Parody is a humorous imitation of a person, event, song or serious piece of writing. I have a great time when I use this technique in a presentation and so do the audience members.
The way I use it is to change the words of a recognizable song. I get the audience members to sing along with me by putting the words in their handouts or giving out a song sheet. (The latter method keeps the whole segment hidden so I can surprise them.) I get the words to customize the song from my pre-program research.
Simply take any recognizable tune, change the words, and sing it yourself or get the audience to sing along.
*Parody is generally protected from copyright infringement, but get competent legal advice before using this technique.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Public Speaking : One-Liners
One-liner is a general term for very short pieces of humor. Using one-liners is probably the best and easiest way to begin adding humor to your public speaking engagements. These brief bits of humor are quick and easy to deliver and they don't have to be all that funny to be effective. If you are a little apprehensive about using humor, this is the place to start.
The audience likes one-liners, because they can get a quick mental break from content heavy material. Also, if the audience is there to get high levels of content, they don't feel you wasted their time with long stories and jokes. One of the handiest sources for one-liners is a small and inexpensive paperback called 'Today's Chuckle: 2500 Great One-Liners for Every Occasion' by Paul Harlan Collins.
Most public speaking resource books are broken down into categories. This book has categories such as, Affairs of State and Other Political Indiscretions where you might find the one-liner: 'Politicians are like polkas. They have different names, but they all sound alike,' or 'Money and the Meaning of Life' where you would see truisms like: 'Prosperity is that period between the last installment and the next purchase.' There are 25 categories in all and I can't imagine a talk that wouldn't benefit from one of these selections.
You'll run across one-liners everywhere once you start looking. Some will even have two lines. Don't worry. Write them down too, and start adding them to your public speaking engagements. Just for fun, I'm including some of my favorites:
*Thanks to automatic teller machines you are always conveniently close to being broke.
*Behind every successful person stands a bunch of amazed co-workers.
*Computers can do complicated mathematical calculations in 1/100,000 second, but the invoices still go out 10 days late.
*My accountant is shy and retiring. He's $250,000 shy. That's why he's retiring.
*How are you supposed to teach a kid what clockwise means when he's wearing a digital GI Joe watch?
The audience likes one-liners, because they can get a quick mental break from content heavy material. Also, if the audience is there to get high levels of content, they don't feel you wasted their time with long stories and jokes. One of the handiest sources for one-liners is a small and inexpensive paperback called 'Today's Chuckle: 2500 Great One-Liners for Every Occasion' by Paul Harlan Collins.
Most public speaking resource books are broken down into categories. This book has categories such as, Affairs of State and Other Political Indiscretions where you might find the one-liner: 'Politicians are like polkas. They have different names, but they all sound alike,' or 'Money and the Meaning of Life' where you would see truisms like: 'Prosperity is that period between the last installment and the next purchase.' There are 25 categories in all and I can't imagine a talk that wouldn't benefit from one of these selections.
You'll run across one-liners everywhere once you start looking. Some will even have two lines. Don't worry. Write them down too, and start adding them to your public speaking engagements. Just for fun, I'm including some of my favorites:
*Thanks to automatic teller machines you are always conveniently close to being broke.
*Behind every successful person stands a bunch of amazed co-workers.
*Computers can do complicated mathematical calculations in 1/100,000 second, but the invoices still go out 10 days late.
*My accountant is shy and retiring. He's $250,000 shy. That's why he's retiring.
*How are you supposed to teach a kid what clockwise means when he's wearing a digital GI Joe watch?
Friday, December 22, 2006
Public Speaking: Numbers are Funny
Most businesses have numerous uses for numbers, both written and oral. Some numbers are funnier and more interesting than others. A number like zero has other names that are funny that aren't even numbers.
*Goose egg,
*Nada,
*Nil,
*Zip and
*Zilch
These are all funny ways to express the number zero. Even zero is funnier than the word none. Although none is funny when you talk about the two chances of a hostile takeover as 'slim and none.' A hundred dollar bill is a C-Note, a five-dollar bill is a fin. If someone is outrageously rich, they could be a zillionaire.
If you want to exaggerate a little bit, or if you have some tough news to deliver that involves numbers, add a touch of levity to help soothe the sting.
