Styles of Comedy – Honest Opinion vs Ironic Character

Standup comedians often discuss and sometimes argue about what constitutes an effective joke or bit, or even an effective act. While comedy may seem to some like an arbitrary art or craft, dictated only by “Whatever's funny is funny”, in fact some very firm and logical rules apply, which will yield predictable results more often than not.

In the case many of the detailed decisions within a comedy bit, perfect prediction of success is nearly impossible, and thus live experimentation with an audience is the bread and butter of a comedian's act. Is “New Jersey” or “Madagascar” a funnier ending to a specific joke, as measured by audience reaction? Does a French accent in one passage make a bit more or less effective? Is a hard swear word necessary within a certain punchline to get a satisfactory level of laughter? These are all options that need to be test driven in the field, so to speak, on a standup stage with some sort of crowd, ideally in a low-stakes situation, meaning a lack of industry gatekeepers.

I often talk of the “chemistry” of different elements within a comedian's bit and the unknowable 'X factor' of what word, what voice modulation, what gesture, volume, attitude and so forth will yield great results or not for a specific comedian in a given moment. Certainly at the beginning of the joke-crafting process, most comedians put the greatest emphasis on the words. There are exceptions- impressionists, prop or musical comedians, extremely physical comedians, who may emphasize vocal characterizations, melodies or sight gags early on in the process- but if one had to generalize, the construction of the words is where most comedians begin the joke-writing process.

While the tiniest specifics, often boiling down to matters of an almost ethereal subtlety, must be put to the test of live human interaction by A.) performing them out loud in a committed manner, and B.) observing them bounce off an objective and receptive audience, there are some very basic overview decisions that a comedian can safely make at the outset. One of the most primal divisions between comedians acts, I believe, is that between what I will call the Honest Opinion Talkers and the Ironic Extreme Characters. So, let me explain....

Back in the very early days of standup comedy, from the twenties and thirties onward, comedians told jokes, very short jokes, and the art of comedy was meant to entertain in a very light and superficial way. The jokes were clever and surface-level, had a fairly generic quality and not only could be used by more than one comedian, they often were. Henny Youngman said “Take my wife, please.” Milton Berle quipped “We grew together. I grew up. She grew sideways.” Bob Hope mused “I've been playing golf so long that my handicap is in Roman numerals.”

Sometimes these early comedians worked facts of their lives into their acts, but mainly the jokes were close to interchangeable with others sharing their general persona, rather than the kind of unique, biography-based material that's so commonly today. The persona of these joke tellers onstage was the polished professional entertainer, period. They were not pushing a figure of ex-auto mechanic, former school teacher or one of ten children brought up in a house with eccentric parents. With these comedians what you got was basically what you saw- a suit-clad entertainer keeping things moving along with zingers. Whimsical philosophical explorations; naked, vulnerable honesty, and powerfully controversial points of view were not what this comedy was about. If truths were embedded in the material, it was fleeting and submerged, in favor of light-hearted punchlines.

A classic character act tells “lies” because they have a tragicomic blind spot and don't know what's really going on. Their jokes are tightly crafted and the punchlines come quick and hard-hitting. Great character acts have a very strong quirky voice and style on stage, so that everything they say, even the most basic top-of-set introduction and the driest setups get laughs because of what's being related by their appearance, gestures, facial features and vocal qualities. When Larry The Cable Guy says “My brother got eliminated from the spelling bee. Apparently, there ain't no number eight in the word 'pollinate',” we know that this never happened. His brother never thought there was an '8' in the word 'pollinate', and we doubt his brother even did a spelling bee. Maybe he doesn't even have a brother! Larry's character is extreme and it's also the way he says it. It's funny because it isn't true. He's playing a character with very strong eccentricities- a classic self-deprecating, oblivious fool with a sheen of bravado. It's classic character we see different variations of again and again.

Rodney Dangerfield informs us: “Last week I told my psychiatrist, 'I keep thinking about suicide.' He told me from now on I have to pay in advance.” The audience instantly knows this interaction did not happen between Dangerfield and a psychiatrist. But the line is very funny in its elegant economy, and it relates the spirit of Rodney's self-lacerating identity. Strong character acts have exaggerated voices and mannerisms, which help reinforce the perspective that the “character” is coming from. In other words, the flamboyant oddness of the comedian's persona reinforces their ignorance of the real world. It also makes all of their words entertaining even before they've said anything funny on paper.

On the opposite side of this comedic divide we have the plain conversationalists, or those sharing honest opinions. They are also sometimes called “monologists,” a very different usage than as relates to the generic term “monologue,” which just means one person speaking.

