KEH081: How to Be Funny

As entertainers, we usually worry if we are funny enough. And it’s understandable. Laughter is a good indication (though it is by no means the only indication) that our audience is indeed being entertained.

If comedy is something you wish you’re better at, or if you simply want more tips and inspiration on how to be funny, David DeVito, who has been voted “Best Stand-Up” in the Los Angeles Comedy Festival, shares a good number of solid tips in this interview. (We’ve listed them all in the extended notes, so be sure to get a copy.)

In this episode we discuss:

• David’s average performing week and his shows
• Why David says “If there are adults in the audience, you’re not doing a children’s show.”
• An easy way to engage the kids and make the adults laugh: Take cue from Art Linkletter’s Kids Say the Darndest Things
• Do you need to be funny or can you learn to be funny
• Tips for funnier and better shows so you can charge higher and score more bookings
• The anatomy of a joke
• The comedy technique that you can learn from Everybody Loves Raymond
• The importance of being willing to fail and putting yourself out there
• The experimental segment in David’s shows
• Bigger laughter = More money