn mistakes into magic.

To apply this, ask yourself: what is the thing my audience thinks about this subject but wouldn’t be likely to say, and how can I acknowledge it for them? And, next time I mess up in a speech or conversation, how can I confidently call attention to it and have fun with it?

This pro tip for you is a part of the

Approachable Experts Coaching Program.

Confidence… Connection… Impact…

These three simple, powerful skills make you the most influential kind of leader:
an approachable expert.

“Unforgettable presence as a leader is what happens when you tap into your natural humor, tell stories that stick, and speak in a way that gets your desired response.”

Learn more about the program here