One common rule of humor that does not apply to numbers is brevity. In all other types of humor you should conserve the number of words you use. Normally you want to use the fewest words possible to get to the punch line. When using numbers in a presentation, pronounce them using the longest version possible. This gives them more punch. The digits 1,500 should be recited as one thousand five hundred, not fifteen hundred. The time of 8:15 should be a quarter past eight, not eight fifteen. '6 foot 2' should be six feet two inches not six-two.
*Goose egg,
*Nada,
*Nil,
*Zip and
*Zilch
These are all funny ways to express the number zero. Even zero is funnier than the word none. Although none is funny when you talk about the two chances of a hostile takeover as 'slim and none.' A hundred dollar bill is a C-Note, a five-dollar bill is a fin. If someone is outrageously rich, they could be a zillionaire.
If you want to exaggerate a little bit, or if you have some tough news to deliver that involves numbers, add a touch of levity to help soothe the sting.
One common rule of humor that does not apply to numbers is brevity. In all other types of humor you should conserve the number of words you use. Normally you want to use the fewest words possible to get to the punch line. When using numbers in a presentation, pronounce them using the longest version possible. This gives them more punch. The digits 1,500 should be recited as one thousand five hundred, not fifteen hundred. The time of 8:15 should be a quarter past eight, not eight fifteen. '6 foot 2' should be six feet two inches not six-two.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Public Speaking : Malaprops
A malaprop is an absurd misuse of words. It can be from words that sound alike (sadistic and statistic) or from explanations that don't make any sense. You can use these on purpose as a humor technique during your public speaking engagements. Consider some of the classic examples below:
Casey Stengel
*I want you all to line up in alphabetical order according to your size.
*I guess I'll have to start from scraps.
*If people don't want to come to the ballpark, nobody can stop them.
*It's déjà vu all over again.
Goldwynisms
In the 1940s the movie mogul Sam Goldwyn misused language so much that malaprops became known as Goldwynisms.
*A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.
*I read part of it all the way through.
*I never liked him and I probably always will.
*Every Tom, Dick and Harry is named William.
*For your information, I would like to ask a question.
*Now, gentlemen, listen slowly.
*In two words: im-possible!
*Include me out.
The great comedian Norm Crosby, who is best known for appreciating standing ovulations when he performs, has made a living out of the ingenious misuse of words. In real life though, malaprops are usually uttered by people who don't even realize their fox paws.
A friend of mine who is a fund-raiser for an unnamed, stuffy Washington, D.C., art society, told me of a hilarious incident that took place during a meeting. The humorless director stood at the conference table in an effort to put an out-of-control meeting back on track and said, 'I fear our discussions are tangenital to the issues at hand.' TANGENITAL! My friend looked around at the other attendees who were all fighting back laughter. She had to excuse herself from the meeting to keep from laughing right in the face of the old windbag.
A flexible public speaker who was truly in touch would have:
1. realized her mistake,
2. laughed at herself, and
3. used that unplanned comic relief to get everyone's attention so that she could regain control of the meeting.
Someone really experienced would make the mistake on purpose. I have learned, in my years of writing comedy skits, that many times the mistakes are much funnier than the planned program. Now I plan mistakes when appropriate. To make this more foggy, I'll explain in one sentence. I learned that when I plan something and then I mess up the plan, the plan becomes funnier than the plan I planned to use, so now I plan to mess up the plan so the plan is planned to be funnier than a plan that is not planned to be messed up. Get it? Good, because you need to hear loud and clear what I'm writing here so you bunglestand it.
Malaprops can be used for fun or to grab attention while making a serious point. Take for example Sam Goldwyn's classic, 'A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.' I don't know if Sam said this one on purpose or not. I wasn't around in the 1940s to ask him. I do know that the message is clear and has stood the test of time. If he had simply said, 'Contracts should be in writing' who would remember?
Use malaprops in your presentation, but make sure the malapropism is obvious, or your audience may think you are not too bright. If you do get caught in an accidental misusage, you MUST acknowledge your blunder. If you don't, you will absolutely lose your audience who will be thinking about the blunder for several minutes after the fact. They will also note that you are trying to be an absolutely perfect robot that couldn't possibly make a mistake. This will turn them off and make communication extremely difficult.
