Question about 'growing' my sense of humor.

[Naruzeldamaster]

So my sense of humor is very dry/literal (I'm sure you guys have noticed) but I'm also on the spectrum (Not neuro spicy though) which doesn't help.
If a joke makes me giggle, I tell my family about it, sometimes they laugh, but others it's (obviously) a pity laugh.
Now I don't plan to become a comedian or something, but I would like my jokes to reach a wider audience. Perhaps especially to those who are also on the spectrum.
Thing is, I DON'T want to dip into stuff that is...questionably offensive, or straight up offensive.

There's dad jokes (Which amuse me to no end) but, some of the ones I come up with are bad lol even for dad jokes.

How does one get better at being a silly?

 

[CupofJoe]

I think being silly is very different from being funny.
I'd look to comedians that you find funny and work out what they do and if you can add that to what you want to do.
My favourite comedian is the long dead Irishman Dave Allen
I don't think he ever told a joke but make me laugh every time.
And he certain push the limits without be smutty or profane.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I think being silly is very different from being funny.
I'd look to comedians that you find funny and work out what they do and if you can add that to what you want to do.
My favourite comedian is the long dead Irishman Dave Allen
I don't think he ever told a joke but make me laugh every time.
And he certain push the limits without be smutty or profane.

Yeah, though some dad jokes are genuinely amusing (even if we all groan) I agree they are a bit more on the 'being silly' side. As for comedians I like.

As much respect as I have for Robin Williams (RIP) I once checked out his actual comedy act and...are they the same person? lol
Like I fully recognized it was the same comedian (same sense of humor) but WOW ok haha. That being said, maybe I was too young at the time to understand his humor. (I was at the age range where 'shit' was still considered a major no no word. I still consider it one, but I now realize there are 'worse' words.)

I also like Jack Black (Before they started putting him in everything when they wanted a 'funny fat guy' He's great as bowser though. ) but I don't think I've seen his comedy performances.

Adam Sandler is a hit or miss guy for me. When they cast him for 'adam sandler' he's pretty cringe worthy, but when they're not type casting him, he does a pretty good job at making me laugh.

Same way with Jim Carrey. Certainly not for everyone (you either like him or you don't) but again, same problem as Adam. If the only direction he's given is 'just be you' he's pretty cringe worthy. But with proper direction (Like Doctor Eggman in the Sonic Movies) he makes me wheeze every time.

 

[pmmg]

Comedy is not my thing, and my sense of humor is mostly about the absurd, which is the type that would just get me into trouble. Saying things because they are absurd, but sensitive types may not understand that... and...

I dont know that I had a favorite comedian, but I did find Police Squad unstoppably funny, and still do. So...good just Zucker Bros and Mr Neilson.

I am not into cringe or gross, which I think too many mistake for comedy...but dry, deadpan, serious when clearly its not works for me.

 

[CupofJoe]

Comedy is not my thing, and my sense of humor is mostly about the absurd, which is the type that would just get me into trouble. Saying things because they are absurd, but sensitive types may not understand that... and...

I dont know that I had a favorite comedian, but I did find Police Squad unstoppably funny, and still do. So...good just Zucker Bros and Mr Neilson.

I am not into cringe or gross, which I think too many mistake for comedy...but dry, deadpan, serious when clearly its not works for me.

Just started watch reruns of Police Squad. Still finding it very funny.

 

[Prince of Spires]

How to get better? Same way as with everything else: practice.

I think it was Jerry Seinfelt who said that when he was starting out, he wrote a minimum of 1 joke per day. He was intentional about it, the same way many writers try to write something every day.

So if you want to be funny, or silly, or whatever, just take a bit of time each day and practice. It can be 5 or 10 minutes. It can be a single joke. It doesn't have to be good. It just has to be written down. And be intentional about it. If you write a bad one, try to figure out why it's bad. If it's a good one, do the same.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

How to get better? Same way as with everything else: practice.

I think it was Jerry Seinfelt who said that when he was starting out, he wrote a minimum of 1 joke per day. He was intentional about it, the same way many writers try to write something every day.

So if you want to be funny, or silly, or whatever, just take a bit of time each day and practice. It can be 5 or 10 minutes. It can be a single joke. It doesn't have to be good. It just has to be written down. And be intentional about it. If you write a bad one, try to figure out why it's bad. If it's a good one, do the same.

Very true.

The question of 'how' is because I want to reach a wider audience (Or maybe target an audience also on the spectrum)
I want said jokes to be like 'yeah I get that' and not 'omg offensive'
I'm on the spectrum so I kind of have a 'feel' for what offends me, in regards to my disorder. But I'm just one person and everyone on the spectrum is different, even if they have the same disorder.

