As a rule of thumb, a funny blog draws readers. Humor connects us, brings perspective to serious topics, and exposes deep truths. We “Like” posts that make us laugh, share them on Facebook, tell our friends about them, and eagerly await each new opportunity to guffaw.
Despite this, humor writing can seem daunting. To demystify the process, we assembled an all-star team of beloved, boffo bloggers who agreed to pull back the curtain on the Wizard of HAs.
(What? Puns are funny! Our experts agree!)
Our distinguished panel of humorists includes:
- Matt, the self-proclaimed “greatest blogger of his generation” behind You Monsters are People.
- Darla, who brings the plaid and the funny at She’s a Maineiac.
- Len, the enfant terrible responsible for Blurt.
- Katie, proprietress and head bouncer at Sass & Balderdash.
- Julie, of the often-imitated, never equaled Fear No Weebles.
Let’s get right into it. Please explain how to be funny.
MATT: Being funny is a trick of confidence. Once you’ve got people believing you are funny, you can say almost anything and they’ll take it as a joke.
DARLA: Easy — just open up your eyes and observe.
LEN: What’s funny is out there; it’s up to us to spot it. Being funny is more about recognizing funny and finding the best way to communicate that to someone else.
I think humor is something that occurs naturally in the environment. It probably should be an element, or maybe a compound. (I’ll probably be sorry I said that because if they make it a compound I’ll never remember the formula.)
MATT: Right! Get out there and see what happens. I intentionally throw myself into bizarre and sometimes dangerous situations just for the story. You don’t have to do that, but it might not be a bad idea to get off the davenport.
JULIE: This one’s tougher to swing, but being born to funny parents has benefitted me enormously. If you can do that, you should.
Do you think of yourself as funny? Is “funny” something you try for?
KATIE: I think I’m hilarious. Anyone that has even the smallest, osteoporosis-ridden funny bone needs to think they’re funny in order to really own their style of humor. The more you “try” to be funny, the more you suck at it.
JULIE: I don’t try too hard to be funny because when I do, I bomb. See, right now I’m trying really hard to think of ways to be more entertaining, and I’m getting performance anxiety. That’s not funny.
In general, though, I do think of myself as funny. That’s one of the few traits I’m confident about.
DARLA: I grew up with five brothers and had to survive somehow. It was either make a joke or get put in a headlock and suffer the suffocating farts o’ shame. Although I don’t think they thought I was very funny.
I had a cruel childhood. Most humorous people did. Thanks for bringing it up.
I had a cruel childhood. Most humorous people did. Thanks for bringing it up.
— Darla, She’s a Maineiac
JULIE: I was an overweight kid who was the tallest one in her class, with frizzy hair, buck teeth (and then braces) and glasses. I was teased a LOT. If you’re going to be teased a lot, you better have some good comebacks or you’re doomed.
MATT: As a kid I would tell stories in the lunch room or during gym to make everyone laugh…not a lot has changed since then.
LEN: I don’t think of myself as funny. I’ve had the blog going for a few years now and it still surprises me when people tell me they look forward to reading it. My family is way funnier than I am.
I was born to be a straight man. The real me is quiet. I think most people who read my stuff would think otherwise.
How do you get the funny into a post? What does your writing process look like?
LEN: The most challenging part is developing a topic. Humor is the start of most of my posts. I’m usually writing about something that strikes me as funny, so I see the jokes when I see the topic. More funny concepts come up during the writing itself. My best writing comes when I allow myself to “what if” my original ideas.
When I am writing well, my posts almost write themselves. Being conscious of my process has helped me become a better writer. It also has enabled me to sound more pretentious, like in that last sentence.
Being conscious of my process has helped me become a better writer. It also has enabled me to sound more pretentious, like in that last sentence.
— Len, Blurt
KATIE: Whereas when I sit down, I know what topic I’m going to write about, but I have no idea how or even if it’s going to be funny until I actually start typing.
MATT: I usually begin writing whether I have anything funny or profound to say about a given topic or not. I pick whatever’s been on my mind during the day. If the post ends up being funny, then I might elaborate on a few bits to make it funnier or inject a little fantasy; that’s usually when I incorporate my illustrations.
