Humour is Serious Business
There’s a piece of public-speaking wisdom that’s been circulating for a very long time: use humour in your speeches, but be careful. It’s good advice, but not exactly useful on its own. What are good ways to use humour, and what does “be careful” mean in the real world? There are few absolute answers to these questions, but it’s easier to make sense of them when you understand how humour works - and, importantly, how your sense of humour works.
Humour (or “humor” as you Americans like to call it) is a powerful tool that can light up your audience and deepen your connection with them. A laugh can instantly make your speech more relatable, the information more credible, and your presence more memorable.
Yet, many public speakers choose safer options to add interest like a story, a quote or analogy. There’s apprehension in using humour. And rightfully so - a funny bone can be a dangerous weapon when not handled with care.
Even so, many great public speakers understand that humour is a necessary risk with tremendous benefits. Skillful humour can be a powerful tool to connect with your audience, keep their attention, and make your ideas stick.
Keep reading to discover some common examples,, benefits and pitfalls of humour in public speaking. With these in your toolbelt, you can break through resistance and get a cheeky smile out of your next audience.
The benefits of being funny
Humour creates a bond. Making others laugh makes you more relatable and likable. It puts the audience at ease as if they're listening to a friend. A speaker who uses humour, especially at the beginning of a speech, warms up the audience to their ideas and piques their interest for the rest of the speech. Getting a laugh out of the audience also helps you feel more connected to them, which builds your confidence and improves your delivery.
It gets your point across. As the speaker, you’re already well-versed in the topic. humour tends to break up a topic and simplify things for the audience, making it easier to digest. Incorporating humour that brings home a point can be an effective way to make the audience more comfortable with a topic and again, peaks their interest.
It helps the audience remember. You’ve put all this effort into creating and delivering your speech. You’ve worked to get your point across and you want your audience to remember it and importantly, remember you. Laughter is an excellent way to increase the chances of your speech being memorable and has been proven to improve memory and cognitive function.
It gives the audience a break. Some speeches are info heavy or emotionally taxing for an audience. If you are speaking for long without offering the audience a relief, they may zone out or disengage. humour can give your audience a short break in an otherwise serious talk. Just enough to grab the attention of your audience once it’s drifted.
Types of humour in speech
I once took a comedy class taught by Bill Wood of Picnicface, who defined comedy as “an appropriate surprise” - in other words, presenting ideas in a way that’s unexpected, but also makes sense. This may be an imperfect definition - humour is so diverse and innate that it nearly defies explanation - but it’s a useful starting point for examining whether something is funny.
Here are a few types of humour that you’ll often see in the wild and that you can try in your own speeches. You probably enjoy some of them more than others. Don’t bother with types of humour that you don’t like; it won’t be authentic and it’s more likely to fall flat. Also consider what will be appropriate for your audience and the setting. For example: puns might be confusing for people who don’t speak English as a first language; sarcasm might be lost on a person with autism; and cultural references only work if the audience is familiar with them.
Turn of phrase. Start to make a serious point and unexpectedly turn it around into a different direction. For example, “When someone close to you dies…..move seats” - Jimmy Carr
Hyperbole. A hyperbole or an exaggeration is when a small thing is made larger and more important for humourous effect. For example: “He’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!” - Agnes in Despicable Me.
Understatement. The opposite of a hyperbole, an understatement is used to downplay the importance of something or someone and can be quite funny. This is especially useful in an otherwise serious topic. Think Monty Python and the Holy Grail, when the Black Knight has his arm chopped off and calmly claims “tis but a scratch”.
Pun. An absolute (though polarizing) classic, a pun is a play on words that produces a humourous effect by using words that suggest two or more meanings or two words that sound similar but have different meanings. For example: the trusty “I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, but then it struck me”.
Sarcasm. A remark that clearly means the opposite of what they say, typically used as a criticism. To execute this well, the audience should have little sympathy for the intended target, as to not upset anyone. For example: “I have great insight. I’d use it on myself, only I don’t have any problems” - Alex Fisher, Music and Lyrics.
Irony. When words are used in a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. Irony can be expressed with the tone of your voice as well the words that are used. For example: Elliam Eno nicknamed ‘Father of Traffic Safety” invented the stop sign, crosswalk, traffic circle, one-way street, and taxi stand - but never learned how to drive.
Observation. Giving a funny twist to ordinary things happening around you, including at the time you’re giving your speech. For example: Hannah Gadsby declaring “I love ‘y’all’. Because ‘y’all’ is the best, most inclusive second-person plural pronoun in the English speaking world! Thank you, the South! What an ally!”
If you’re still concerned that your humour won’t land, creating a disastrous ricochet effect that obliterates your entire speech causing your retreat into a shameful hole, never to speak publicly again …. here are some tips to avoid so that your humour lands, everytime.
The don’ts in using humour
Don’t overdo it. While humour can make you more relatable, having an entire comedic routine on stage can have the opposite effect. You want to be taken seriously as a speaker, so remember, sprinkle humour into your speech and don’t overdo it. Keep it short, sweet and natural to establish rapport with your audience.
Avoid controversial topics. Your audience is probably diverse, with varied beliefs and opinions. Don’t bet the farm on a controversial joke and risk alienating them. Keep it light and relatable, and don’t punch down (make jokes about people who have less social power than you) - you’re better than that.
Keep it simple. This is a very common one. Complicated jokes like those that rely on a punchline can be unnecessarily risky for amateurs. It’s best to deliver one-liners, funny quotes, simple observations or quips instead of a drawn-out joke your audience may not understand.
Keep it (seeming) spontaneous. There is no need to announce your humour. Pre-empting yourself with phrases such as “I heard a funny story the other day” raises the expectation of the audience and you risk disappointing them. This also removes the element of surprise, which (remember) is a key ingredient in comedy.
One big DO in using humour:
Practice off-stage! Even the funniest professional comedians spend shocking amounts of time honing their craft in lower-stakes settings, discovering what lands and how to deliver each line for maximum impact. If you want to improve the content and delivery of your humour, practice it on-stage and off. Test out your jokes and see if others respond the way you want them to.
And finally - if your joke doesn’t land, learn to laugh at yourself! A part of growing into your Big Voice Energy is learning to be comfortable and confident, even when things get a little awkward. Be bold, because it’s worth it. Remember: you’ve got this.
Psssst: you, too, can laugh while you learn, with our irreverent online public speaking course, Fearless Public Speaking!