All you have to do to acknowledge the blunder is to refer to a quotation from Mark Twain and turn it on yourself. Say a self-effacing humorous prepared ad-lib:
"If Mark Twain can spell a word in more than one way, I should be able to say a wrong word at the right time."
If you don't like that one, make an ad-lib up on your own. To make effective presentations, you must appear human to those you speak to. Humans make mistakes. That's part of life. As Archie Bunker says, 'Case closed, ipso fatso.'
Casey Stengel
*I want you all to line up in alphabetical order according to your size.
*I guess I'll have to start from scraps.
*If people don't want to come to the ballpark, nobody can stop them.
*It's déjà vu all over again.
Goldwynisms
In the 1940s the movie mogul Sam Goldwyn misused language so much that malaprops became known as Goldwynisms.
*A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.
*I read part of it all the way through.
*I never liked him and I probably always will.
*Every Tom, Dick and Harry is named William.
*For your information, I would like to ask a question.
*Now, gentlemen, listen slowly.
*In two words: im-possible!
*Include me out.
The great comedian Norm Crosby, who is best known for appreciating standing ovulations when he performs, has made a living out of the ingenious misuse of words. In real life though, malaprops are usually uttered by people who don't even realize their fox paws.
A friend of mine who is a fund-raiser for an unnamed, stuffy Washington, D.C., art society, told me of a hilarious incident that took place during a meeting. The humorless director stood at the conference table in an effort to put an out-of-control meeting back on track and said, 'I fear our discussions are tangenital to the issues at hand.' TANGENITAL! My friend looked around at the other attendees who were all fighting back laughter. She had to excuse herself from the meeting to keep from laughing right in the face of the old windbag.
A flexible public speaker who was truly in touch would have:
1. realized her mistake,
2. laughed at herself, and
3. used that unplanned comic relief to get everyone's attention so that she could regain control of the meeting.
Someone really experienced would make the mistake on purpose. I have learned, in my years of writing comedy skits, that many times the mistakes are much funnier than the planned program. Now I plan mistakes when appropriate. To make this more foggy, I'll explain in one sentence. I learned that when I plan something and then I mess up the plan, the plan becomes funnier than the plan I planned to use, so now I plan to mess up the plan so the plan is planned to be funnier than a plan that is not planned to be messed up. Get it? Good, because you need to hear loud and clear what I'm writing here so you bunglestand it.
Malaprops can be used for fun or to grab attention while making a serious point. Take for example Sam Goldwyn's classic, 'A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.' I don't know if Sam said this one on purpose or not. I wasn't around in the 1940s to ask him. I do know that the message is clear and has stood the test of time. If he had simply said, 'Contracts should be in writing' who would remember?
Use malaprops in your presentation, but make sure the malapropism is obvious, or your audience may think you are not too bright. If you do get caught in an accidental misusage, you MUST acknowledge your blunder. If you don't, you will absolutely lose your audience who will be thinking about the blunder for several minutes after the fact. They will also note that you are trying to be an absolutely perfect robot that couldn't possibly make a mistake. This will turn them off and make communication extremely difficult.
All you have to do to acknowledge the blunder is to refer to a quotation from Mark Twain and turn it on yourself. Say a self-effacing humorous prepared ad-lib:
"If Mark Twain can spell a word in more than one way, I should be able to say a wrong word at the right time."
If you don't like that one, make an ad-lib up on your own. To make effective presentations, you must appear human to those you speak to. Humans make mistakes. That's part of life. As Archie Bunker says, 'Case closed, ipso fatso.'
Monday, December 18, 2006
Public Speaking : Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is the placing, side by side, of two ideas or items usually for the purpose of comparison or contrast.
I staged an event at Washington National Airport where I had a huge 450-pound man and a very small man (three feet eleven inches) dressed as chauffeurs. They were waiting at the gate for a man from Japan arriving for his first visit to the United States.
To take the comical juxtaposition one step further, the small man was holding a gigantic sign with the Japanese man's name on it and the extra large man was holding a similar sign, except it was about the size of a business card. Believe me, we had the attention of everyone in the gate area. What a visual!
Now let's look at two specialized types of juxtaposition: oxymoron and pleonasm.