What about mixing the funny with more serious topics?
DARLA: Tragedy and comedy are tightly connected. There is nothing more freeing than talking about a heavy subject only to lighten the mood with some laughter. I truly believe laughter saves us. However, it’s a delicate process, one that shouldn’t be treated lightly. You have to gain readers’ trust, not alienate them.
LEN: That relationship definitely helps. Being able to write humor on serious topics becomes easier the better my audience and I know one another. Long-term readers come to know my voice as a writer.
Humor in serious topics is risky, but a lot of fun. A big part of pulling it off is establishing with the reader that you don’t see yourself as above criticism. Being able and willing to mock yourself is important when you’re walking the line between levity and going too far.
MATT: I think it also helps to have some ownership of the thing you’re writing about. People tend to get angry when you joke on issues that you know nothing about. It doesn’t make sense to even try and tackle a serious subject if you can’t be frank and open about your experiences.
If other bloggers want to explore humor writing, is it something they can practice? Can someone get funnier?
LEN: Absolutely. But becoming a funnier writer isn’t about increasing your funny, it is about becoming a better writer. Become better at bringing your reader to the moment you discovered something that made you grin.
It’s also important to get over the fear of not being funny. Try. Write it. Put it out there.
KATIE: We’re all always practicing — you have to. The more you practice, the more comfortable you get with your voice, the more potential you have to see more opportunities to be funny. Kind of how Madonna’s voice got better over the years.
Maybe that was just autotune. Whatever, you can’t autotune humor, it just takes practice.
You can’t autotune humor, it just takes practice.
– Katie, Sass & Balderdash
DARLA: You can absolutely fine-tune the funny by writing more and more. Then go back and cut your words down. For me, the more I edit, the easier it is to get my point across and make people laugh. People want to be entertained by your words, not put to sleep by them. Less is more. Let your imagination go to the place where the crazy good stuff comes out — then edit and give it a rhythm.
JULIE: Editing is key. For instance, right now I’m writing a post and I have only a vague idea of the direction it’s going to go in, or how it’s going to be funny. It will probably shape itself as I write, and rewrite, and rewrite
MATT: Even when you’re not writing, work to see multiple perspectives. Having a different point of view while acknowledging others is good comedy maintenance.
Learn as much as possible, too. Intelligent people are always going to be funnier; they know more, so they have a deeper pool to draw from.
JULIE: Smart always makes funny funnier.
Comedy comes in many forms — physical comedy, satire, black comedy, absurdism, stupid pet tricks, knock-knock jokes. What’s the funniest?*
MATT: Satire.
DARLA: Satire.
LEN: Satire.
KATIE: Satire.
JULIE: Satire.
MATT: Satire has to be first because it’s just so damn important. I genuinely doubt that I would want to live in a world without satire.
DARLA: I love it because it boldly exposes the truth and forces you to think.
KATIE: It gives you the chance to really poke fun at something in an exaggerated, over-the-top way that’s apt to ruffle a few feathers.
The least funny?
KATIE: There’s nothing funny about babies or animals acting like humans, because why ruin a perfectly good thing? Animals and babies are only awesome because they’re not adult humans.
LEN: Agreed. Although I think it’s important to point out that a monkey riding a dog is always funny.
(Ed. note: totally agreed.)
If I wrote a Cathy comic, I’d have her kill her judgmental mom and get over her body image problems in the very first panel.
— Matt, You Monsters Are People
JULIE: Nothing is less funny than most prime-time television. NOTHING. Even Gallagher, and he’s not even close to being funny.
MATT: This wasn’t on the list, but I’d like to nominate the “Cathy” comic strip. Cathy never went anywhere, did anything, or had anything important to say about life. She just went to the office, came home, worried about being ugly, and yelled “Ack.” If I wrote a Cathy comic, I’d have her kill her judgmental mom and get over her body image problems in the very first panel.
Any parting thoughts? Make ’em good.
LEN: Agents: I will write for food. Call me.
