3 Ways to Write a Joke from the Seed of the Idea #2

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In this video, Jerry Corley discusses 3 different ways to write jokes from the scratch of the idea. How to take an idea, break it down into multiple parts by using the Maxim of the 5W's who, what, where, why, when and how and by also using analogies to introduce a secondary idea.
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[@tatemcilwain1775]

tanks for making this video. i'm only just starting out with comedy and i'm having a lot of trouble coming up with material, this really pointed me in the right direction

[@voodooshizzle]

Thanks, Jerry! Helpful stuff.

[@josephbarclayross6216]

A lot of old soap opera stars are washed up in Redondo Beach too.

[@jasonresler]

Great stuff Jerry! I can still remember you talking about this process in the car on our run up to Oregon so many years ago. Invaluable advice in the infancy of my career. Those were great times! Good to see you're doing well buddy.

[@brianmcguire5175]

He deserves praise. I have commented critique here above but really it's because of his channel and discourse that I feel welcome to contribute to the dialogue. Overall his contribution to teaching the art coupled with his experience in the field is what attracts me to his channel and the comment section. Your comment reminded me to affirm here that I appreciate and am a fan of his work as a teacher and comedic educator that gives me confidence to contribute any point of view expressed above whether critical or otherwise. I love his public offering which sparks healthy debate and research behind joke writing and beyond. I feel I needed to express this here considering I had neglected to show appreciation in former comments

[@rogerswift1961]

Jerry, you're a bloody genius!

[@shubhangmalviya5302]

Thank for your helpful guidance sir. Still learning alot through your videos as I am writing my next open mic set and also for my new comedy show for my KZbin channel.

[@jasonontherez6668]

You are seriously saving my career. Thanks!!

[@manojjainism]

teacher: if a child lives with tolerance ,he learns to be patient child :so i will not live with tolerance because i want to be a doctor

[@mikeherd8551]

Don't know if you've ever heard of Frankie Boyle Jerry but he is superb at the 'is like' structure! He uses that to make a lot of social commentary points!

[@JerryCorley]

Mike Herd Haven’t heard of Frankie Boyle, but I’ll be sure to check him out.

[@violenceisfun991]

He one of the most famous comedians here in the UK. He was on a show called Mock The Week. I would recommend that show to everyone who enjoys laughing

[@TheScripflipNetwork]

Their faces had better coverage than their phones

[@Taobeth]

It was funny but didn't seem to follow from "progressive and technologically advanced" because you would assume they would have good coverage on their phones as well

[@pattystomper1]

Woman in Burka on a cell phone: "Can you see me now?"

[@josephbarclayross6216]

Thanks, Jerry, with your consummate help I just came up with some great ice-breakers for my next Satanic ritual!

[@tylerdowling1852]

stone cold Steve Austin is trying his hardest

[@IScreamedWolf]

Kinda Chilly Steve Austin

[@jonathanmyers377]

Hey Tyler, your mom said your sandwich is ready.

[@jonathanmyers377]

It’s a fish sandwich

[@Dasusify]

ah, Internet, I love you

[@paengferrer]

You inserted a celebrity to make a joke. I see what you did there.

[@antoniogonzales2420]

Love it!

[@dev__adi]

"that's a lot to swallow"... Michael Scott giggling in the corner

[@johanvanhuyssteen9217]

Thanks dude. Appreciate it!

[@bluetv2]

Love this! But at the same time, I turned to comedy because I wasn’t an academic. Despite it being my favourite subject, the academic way it’s presented means I might have also skipped this class.🤦🏽‍♂️

[@ComedyButt]

Thx for the tips

[@dendemano]

The thing to remember is that for something to be funny it has to have an element of truth and there has to be a victim.

[@Ishbikes]

That’s true, even if the victim is yourself

[@michaelsix9684]

great tips here

[@jesterjhajij.j.8891]

Respect from india ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍 thanks sir.