OxymoronWarren S. Blumenfeld, Ph.D., in his book Pretty Ugly states, 'I {passively tried} to warn you oxymorons had {almost absolutely} no socially redeeming quality except that they make people {smile out loud} and are addictive.' His first book on the subject was called Jumbo Shrimp
According to Dr. Blumenfeld, ;An oxymoron is two concepts {usually two words} that do not go together, but are used together. It is a bringing together of contradictory expressions.' Terms like 'old news,' 'extensive briefing,' 'direct circumvention' and 'random order' are oxymorons. Also concepts like 'an advanced state of decline' and 'expecting a surprise' are oxymorons.
PleonasmCombinations like 'frozen ice,' 'sharp point,' 'killed dead,' 'sandy beach,' 'young child,' 'positive praise,' and 'angry rage' are pleonasms.
Here are some ways you can use comical juxtaposition in a business world public speaking engagement:
Use a large copy of your company logo or company name on a slide or overhead, or in a drawing on your flipchart. Next to it, place extremely small logos or company names of your competitors. Use this as a greeting slide to a meeting or let it pop up as a slide or overhead at a strategic point in your presentation. You could draw an outline of a large duck around your company logo and little duckling outlines around the competition. You could say: 'Our company was born to lead and the others were meant to follow.'
Use an oxymoron in conjunction with a simile to drive home the point that something is a little out of kilter. You could say, 'Acme Co. claims that its market share is increasing, yet their sales are down while everyone elses' are up. It's just like a Jumbo Shrimp. It just doesn't make sense.'
Invite a tall person and a short person on stage when you call for audience participation. If you are considerably shorter than the tall person say, 'I don't want you to talk down to me.' If you are considerably taller than the short person say, 'I don't want you to feel like I'm talking down to you.' (be careful that the person you get on stage is not overly sensitive about their height.)
I staged an event at Washington National Airport where I had a huge 450-pound man and a very small man (three feet eleven inches) dressed as chauffeurs. They were waiting at the gate for a man from Japan arriving for his first visit to the United States.
To take the comical juxtaposition one step further, the small man was holding a gigantic sign with the Japanese man's name on it and the extra large man was holding a similar sign, except it was about the size of a business card. Believe me, we had the attention of everyone in the gate area. What a visual!
Now let's look at two specialized types of juxtaposition: oxymoron and pleonasm.
OxymoronWarren S. Blumenfeld, Ph.D., in his book Pretty Ugly states, 'I {passively tried} to warn you oxymorons had {almost absolutely} no socially redeeming quality except that they make people {smile out loud} and are addictive.' His first book on the subject was called Jumbo Shrimp
According to Dr. Blumenfeld, ;An oxymoron is two concepts {usually two words} that do not go together, but are used together. It is a bringing together of contradictory expressions.' Terms like 'old news,' 'extensive briefing,' 'direct circumvention' and 'random order' are oxymorons. Also concepts like 'an advanced state of decline' and 'expecting a surprise' are oxymorons.
PleonasmCombinations like 'frozen ice,' 'sharp point,' 'killed dead,' 'sandy beach,' 'young child,' 'positive praise,' and 'angry rage' are pleonasms.
Here are some ways you can use comical juxtaposition in a business world public speaking engagement:
Use a large copy of your company logo or company name on a slide or overhead, or in a drawing on your flipchart. Next to it, place extremely small logos or company names of your competitors. Use this as a greeting slide to a meeting or let it pop up as a slide or overhead at a strategic point in your presentation. You could draw an outline of a large duck around your company logo and little duckling outlines around the competition. You could say: 'Our company was born to lead and the others were meant to follow.'
Use an oxymoron in conjunction with a simile to drive home the point that something is a little out of kilter. You could say, 'Acme Co. claims that its market share is increasing, yet their sales are down while everyone elses' are up. It's just like a Jumbo Shrimp. It just doesn't make sense.'
Invite a tall person and a short person on stage when you call for audience participation. If you are considerably shorter than the tall person say, 'I don't want you to talk down to me.' If you are considerably taller than the short person say, 'I don't want you to feel like I'm talking down to you.' (be careful that the person you get on stage is not overly sensitive about their height.)