KATIE: The most important thing about being funny is understanding that everyone is funny in their own way, and the great thing about humor is it’s impossible to measure because it’s so subjective — so put your ruler and protractor away. As for your audience, come to terms with the reality that sometimes they’ll be laughing with you, sometimes they’ll be laughing at you, and sometimes they’ll be laughing because your shoes don’t match and your fly is down.
MATT: Support thoughtful, creative individuals wherever you find them and practice trying to be one yourself.
LEN: Be grateful to your readers. Acknowledge their comments, and return the favor if they’re writers too.
Thanks, all!
Any questions from the peanut gallery?
——-
*Note: bloggers were asked to rank the following, from most to least funny: Spit takes, Puns, British-style absurdo-comedy, Prat falls, Gallagher, Babies/animals acting like adult humans, Satire, and Prime-time television. The editors of The Daily Post acknowledge that this is not an exhaustive list and that humor is deeply subjective, although we were heartened to see than “Puns” ranked fairly well across the board.
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Darla is hands down my favorite funny lady! She is a tough act to follow!
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About the tough act–agreed. I’ve only just discovered her through this little shindig, and along with the others, I’m not sure how I was included in this list… I think there was some mistake, but keep that on the DL.
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Hey Katie, I didn’t recognize your blog’s name. But, I recognize your gravatar. I’ve seen you over at Kerry’s Organized Chaos.
I’ll be stopping by as soon as I feed the kidlings. And, I will definitely keep your honorable mention on the DL.
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You have a new fan Weebs, I want to learn from the master. I am but a grasshopper.
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Thank you, ma’am! I like grasshoppers.
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Congrats Weebs! You so richly deserve to be here with all your wonderful funny. I’ll have to explore these other funny blogging peeps and I salute you and your funniness, m’dear!
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Awww thanks, B!
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This is really good! I´ve always thought I was a funny person but never considered writing my blogs in the funny style… now that I read this ..I think I may consider trying to practice to write funny.
Thanks for the good answers and if any of the guests would like to answer me, would you ever been doomed or scolded by comments on your blogs when you made fun of something?
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Yes, I did have a few negative reactions to a post that was intended to be funny. It was a post about how sometimes a mom needs to take a break from the insanity and hide in the only place she knows is safe– the bathroom. It was intended as tongue-in-cheek and people actually left me comments telling me I was a horrible mother and shouldn’t have had kids. I admit, it stung. Because obviously, I love my kids dearly. But then I just deleted their comments and realized lots of other people actually ‘got’ my humor and didn’t take it seriously.
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Yeah….you can always delete what you don’t like 🙂 and yep people always don´t get the funny part but I´m glad you overcame this and kept the funny 🙂 thanks for answering!
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I wrote something about Sarah Palin once. Well, twice, because I was curious after the first time. God, did I get hate mail. And the weirdest part was that the same people followed my blog and picked me up on Twitter, as if to keep an eye on me. When I mentioned her again, same thing.
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Actually, you can always make fun of politicians 🙂 but you´re always going to get bad comments from this, but it doesn´t stop from being funny, they will always be! so keep it up with the funny thing! Thanks for answering!
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I’ve ruffled a lot of feathers but they’ve mostly been with posts I didn’t intend to be funny anyway. They were posts that I knew would probably raise some hackles, and sure enough they did. But with the humor posts, I haven’t received any snarky comments—YET.
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A great read. Humour is tough. I never know because my posts don’t even make me smile. Maybe because I edit them to death. Am eternally grateful for anyone who stops by “Honey.”
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Write a post from the perspective of a dog. There is no way that won’t be funny.
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😆
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These are all great points of view on being funny and as I actually know a couple of them I feel like, for once, I might be sitting at… well, maybe near… the cool kid’s table. Funny typically starts with a basic thought for a post, one great line, or simple idea, the proverbial “light bulb” going on.Then as the writing process happens, gets better and better. I agree with several of the people who commented above… if you write something and it makes you laugh, sometimes really laugh, then you can be pretty confident it will make readers laugh.
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That is SO true! I usually don’t laugh too much at my posts but a few have made me tear up because I’m laughing so hard. Those are the gems. (like my pretzel-foot walking post)
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Now there’s someone who should have been on the panel. Seriously man, they put us up at this resort. It was great, you should have been there.