[@davidoberlin4186]

Millions of fish washed up in the harbor around Redondo Beach, when they were finished they went into town for supper.

[@reservoirfrog1]

Fuck yeah, Bill Burr! You referenced one of my favourite bits!

[@AwetisticlyPerfect]

My wife asked me “what is the most complex thing you do in the kitchen?” I had to think for a bit then I realized that cooking crack is the most complex thing i do in the kitchen

[@ArchonSpire]

"...In this episode, I'm gonna discuss a tweet, I got from somebody on twitter..." I didn't know you can get it from anywhere else.

[@Berkmnn]

Ronald Patrick Gonzalez you quoted it wrong lol he said, “a question I got on twitter from one of my followers”

[@JLeggi]

Is there a part 1 to this video? The title says this is #2

[@davidemiable]

"her head had more coverage then her phone" .... that made me laugh!! You must have used the listing technique?!

[@JerryCorley]

Precisely. It was inspired by an image of the woman in her hijab and she was holding a phone to her face. I just wrote down what I saw.

[@capslock9031]

YT algorithm is broken or sarcastic. I watched some great Stand Up and now it serves me this video?! The poor guy does his best, I figure.

[@melskipeacock]

Thank you, I run several open mics and would refer them to check out your body of work

[@karlhungus5554]

These days, which stand up comedians do you think have the best material, delivery, and stage presence?

[@gradcliff2314]

That Bill Bur bit is one of my favorites. You got to hear him do it though.

[@das_it_mane]

Yeah the delivery here was butchered big time lol

[@detraielake1313]

great help thanks joke doctor #shorefunnyentertainment

[@FrostDrive]

I feel so lost I don't get any of these jokes. both in the video and in the comments.

[@leohewett]

its a very US late night tv / monologue style of comedy. Its not rib tickling if you prefer a darker humour.

[@davidoberlin4186]

is that a joke?

[@aircody345]

Michael Mouch did you not hear his bill burr reference?

[@felicity4711]

A lot of my best material is self-deprecating. It seems to be the easiest to write. I’d like to able to turn my emotional pain into comedy but I can’t quite get the hang of that. Example: Yesterday I went to a plus-size clothes store and I was still too fat for anything there. Also, when I made fun of myself about it, the saleslady was weirdly cold to me, like she was mad at me. I have a lot of jokes about my weight but specific scenarios like this are more difficult. I’m going to get out my notebook and try the techniques in this video, and the other videos.

[@Azlorn]

felicity4711 that's a good joke. Honesty and true stories are the best comedy imo. You should try that joke on stage, work it out a little. It's a good joke.

[@felicity4711]

Thanks! It’s not a joke yet but I’ll work on it :-)

[@kiwiwriter]

The saleslady was wierdly cold - so I heated her up in the microwave... So I grabbed two tube dresses and made these leggings... I said it's OK I can slip this one on. Tears are also a lubricant.

[@chasebonin7043]

felicity4711 not sure if you're still working on this but this is part of the idea I got. At my size clothes shopping can prove to be difficult. I try plus size stores but me plus SIZE equals still too fat to shop there.

[@anguslewis23]

How About This, Yesterday I Went To A Plus-Size Clothes Store And I Still Too Fat For Anything There! So The Sales Person Told Me "Honey, You Need To Go Over To The Trillion Size Table And Pray For Miracles "!!!!

[@LudGC]

you wrote for jay leno?

[@bernardcyrus8189]

In Qatar they're rough on crime....get caught stealing and the cut your hand off....Jerry Sandusky could have had his punishment cut in half

[@brokenvanityboston]

A good book for comedy is how to be funny by jon marks he talks about this stuff on the book

[@joebrowning3433]

13:30 analogy

[@petrushmacute6332]

wow! Introduce a celebrity, Maxim of 5 Ws, Analogy

[@manojjainism]

happiness is loving what you get and success is getting what you love so if you want to be happy love your wife ,if you want to be successful go cheat on her

[@facethestrange15yearsago81]

That's one long tweet

[@pergproductions]

I am totally distracted by that Sepultura logo. What a great band.

