Elements of Humor

SCOTT DIKKERS is the founding editor of The Onion, the most popular satirical news outlet in the world. He’s a comedy writer, speaker, comedian, and the New York Times bestselling author of the How to Write Funny series, selling nearly one million copies worldwide.

• Preface xiiiChapter 1 The Unknowable 1How This Book Is Organized 7Best Practices 8Exercises 8Chapter 2 What Is Humor? 9Humor in Animals 10Humor in Babies 10The Universal Field Theory of Humor 11Humor Across Cultures 12The Lost Skill of Humor 13The Hope of Humor 16Best Practices 16Exercises 17Chapter 3 Quick Start 19The Tone of Humor 20Communication Plus 21Being Aware 23Thinking Differently 24Embracing Failure 25A Relaxed State 26Best Practices 27Exercises 27Chapter 4 The Humor Mindset 29A Clown State of Mind 30An Editor State of Mind 32Just Kidding 33When Humor Doesn’t Work 34Best Practices 35Exercises 35Chapter 5 The Right Kind of Laughs 37A Willingness to Try 39Being Self-Effacing 40The Skill of Getting Laughs 41Social Lubricant 43A Temporary Reality 44Riffing 45Being Conscious of Your Target 45A Rich Humor Environment 47Best Practices 47Exercises 48Chapter 6 Being in the Moment 49Confidence 50The Mood of the Humorist 52The Mood of the Audience 53Social Proof 53Reputation 54Context 55Best Practices 56Exercises 56Chapter 7 You Have the Floor 57How to Communicate 59Internal Messages 61Turning Thoughts into Humorous Thoughts 62Free Writing 62Free Talking 64The Opinion Generator 65Best Practices 66Exercises 66Chapter 8 The Funny Filters 67New Toys 69The Funny Filters in Conversation 74Humor Preferences 76Best Practices 76Exercises 77Chapter 9 Isn’t It Ironic 79How Irony Works 80Simple Comparisons 81Dramatic Irony 83Irony Examples 84Using Irony 85Best Practices 86Exercises 86Chapter 10 What a Character 87How Character Works 88Characters in Context 89Character Examples 91Character Archetypes 92Is Everyone a Character? 94Where Is the Surprise in Character? 96Best Practices 97Exercises 97Chapter 11 A Point of Reference 99How Reference Works 100How to Find Reference 102Reference Examples 103Avoiding Clichés 104Using Reference with an Existing Message 105Other Types of Reference Humor 106Best Practices 107Exercises 107Chapter 12 Shock and Outrage 109How Shock Works 110The Appetite for Shock 112Shock with Your Message 113Shock Humor for Kids 114Shock Examples 115Best Practices 115Exercises 116Chapter 13 A Hilarious Parody 117How Parody Works 118Parody Examples 119Types of Parody 120Impressions 121Best Practices 121Exercises 122Chapter 14 So Much Hyperbole 123How Hyperbole Works 124Hyperbole Examples 125Hyperbole Pitfalls 126Setting Up Hyperbole 126Best Practices 128Exercises 128Chapter 15 Playing with Words 129How Wordplay Works 129Wordplay Devices 130Popular Wordplay Devices 136Wordplay Examples 139Best Practices 139Exercises 140Chapter 16 Getting Carried Away 141How Madcap Works 142Madcap Examples 143How to Use Madcap 143Best Practices 145Exercises 145Chapter 17 A Good Analogy 147How Analogy Works 148How to Use Analogy 149A Hidden Message 150Analogy Examples 151Best Practices 153Exercises 154Chapter 18 Misplaced Focus 155How Misplaced Focus Works 155How to Use Misplaced Focus 156Misplaced Focus Examples 157Best Practices 159Exercises 159Chapter 19 Going Meta 161How Metahumor Works 162Metahumor Examples 164How to Use Metahumor 165Metahumor Pitfalls 165Best Practices 166Exercises 167Chapter 20 Putting It All Together 169Combining Filters 170Keep Playing 172Best Practices 173Exercises 173Chapter 21 The Cringe Factor 175Canceled 177Finding a Mooring Mast 178Following the Rules 179Best Practices 180Exercises 180Chapter 22 Make It Fun 181Discover Your Own Way 182Good Luck 183Have Fun 183You Got This 184Humor Glossary 185Acknowledgments 189About the Author 191Index 193