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Len is right—this place was awesome. Len trashed his hotel room and I went skinny dipping in the lobby fountain, and Darla…well, I better not talk about that.
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Patiently awaiting YouTube video of shame.
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We’re negotiating the rights and money with TMZ, but it should be out soon.
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Never speak of that night, Weebs.
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Yes. I’m not ashamed. I just need the statute of limitations to run out.
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And we’ll always have the YouTube videos to remember it all.
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Quite honestly, I think that Toothache is FAR FUNNIER than I am, but a number of people who know me at my Home, apparently think I am HILARIOUS???.
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Congrats to Julie and Darla. I love it when someone I know gets all famous so then I can be like I totally knew that famous person first. Also, it’s good to find new funny blogs. Always need more of those.
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thanks, Alice. I’m in such good company with these other bloggers. Very honored to be here among them.
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Whoops, I forgot to type correctly there. 🙂
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Hey, I know most of these people – time to get to know the rest. Good call on the casting, Daily Poster (may I call you DP?)
“Humor connects us, brings perspective to serious topics, and exposes deep truths.” THIS is deeply true. What might look like flippancy to those unendowed with the humor gene, is often just an attempt to get our heads around topics that would otherwise leave us curled up on the floor in a fetal position.
Congratulations to each of your panel, although I must admit to some favoritism as I love Darla like a daughter (the one I had when I was 8 – I was a precocious child.)
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Oh, Peg, you made me tear up!
Wait a sec….then that would make Dave Barry and Erma Bombeck my grandparents. Oh, Pop-pop! Please, send me money!
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I prefer “Ms. Daily Poster.”
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Anything involving a pratfall is funny.
Anything using the word “moist” is not.
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(except that joke.) 😉
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Agreed. Along with people being hit in the head with thrown objects, provided no permanent injury occurs. Sometimes even then.
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What is it with people hating the word “moist”? Mr. Weebles hates it too. So I try to use it as often as possible.
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“I had a cruel childhood. Most humorous people did.” -Darla these words are going to inspire many people. I hope you remember once we had a chat regarding this, how you never fail to entertain all of us your readers with your humor.
“People want to be entertained by your words, not put to sleep by them.” And it’s a perfect piece of advice. It’s something on which I have been working since past few months and hoping someday I am going to keep it short while getting my point across.
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Thanks, Arindam. When in doubt, cut it out. That’s what I try to do anyway. I edit and slash entire paragraphs. It’s hard but helps a ton in getting to the point of your story and not losing readers in the process.
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Satire and puns are definitely the best
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Congratulations!!! I have loved Darla’s blog and just recently started following Madame Weebles! I’ll get double the trouble! 🙂
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I’ll have to check out the others!
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You won’t be disappointed with Madame Weebles.
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Blurt is the reason I stuck around when I first checked out WordPress. I hope you won’t hold that against him.
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Speaking of people who can spot funny in the environment, Hippie, ladies and gentlemen. Hippie Cahier!
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Thats the thing about humor, you never know whether your being funny or not. People tell me all the time my blog is funny but really, i’m just being truthful.
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Obviously I am doing something right purely by assotiation by following Darla, Weebles and Katie’s blogs.
And now I get to check out more humour blogs and totally increase my cool points.
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What I find funny is when the comment or action is unexpected. Julie, you’re spot-on when you say that “Nothing is less funny than most prime-time television. NOTHING ” I discovered years ago that the sitcoms are more situation than comedies … and that’s why I rarely watch TV any more. Darla, you do have a wonderful blend of humor and serious posts – not at the same time. That’s what keeps me coming back for more. 🙂
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Thanks, Judy. I haven’t written a serious post in awhile. Might have to try it again.
I also had prime-time TV at the absolute least funny. I miss the days of Cheers and Seinfeld. There is really nothing good on prime-time TV anymore.
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When I can predict the sight gags and punch lines … it’s old. That, for me, defines most prime-time TV shows. Like you, Darla, I look elsewhere for my humor.
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Clearly no one on this panel know the right answer to what is funniest. I can’t believe no on said the right answer, which is puns. It takes someone quite talented at doing puns to get someone to groan on a consistent basis.