[@davidoberlin4186]

pisces?

[@patch8376]

Millions of Fish washed up in the harbor around Redondo Beach. They were gutted and cleaned, but the water there's still very soapy.

[@C1n1c4l]

Marriage is like a joke based on analogy. (Pause, and then shrugging) That's was it. (And change subject) :D

[@SeriousMoh]

Okay, I sifted through the comments and nobody mentioned it. That tells me one of two things. Either the fact that "even nature makes use of Redondancy" is a very low hanging fruit and too obvious or I have no Idea what the second thing is. Seriously, low hanging fruit?

[@josephbarclayross6216]

Milions of fish washed up in the harbor at Redondo Beach .... and several blind men were arrested for making bad sexist jokes.

[@JeffSayYes]

Millions of fish were found washed up on Raydondo Beach Thursday. A few thousand actors too.

[@brianmcguire5175]

I didn't laugh at the jokes he wrote around Kirsten and the news item about fish but I respect the process he aptly demonstrated behind that particular joke and also heard the potential behind the writing anyway. One thing many joke fans need to remember is that: if a joke doesn't land with you that doesn't mean it isn't funny for others. My rule is, if it's not funny don't laugh, be wary of anyone who goes above and beyond and tells you that it wasn't funny. Those people missed or never considered the angle, the gist and intention of your joke. I see the humour behind his final set up and punch line but only felt, by personal taste and not anything more, it was too wordy (meaning the Kirsten joke had too many syllables for me to wade through to before I could get the joke) and perhaps even too specifically topical also. Still though my take away was that his examples did in fact perfectly demonstrate the technique being presented here as despite his end product not landing with me it was still obvious his intent and angle which I felt was still very clever. Why am I commenting so? I guess I'm trying to emphasise that anyone who cares about jokes truly can both find the end product not funny for them but because of their respect for the process appreciate the angle and technique behind the composed joke. I imagine this guy has writing experience, he seems to me a creative that can drum up a joke for a show written by unfunny writers. He is the kind of guy a show hires to add comedy to an otherwise bland script. Not an easy task and a very important position in any writing team, one I couldn't do myself

[@brianmcguire5175]

I realised now watching more what would make his jokes land with me more specifically. I wished he leaned harder on the potential for darker punch lines. His coverage joke is very clever and I imagine in context, ie at the gathering he wrote those jokes for and then performed at, at the gathering he was invited to perform at and write jokes for that he was a hit. I would have been part of that laughing party too , caught up in the air of that moment. But stand alone I think if he went Artie lang on the material it would land with me. And so here lies a serious question. Does being darker with humour cheapen the art of joke writing? Does an audience need to be somewhat versed in the art to appreciate it truly? Does my liking of Norm Macdonald's (rip)material hinder my range for joke appreciation. The comedian here is most certainly clean in his jokes here but I mention Norm MacDonald because I can see this comedians methods behind the writing the way I have always seen it behind Macdonald's too(rip). Any comedy fans here willing to read my dumb ass essays please give feed back

[@Dirty88Dizl]

I can’t….. I’m trying hard to laugh at the jokes made through these methods. What is more funny is the idea that any of these methods and the results. I got one.. what’s the difference between the planes that did not fly into the twin towers and your jokes…… the planes landed.

[@brianmcguire5175]

@@Dirty88Dizl haha good one. Alternatively the kamakasi pilots of ww2 could be used also but to the same affect. I like it! Good one my friend. You've inspired me to try one about bombing. like your joke about comparing a shocking event to a joke with the punchline being about bombing. Let me try,this is for your reaction btw as it's inspired by your joke above. what does your jokes and an American 52 military airplane have in common? They both bomb! Let me know if you like this or if I should abridge it. I like your writing and so will appreciate your input. Thanks and keep up the good work

[@Dirty88Dizl]

@@brianmcguire5175 wow thank you, I am trying to bring my natural ability to make people laugh on stage. It is tougher then I thought. I say to myself that I want belly laughs. The b52 bomber joke is simplistic. My punch up would be maybe- tell a Asian joke and then the b52 with the added nuclear bomb aspect. Punch line- they both bomb.. but at least my jokes are innocent and I’m not burning Asians.