Friday, December 15, 2006
Public Speaking : Food is Funny
Food is funny. I heard a comic many years ago say 'Life is a Twinkie.' When there is no other way to explain some office calamity I say, 'I guess life is just a Twinkie.' I laugh off the tension, then I seriously take care of the problem.
There are lots of other funny foods like chicken soup, meatballs and Bill Cosby's favorite, Jello. If you majored in philosophy, you might find deep meaning in the Twinkie line. However, most of the rest of us would agree that the line was pure nonsense. This kind of wordplay can do wonders to jazz up a public speaking engagement, and that ain't chopped liver.
There are lots of other funny foods like chicken soup, meatballs and Bill Cosby's favorite, Jello. If you majored in philosophy, you might find deep meaning in the Twinkie line. However, most of the rest of us would agree that the line was pure nonsense. This kind of wordplay can do wonders to jazz up a public speaking engagement, and that ain't chopped liver.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Public Speaking : Fake Facts and Statistics
Stating falsehoods as if they are absolutely true is another fun way to play with the audience during a public speaking engagement. However, you must make the statements obviously false by your words and your facial expressions. When you use this technique in this fashion, you don't want to leave any doubt in the audience's mind whether you are being funny or not.
Deadpan expression, or keeping a straight face, is a good technique to couple with fake facts and statistics. Also, you should really, really sound like you are trying to convince the audience that what your saying is true. This overemphasis on the sound of truth also tells the audience you are lying.
One time I was doing a Secretaries Day function. I used an extremely serious voice when I told them that scientific studies had been conducted indicating that the only reason executives became executives was because they couldn't make it as secretaries. They loved it.
Another good technique to build up your joke is to use official sounding sources for the information. 'A study done for the Alaskan Pipeline Workers Union indicated that 97.2 percent of Alaskan Pipeline Workers wear No Nonsense panty hose.' When using this type of humor use 'exact numbers' which add an extra comic emphasis.
Deadpan expression, or keeping a straight face, is a good technique to couple with fake facts and statistics. Also, you should really, really sound like you are trying to convince the audience that what your saying is true. This overemphasis on the sound of truth also tells the audience you are lying.
One time I was doing a Secretaries Day function. I used an extremely serious voice when I told them that scientific studies had been conducted indicating that the only reason executives became executives was because they couldn't make it as secretaries. They loved it.
Another good technique to build up your joke is to use official sounding sources for the information. 'A study done for the Alaskan Pipeline Workers Union indicated that 97.2 percent of Alaskan Pipeline Workers wear No Nonsense panty hose.' When using this type of humor use 'exact numbers' which add an extra comic emphasis.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Public Speaking : Exaggeration
Expanding or diminishing proportions can be a fun way to create humor in a public speaking engagement. It's similar to a caricature artist that outrageously exaggerates the features of an individual, while still keeping the person recognizable.
I did a public speaking engagement one time for Secretaries Day at a large insurance company. I was making a point about how hectic it always was for the secretaries. It went like this, 'You're answering the telephone, the fax machine is ringing, you're making copies, and you're filing every policy clear back to 1910.' The secretaries could relate to each item mentioned. They obviously did lots of filing, but certainly not as far back as 1910. Exaggerating this date was funny to them and drove home the point that they always had lots of work piled up.
The key to using exaggeration is to inflate or deflate whatever you are talking about so much that it is obviously an exaggeration. In the last example you wouldn't want to use the year 1999 if you were doing the talk in 2000 because it is very likely that an insurance company would really be working on a file for a year or more. That's not funny.
Of course, who am I to tell you what is funny. I spent two terms in the third grade . . . Truman's and Eisenhower's. hahahahahahaa
I did a public speaking engagement one time for Secretaries Day at a large insurance company. I was making a point about how hectic it always was for the secretaries. It went like this, 'You're answering the telephone, the fax machine is ringing, you're making copies, and you're filing every policy clear back to 1910.' The secretaries could relate to each item mentioned. They obviously did lots of filing, but certainly not as far back as 1910. Exaggerating this date was funny to them and drove home the point that they always had lots of work piled up.
The key to using exaggeration is to inflate or deflate whatever you are talking about so much that it is obviously an exaggeration. In the last example you wouldn't want to use the year 1999 if you were doing the talk in 2000 because it is very likely that an insurance company would really be working on a file for a year or more. That's not funny.
