Jeremy Donovan's study of TED talks suggests you can create humor by focusing on:
- Superiority - find some "superiors" whom you can make fun of (e.g., academics, politicians, bosses, etc.)
- Surprise - put a normal person in an extraordinary situation or put a normal person in an ordinary situation (e.g, "It used to be that Superman would change from Clark Kent after he went into a phone booth. Where would Superman find a phone booth today? If he didn't use a phone booth would he simply duck into a bathroom and change? And how would he explain why he came out of a bathroom dressed like that?"
- Emotional release - discuss an emotional topic in a lighthearted way (e.g., "...the entire family was gathered around an old lady's sickbed. An old friend came into the room, carrying a picture of the old lady, which he passed around to the mourners. A very young family member, seeing the picture says, "Wow! Grandma was drop-dead gorgeous!")
Tim Wilson
Professional Speech Coach
Free speaking tips at: http://speakingquicktips.blogspot.com