[@Dirty88Dizl]

@@brianmcguire5175 or! They both bomb and land on innocent people

[@MrXrisd01]

What's a funny analogy or comparison about using a bidet for first time?

[@AttentionSpam]

The first time is like the first time with a lady. Your nervous, you don’t know how it works exactly, you make a mess. That’s all I got

[@MrXrisd01]

@@AttentionSpamomfg how did I not think of that!

[@AttentionSpam]

@@MrXrisd01 also could have a bit about after you get good at using it the bidet wants a cigarette after…maybe not that exactly but the image is funny to me. Also some fancy bidets have heated seats and water. If I like warm liquid squirting my butt does that make me gay? As well as the involuntary sounds you make when the water hits the wrong/right spot. I feel like I need a shower after but that kinda defeats the purpose of the bidet

[@MrXrisd01]

@@AttentionSpam ok that's brilliant. I'm using that. I had said something like, you like washing any polishing the rims on your car right? Why aren't you polishing your rim, or something like that I don't remember now. Got no laughs anyways lol

[@AttentionSpam]

@@MrXrisd01 hey I like what where your heads at with the rim job. Maybe a bidet in a car detailing place with a sign above it that says “we love a clean rim” or something to that affect

[@theimmortalolive5267]

All the jokes in the comments section are better than the video if only because explaining a joke is the death of a joke

[@mr.nobody9697]

Millions of dead fish washed up in the harbor around redondo beach. Authorities said they hadnt heard of this many dead fish since they investigated bill cosby. Millions of dead fish washed up in the harbor around redondo beach Residents said this was the worst smell of washed up fish since Lindsey Lohan. Millions of dead fish washed up in the harbor around redondo beach. My ex wife always did prefer a cold swim.

[@johannsebastianbach3411]

Millions of dead fish washed up in the harbor around redondo beach last week. In a press conference the LA country officials stated that all the fish disappeared inexplicably just one day after the incident. And now some news from the food industry. McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook announced that they will be releasing a new fried fish menu. Is that good or meh?

[@robertkarlsson3007]

@@johannsebastianbach3411 maybe issues with probability, phrasing it like this perhaps - Rumour has it McD is speedlaunching a new fish burger

[@karlm7592]

I ate a sweet potato today. It was good.

[@XiagraBalls]

Wouldn't have got the Kirsty Allen reference.

[@theconductoresplin8092]

Im writing a joke book ... Any advice

[@mvdsanden]

Hi, I'm about to publish one. Robert Orben is a great example in this matter. So: start with a contents-page (a-z): you want/have to cover virtually all of the alphabet. So what (let's say 3) subjects per character you want to cover? Under 'c': 'cab' is too obvious, as is 'cucumber'. But going through the dictionary, you'll find words/subjects with potential for humor. That's intuition & you have it. Good luck.

[@theconductoresplin8092]

Hey thanks I'm always open for advice Good luck with your book

[@adamweightman]

Look Who's Talking

[@awfullyperson]

The 'How I Met Your Mother' joke is the greatest. I lol'd pretty damned hard.

[@vikneshmaniam5618]

theMOYER i didnt get it

[@seanhurley9216]

Didn't make sense

[@TheSkidbro]

nothing funnier than a powerpoint

[@JerryCorley]

Good point. But comedy isn’t just about behavior, it’s also about writing skills. There’s an old saying, “You can be the funniest person around, but if you can’t put it on the page, it means nothing.” I’ll try to do more with some live performance examples.