Of course, who am I to tell you what is funny. I spent two terms in the third grade . . . Truman's and Eisenhower's. hahahahahahaa
Friday, December 08, 2006
Public Speaking : Definitions
You can use a quick comical definition to liven up a public speaking engagement. As always, make sure the word defined is relevant to the point you are trying to make. Here are some definitions I like:
Banker: A fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain. Mark Twain (similar quotation by Robert Frost).
You wouldn't use this one if you were talking to bankers, but if you are a banker talking to nonbankers you could change it thusly:
"Some people say that a banker is a person who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain. That is not true. I would lend you my umbrella anytime at X percent above prime with two points. (Possible extender line) If you want to borrow MONEY, that's a different story."
City Life: Millions of people being lonely together. Henry David Thoreau
Conservative:
A man who just sits and thinks, mostly sits. Woodrow Wilson
A man who is too cowardly to fight and too fat to run. Elbert Hubbard
A man with two perfectly good legs who has never learned to walk. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Death: To stop sinning suddenly. Elbert Hubbard
Jury: Twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer. Robert Frost
Radical: A man with both feet planted firmly in the air. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Song: The licensed medium for bawling in public things too silly or sacred to be uttered in ordinary speech. Oliver Herford
Zoo: A place devised for animals to study the habits of human beings. Oliver Herford
There are literally thousands of these definitions available in comedy books, quotation books, and books for speakers. In many cases you will have several to choose from on any given topic. I probably had at least 20 choices on the subject of conservatism alone.
Banker: A fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain. Mark Twain (similar quotation by Robert Frost).
You wouldn't use this one if you were talking to bankers, but if you are a banker talking to nonbankers you could change it thusly:
"Some people say that a banker is a person who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain. That is not true. I would lend you my umbrella anytime at X percent above prime with two points. (Possible extender line) If you want to borrow MONEY, that's a different story."
City Life: Millions of people being lonely together. Henry David Thoreau
Conservative:
A man who just sits and thinks, mostly sits. Woodrow Wilson
A man who is too cowardly to fight and too fat to run. Elbert Hubbard
A man with two perfectly good legs who has never learned to walk. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Death: To stop sinning suddenly. Elbert Hubbard
Jury: Twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer. Robert Frost
Radical: A man with both feet planted firmly in the air. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Song: The licensed medium for bawling in public things too silly or sacred to be uttered in ordinary speech. Oliver Herford
Zoo: A place devised for animals to study the habits of human beings. Oliver Herford
There are literally thousands of these definitions available in comedy books, quotation books, and books for speakers. In many cases you will have several to choose from on any given topic. I probably had at least 20 choices on the subject of conservatism alone.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Public Speaking : Comic Verse
Often a short poem will illustrate your point better than hours and hours of talk. Poems can be inspiring and motivating as well as funny, and they also add variety to your presentation. You must flawlessly memorize any poetry you use. Any stumbles will ruin the effect of the verse. If the verse is long, you may want to consider reading it, but total memorization will have more impact. Poetry, whether funny or not, should be used sparingly in any business presentation.
Always look for the points that a piece of comic verse could illustrate. You normally don't want to use any kind of humor that does not support the points you are trying to make.
POINT: Get going to achieve your goals. You have the tools, but you must pick them up and use them.
Sitting still and wishing Makes no person great. The Good Lord sends the fishes. But you must dig the bait. Anonymous
POINT: Look forward, not backward.
The lightning bug is a brilliant thing But the insect is so blind. It goes on stumbling through the world With its headlights on behind. Anonymous
POINT: Everyone starts at the bottom. That won't keep you from being great.
Do not worry if your job is small And your rewards are few. Just remember that the mighty oak Was once a nut, like you. Anonymous
Rewrite of the last verse (to make the audience feel superior to me)
Do not worry if your job is small With rewards you can't see. Just remember that the mighty oak Was once a nut, like me.
POINT: Ride out the tough stuff in life.
When the tides of life turn against you, And the current upsets your boat, Don't waste those tears on what might have been, Just lay on your back and float. Ed Norton The Honeymooners
POINT: If you have a problem, do something about it.
Life is real, Life is earnest If you're cold, Turn up the furnace. Herman Munster
LIMERICKS
POINT: Be careful whom you deal with.