The honest opinion comedians can share stories from their life, or create a bit based on their attitude toward a general phenomenon, or even tell short observational jokes, but the common denominator is that the material is not based on fictional left-turns that the audience knows could never have happened The comedic bits are based upon some type of interpretation of real phenomena, often using the constructs of “what if,” analogies or rich description in order to get laughs. Honest opinion comedians must utilize deeper analytical abilities and generally work high up in their intelligence to work very high up in the craft. The audience “trusts” that the honest conversationalist comedian is essentially telling the truth and standing behind what he or she is saying. They are not just ironic zingers as said through a wacky character version of themselves. Honest opinion comedians can stretch and enhance things sometimes in terms of their actual opinions, and even embellish seemingly nonfictional stories, but the point is that the audience believes it could be true, and it feels as if there are philosophical, social or even scientific truths being told, which are very funny at the same time.

Popular comedian Patton Oswalt has a classic bit, many years old, about how the menu at Black Angus is so full of decadent, highly caloric items that it seems like a hostile “dare” or challenge to the customer. He describes a fictionalized menu item with a comically endless litany of fattening ingredients. It doesn't matter that the item and its ingredients are fictionalized to attain the comedic effect. What matters is that Oswalt really does think that Black Angus' menu is full of over-the-top, unhealthy items, and seemingly much of America would agree. We all understand that he's giving us exaggeration. But what's important is that the basic premise is very real and honest and that the exaggerated execution only highlights a concrete truth.

Bill Burr, whose act is based on a lot of daring social and lightly political commentary, is master of taking seemingly controversial, unpopular (especially among the audience he's playing to), politically incorrect stances on issues, and then defending said stances to the crowd like a criminal lawyer. Burr wins over the audience with his very strongly crafted cases that seem to be fighting an uphill battle, making his astute- and hilarious- points all the more impressive.

On one especially killer bit, Burr questions the seemingly prevailing wisdom among many women- which was proclaimed on Oprah's show- that being a mother is the most difficult job in the world. Burr launches into a tirade about how twisted and rigged that conclusion must be, how much easier many full time mothers actually have it than they'd like us to believe, and then talks about jobs which really are the most difficult. He relates the topic to one of his own jobs earlier in life, stating: “I thought roofing in the middle of July as a redhead was.” Burr then continues, elaborating with comedic specificity all of the luxurious and comfortable amenities full time mothers enjoy on the job. Whether you mostly agree or disagree with his claim, Burr's bit stands on the honest truth of his convictions and even if the specific examples can be argued, the truth of the assertion to him cannot be and that's what makes it very effective.

Lastly, in my own act I have a bit about wondering what my great achievements will be at the end of my life. I say that if one is famous, one's greatest achievements- in the form of a professional label- go right on the gravestone, underneath your name. I then list what will be under my name on my gravestone, “Comedian... Substitute Teacher.... Tech Support Specialist.... Door to Door Census Worker (seasonally).....” And it keeps going. The idea is that rather than the simple, elegant statement of “Sir Laurence Olivier – Actor” or “George Washington – President”, my gravestone will be diluted by the many unspectacular jobs I've had. As with the previous examples, the bit's strength is in the elaboration and writing of specific references with a building exaggeration, as opposed to the clipped, hyper-economical jokes/punchlines of the ironic character act. And the premise is an attitude, opinion or thought that the comedian really has.

Either type of act- ironic character or honest opinion conversationalist- can make for a very strong and successful performer, but understanding the division between the two is important, as is adhering to one or the other style consistently. While some comedians blur the line and do both kinds of jokes, a large scale study of standup comedians will show almost all immensely famous and high impacting performers come out of the population of comedians staying strictly on one side of the line.

You might be wondering-- if you're not concerned with being a stage performing standup comedian, but are just delivering the occasional roast speech for a private or business events, how do these two schools of standup impact relate to the roast jokes you will be telling. That's a good question. Roast jokes can actually cross over the line between honest opinion and ironic make-believe, although they tend toward the former. The roast form has its own specific situational needs which transcend the rules of a regular standup act, which is persona-based over the long haul, while a roast is much more material-based covering what is usually a concentrated burst of jokes lasting 10 minutes or less. Whichever comedic activity you may be up to in the near (or far) future, you can always consider hiring a professional comedy writer to help get you on your feet and getting laughs right away! A good example of such is Funny Biz Speech Writers- mention the word “Flapjack” to get 10% off on your first order and a complimentary insult.