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I love how every single one of you son’s of bitch’s answered satire. It is the best way to do comedy and I believe the most effective a bringing out a good laugh. As Katie said, you can be over the top and just poke fun at things. It’s quite grand.
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Whenever I spoil my own reputation in my blog, people find it so funny! And yeah, they want more 😛
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If you’re going to poke fun at other people and things, you can’t take yourself off the table. Besides, you practically live with yourself. Who are you going to see do more dopey stuff than yourself.
Yeah, Len, that’s well written.
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Len, even your comments crack me up!
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Satire is good, it just doesn’t always translate over text. But that won’t stop me from trying!
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Count me in as a believer in not trying to be who you are not …. thus I don’t post funny …. but I have a quirky sense of humor that occasionally comes out. A tip of the cap to your skills! Cheers Weebs!
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Thanks Frank! You do have a quirky sense of humor and I enjoy it greatly.
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Quirky is a a good word. 🙂
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My main take-away from this is that I likely need to include a monkey riding a dog in most of my posts.
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My work here is done.
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Your blog is The Shiznit even without the monkey riding the dog, lady.
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So I should go to her blog, and look at the impending monkey and dog as the icing carrot on the cream cheese icing?
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YES. A million times yes. Reading her blog is like a heroin high, puppies and kittens, chocolate, great sex, and a really good pee, all at the same time.
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I second that, Weebs. Her blogs is all that….especially the good pee part.
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Whiplash the monkey is a personal favorite of mine. http://cdn2.content.compendiumblog.com/uploads/user/384bc891-ccb4-476d-9e8d-e047d107a91f/0a2fdb53-0973-4a8e-8782-f827fd20e0db/Image/320a3d8f8db8fc5bdc31ed89be503af8/tommy_lucia_and_whiplash_altered2_w640.jpeg
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Darla and Len – Oh, yeah! Definitely can’t start my week without them.
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Thank you! I’ve got maybe 49 good years left. You’re on your own after I turn 100.
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Thanks so much, Jean!
And I’m so sorry.
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The ability to connect with your readers is what makes a blog funny! Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of rambling…
Also, it’s good to have a character in comedy. They teach that in stand-up; create a character and be that character while you’re performing. I’ve applied that to writing comedy. I consider myself performing when I’m writing and it’s extremely helpful to get into character and then the funny comes! Plus, I do a lot of praying…
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I don’t think people should discourage someone who “tries” to be funny. I did- all the time as a kid and often a ham becomes funny later. I have family who mock me still for what kind of kid I was. My uncle who flew missions is Libya and was the table entertainer told me that he wished I’d shut up. I would hate him, except a careful analysis reveals insecurity in HIM. The truth is he was fun. He told stories that I don’t even know if they were true, like junking a plane landing on an aircraft carrier and doing $20M in damage.
If it was B.S., it was seamless- a true lie that if you believe it, you are daft. I do know they got a new pilot to do a piss test. Then he returns and they laugh.
Some of the funniest shit is REALLY funny for a minute and the retelling is not so much. Nine years ago, I saw Sasha Baron Cohen play Ali G… he BSed C. Everett Coop, women’s rights groups and was vulgar, made fun of astrophysicists asking if the biggest number ever was “9999999999… 99999999999999… 999…”. The physicist interrupted and said “no” and Ali G (Cohen) said, “Me ain’t finished”, staring him down, continuing, “…9999…9…8. Is THAT the largest number?”. And they said, “Sure”. I realized if he was smart enough to make them believe he was real (most arrogant smart people NEED an ‘idiot’ around)- I realized he could go global. Be like the biggest. When I saw Cohen play gay Bruno and mess with terrorists- real killers, I knew I had been right. The big prank is the king of out of bounds comedy.
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Personally, I think being funny is simply a matter of pointing out the absurd and offbeat facets of life to others.
That having been said, this panel is comprised of some of the funniest bloggers in the WordPress universe, so their word is law.
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This was an enlightening interview. I wish there were more ways those of us with comic blogs or blog comic strips could meet or display our work offline.
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I’d be interested in seeing that happen as well. Maybe we should form a team.
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Hooray for Weebs!
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