There was a young lady from Niger, Who smiled as she rode on a tiger. They came back from the ride With the lady inside, And a smile on the face of the tiger.
POINT: Are you just coming along for the ride?
A silly young man from Port Clyde In a funeral procession was spied. Asked, 'ho is dead?' He giggled and said, 'I don't know. I just came for the ride.'
POINT: Quit fighting.
There once were two cats in Kilkenny. Each cat thought there was one too many. So they scratched and they fit And they tore and they bit, Til instead of two there weren't any.
In the famous words of Marie Antoinette 'Keep cool when all's done and said Above all remember, don't lose your head.'
Always look for the points that a piece of comic verse could illustrate. You normally don't want to use any kind of humor that does not support the points you are trying to make.
POINT: Get going to achieve your goals. You have the tools, but you must pick them up and use them.
Sitting still and wishing Makes no person great. The Good Lord sends the fishes. But you must dig the bait. Anonymous
POINT: Look forward, not backward.
The lightning bug is a brilliant thing But the insect is so blind. It goes on stumbling through the world With its headlights on behind. Anonymous
POINT: Everyone starts at the bottom. That won't keep you from being great.
Do not worry if your job is small And your rewards are few. Just remember that the mighty oak Was once a nut, like you. Anonymous
Rewrite of the last verse (to make the audience feel superior to me)
Do not worry if your job is small With rewards you can't see. Just remember that the mighty oak Was once a nut, like me.
POINT: Ride out the tough stuff in life.
When the tides of life turn against you, And the current upsets your boat, Don't waste those tears on what might have been, Just lay on your back and float. Ed Norton The Honeymooners
POINT: If you have a problem, do something about it.
Life is real, Life is earnest If you're cold, Turn up the furnace. Herman Munster
LIMERICKS
POINT: Be careful whom you deal with.
There was a young lady from Niger, Who smiled as she rode on a tiger. They came back from the ride With the lady inside, And a smile on the face of the tiger.
POINT: Are you just coming along for the ride?
A silly young man from Port Clyde In a funeral procession was spied. Asked, 'ho is dead?' He giggled and said, 'I don't know. I just came for the ride.'
POINT: Quit fighting.
There once were two cats in Kilkenny. Each cat thought there was one too many. So they scratched and they fit And they tore and they bit, Til instead of two there weren't any.
In the famous words of Marie Antoinette 'Keep cool when all's done and said Above all remember, don't lose your head.'
Monday, December 04, 2006
Public Speaking : Caricature, Cartoons and Comic Strips
When certain prominent features of something or someone are highlighted and other features are diminished, that is called caricature. Studies have found that it is easier to identify a political leader from a caricature than from a real photograph.
You can use caricatures of yourself in your own promotional material or in your programs to make fun of yourself. You can do the same thing to make fun of your competitors or your competitor's products by amplifying whatever feature you want to emphasize.
Caricature artists are not too hard to locate. Many times you can find them by looking in the yellow pages under the categories of entertainment or party planning because they frequently perform at parties.
Cartoons and Comic Strips are the most universally accepted formats for humor across cultures. Find out why by viewing this website's article:
'Show 'em' When You Cross Cultures'.
There are three ways to use cartoons: first, you can tell the audience about a cartoon you saw; second, you can cut the cartoon out of its publication and show it; and third, you can make up a cartoon yourself.
I saw a cartoon once where a lady was holding a gun to her purse. The caption said, 'Give up the keys!' I use this example in my Business Lite Seminar when I want to illustrate the use of humor to help ease the tension in embarrassing situations. (I have also used this line many times when I am with a woman who is fumbling through her purse.) When I tell the audience I saw a cartoon, it helps them paint a mental picture of what I am describing with words.
Describing a cartoon is an easy method for using cartoons without having them physically available or needing audio/visual equipment to show them. Showing a cartoon is a more powerful way to convey its humorous message. This is especially true in international audiences where the visual aspect takes on a greater significance. In a very small crowd I might hold up the cartoon or I might pass it around. In larger audiences, the cartoon should be projected (don't forget to get permission from the copyright holder) so everyone can see it clearly. I like this method better anyway because I can control when it pops up on the screen. I want everyone to see the cartoon simultaneously so their laughter will be cumulative. Try to fill the frame of the visual with your cartoon or comic strip. You will create a greater impact.