[@manojjainism]

a theif knows a theif as a wolf knows a wolf , they must be friends

[@brownin329]

*thief

[@brownin329]

*thief

[@brownin329]

*thief

[@iarlacomedy]

No way, i live in Qatar and this was all very unexpected 😂

[@iarlacomedy]

11 months later I'm checking this video again. Didn't even realise I was writing jokes 11 months ago!

[@XiagraBalls]

There was actually an incongruity in that sentence which you missed and I've just written a joke based on it. 😐

[@sushicraves]

The city of Redondo Beach said that they will have the fish watering system pipes fixed for their personal showers within the next two weeks

[@iron60bitch62]

An old girlfriend of mine she asked me to kiss her where it stinks I took her to New Jersey

[@vitinosolano6632]

Simple and funny

[@sidewaysrain7609]

Keep your day job

[@WilliesBroadcast]

0.04 he says "Ask the Jew Doctor"

[@manojjainism]

dream no small dream for they have no power to move the heart of a man but what if i want to move the heart of a woman

[@niladripramanik8362]

Millions of fish washed up in the harbor around Redondo Beach, -- so the fishes went to mother earth instead of being into my mother's stomach.

[@ishaankhuranagoc1518]

he looks like jhonny sins

[@autumngrace8541]

Qatar is pronounced like kutter. Just FYI, not to cut you off...

[@JerryCorley]

Haha! Yes you’re right, but when that joke was written, she (the girl who was getting married there called it “cataar” also it was the white American pronunciation. We hadn’t been informed until the World Cup 2002. “Not to cut you off “ 😃😂

[@Redsworldtv]

When I went to Qatar I slept with another mans wife. When the authorities got to me, I begged them not to cut off my right hand man!

[@rryan916]

These jokes …

[@OsoIncog]

this doctor should be sued for malpractice

[@kennethvickers413]

Doha Qatar is where cia maintain a station for meeting Taliban, it’s where tally hold discussions because they consider it neutral territory

[@NTIS-DHARMIK]

Apparently doha has erased history because ironically thay have stole from other countries

[@theheavytruth6309]

Funniest thing this guy said..was bill and burr.

[@RobO912]

If your going to be bigoted at least make it funny

[@RobO912]

Look at these backwards Qatari women who talk on cell phones while wearing a veil instead of shaking their ass for the gram.

[@deadpanwalking]

You're.

[@mariedowney1676]

too negative

[@pawpawtina]

painful to watch.

[@chromecod]

Don’t believe this guy, I took his class, he doesn’t know anything.

[@Harlem55]

The problem is that none of this is all that funny in all reality - therefore the principle seems to fail.

[@JerryCorley]

This guy comes at me as a literal “John Doe.” Anonymity is the cloak of a coward. Also, your statement speaks to your naiveté. The material has already been tested in front of lots of different crowds. YOU might not think it’s funny, but a ton of people have already weighed in. I was never an Adam Sandler fan. He was never funny to ME. But the dude has made, directed or appeared in 73 films or TV shows so someone thinks he’s funny.

[@Harlem55]

@@JerryCorley first of all, Anonymity is the proper absolute enforcement of the concept of freedom of speech. Second of all, most of this material comes across more like an immature middle schooler than anything even remotely reminiscent of any of the greats. He's definitely NO George Carlin or Richard Pryor. Hell- he's not even in Dice Clay status.

[@Taobeth]

This just demonstrates why I'll never beat fan of Burr. Even if his writing is gold, he is tone deaf and lacking any legitimate perspective of the topics he covers.

[@JerryCorley]

Bill Burr rubs a lot of people the wrong way. A lot of it is by design. Categorically, he’s more like “the Devil’s Advocate” type of comedian. There are things he says that I don’t agree with either. Who’s your favorite. I’d love to know. Maybe I can do a deconstruction of his/her approach.

[@Taobeth]

@@JerryCorley I don't know that I have a favorite, but it would be fun to see you take on Stewart Lee

[@snakewind]

"joke doctor". Makes worst jokes ever.