The third way to use cartoons is to make them yourself. When I first started teaching this subject I could not take advantage of this method unless I hired an artist. Things are different now. There are a number of inexpensive computer software programs available which can be used, one of which is Corel Draw. This program has 25,000 pieces of electronic clip art, many of which are cartoons. I can make custom overhead cartoons for my speaking engagements. All I do is pick an applicable cartoon, add a custom caption for my audience.
You can use caricatures of yourself in your own promotional material or in your programs to make fun of yourself. You can do the same thing to make fun of your competitors or your competitor's products by amplifying whatever feature you want to emphasize.
Caricature artists are not too hard to locate. Many times you can find them by looking in the yellow pages under the categories of entertainment or party planning because they frequently perform at parties.
Cartoons and Comic Strips are the most universally accepted formats for humor across cultures. Find out why by viewing this website's article:
'Show 'em' When You Cross Cultures'.
There are three ways to use cartoons: first, you can tell the audience about a cartoon you saw; second, you can cut the cartoon out of its publication and show it; and third, you can make up a cartoon yourself.
I saw a cartoon once where a lady was holding a gun to her purse. The caption said, 'Give up the keys!' I use this example in my Business Lite Seminar when I want to illustrate the use of humor to help ease the tension in embarrassing situations. (I have also used this line many times when I am with a woman who is fumbling through her purse.) When I tell the audience I saw a cartoon, it helps them paint a mental picture of what I am describing with words.
Describing a cartoon is an easy method for using cartoons without having them physically available or needing audio/visual equipment to show them. Showing a cartoon is a more powerful way to convey its humorous message. This is especially true in international audiences where the visual aspect takes on a greater significance. In a very small crowd I might hold up the cartoon or I might pass it around. In larger audiences, the cartoon should be projected (don't forget to get permission from the copyright holder) so everyone can see it clearly. I like this method better anyway because I can control when it pops up on the screen. I want everyone to see the cartoon simultaneously so their laughter will be cumulative. Try to fill the frame of the visual with your cartoon or comic strip. You will create a greater impact.
The third way to use cartoons is to make them yourself. When I first started teaching this subject I could not take advantage of this method unless I hired an artist. Things are different now. There are a number of inexpensive computer software programs available which can be used, one of which is Corel Draw. This program has 25,000 pieces of electronic clip art, many of which are cartoons. I can make custom overhead cartoons for my speaking engagements. All I do is pick an applicable cartoon, add a custom caption for my audience.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Public Speaking : CallBacks
If you refer to a word or phrase you mentioned earlier in your presentation, that's a 'callback.' It works well if the previous piece of material got a good laugh, or if it was a groaner. If the previous material was good, mentioning it again will get more laughter and will make you look polished for being able to tie the previous material to the present material. If the previous material was poor, the callback will show your willingness to tease yourself, which is an admirable quality the audience appreciates.
Here's how it works: Let's say you used a successful two-liner in your presentation 'Don't rely on health books too much. You could die of a misprint'. Later in your presentation someone might notice a misspelling in one of your handouts or visuals. You could then 'call back' and say, 'See, that's one of those misprints I was telling you about earlier.'
Another thing that might happen, that is just as good, is that one or more of the audience members might make the connection and do the callback for you. One of them may blurt out something about your health book line. That's great if they do. You are getting them involved and allowing them to feel superior to you, which makes them the stars. You could then comeback with, 'See, I put that there to test you.' When you really get confident, you might actually make the misprint on purpose to set up this whole scenario.
Here's how it works: Let's say you used a successful two-liner in your presentation 'Don't rely on health books too much. You could die of a misprint'. Later in your presentation someone might notice a misspelling in one of your handouts or visuals. You could then 'call back' and say, 'See, that's one of those misprints I was telling you about earlier.'
Another thing that might happen, that is just as good, is that one or more of the audience members might make the connection and do the callback for you. One of them may blurt out something about your health book line. That's great if they do. You are getting them involved and allowing them to feel superior to you, which makes them the stars. You could then comeback with, 'See, I put that there to test you.' When you really get confident, you might actually make the misprint on purpose to set up this whole scenario.
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