 

[JBCrowson]

I think I would echo a little what others have said: read or watch what you find funny and try to analyse why you find it funny. I would also watch and analyse material which is considered funny by a wide audience - if you want wider appeal, you need to know your market. Combine the results of your analysis with daily writing of funny material.

As to what is funny - there are as many opinions as there are people. I think about it under a few headings:
Puns / word play based on words with two or more meanings, or words that sound similar but not exactly alike e.g. (since we are authors here) "Cliff top tragedy, by Eileen Dover", "The Tiger's revenge, by Claude Boddy"
Fulminant verbiage e.g. the Python's parrot sketch where the same thing is said over and over in different ways
Physical comedy where the actions not the words carry the humour e.g. Rowan Atkinson - Mr. Bean, Jim Carey
Juxtaposition of opposites such as a character is taking themself very seriously when no-one else does e.g. PG Wodehouse Jeeves and Wooster, especially as acted by Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie.
Observational - taking a fact or habit in / about the world and pointing out the ridiculousness of it e.g. in Monty Python's Holy Grail the scene with the peasant at the beginning commenting about ways of choosing rulers (it strays into exaggeration as well)
Exaggeration - saying a commonly accepted thing in a hyperbolic way e.g. "as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip"
Bizarre - e.g. lots of Python sketches such as The Ministry of Silly Walks (which strays into physical and exaggeration as well).

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I think I would echo a little what others have said: read or watch what you find funny and try to analyse why you find it funny. I would also watch and analyse material which is considered funny by a wide audience - if you want wider appeal, you need to know your market. Combine the results of your analysis with daily writing of funny material.

As to what is funny - there are as many opinions as there are people. I think about it under a few headings:
Puns / word play based on words with two or more meanings, or words that sound similar but not exactly alike e.g. (since we are authors here) "Cliff top tragedy, by Eileen Dover", "The Tiger's revenge, by Claude Boddy"
Fulminant verbiage e.g. the Python's parrot sketch where the same thing is said over and over in different ways
Physical comedy where the actions not the words carry the humour e.g. Rowan Atkinson - Mr. Bean, Jim Carey
Juxtaposition of opposites such as a character is taking themself very seriously when no-one else does e.g. PG Wodehouse Jeeves and Wooster, especially as acted by Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie.
Observational - taking a fact or habit in / about the world and pointing out the ridiculousness of it e.g. in Monty Python's Holy Grail the scene with the peasant at the beginning commenting about ways of choosing rulers (it strays into exaggeration as well)
Exaggeration - saying a commonly accepted thing in a hyperbolic way e.g. "as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip"
Bizarre - e.g. lots of Python sketches such as The Ministry of Silly Walks (which strays into physical and exaggeration as well).

I think if I had to choose between one of those categories.
I'd probably say my humor is closer to Observational and exaggeration. Maybe with a hint of Bizarre. A bit of word play here and there but I grew out of that as I got older. Little me was obsessed with it though lol

For example: I once joked about Skim Milk/Low fat coming from those really skinny cows, which is why 'low fat' milk exists. It's one of my family's jokes that only we find funny. But other people laugh at it because it makes sense kinda. It's not my joke but we also laugh at the idea of Chocolate milk coming from brown cows. Which then leads to 'where does strawberry milk come from??' lol

My other jokes? not so much, too literal and 'silly' but most of the time my parents get it because they 'understand' me. (Understand is in quotes because I have a personality disorder, which, combined with my humor confuses some people)

 

[A. E. Lowan]

There are so many different kinds of humor out there, and we all react differently to them. My parents were from New Jersey. Dry and sarcastic and I can flay flesh to the bone with words alone. 2nd generation American Irish. I normally level a strong sense of depreciating humor at myself, uplifting for others. Punching Up - to lob jokes at the more fortunate - is an Irish pastime. Do not punch down in front of me. I come from a Military-Medical family. Let me sing you a song of my people wherein I am one of a very few who can go through the doors of an ER - Emergency Room, we called them back in the day - and have my blood pressure drop.

But for all pf it, my true love is intelligent humor. Oscar Wilde. Robin Williams. Bill Engvall. Dennis Leary. This is one of the silliest things ever and it's so Irish all who listen turn green.

TW: CARTOON DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT OF ANIMALS AND PEOPLE

And then we have music and gaming humor that go on a triple date with my gallows humor and now we know that there is, indeed, something very wrong with me.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

You might like ProZD's humor Lowan, a lot of his humor is exaggeration with a touch of truth.
He tends to stick to the 'gaming' space which might not fit others here, but is fine with me.
Just about all of his skits make me wheeze because of how true they are, despite the exaggeration.
The best part about him is that when he does a Promo video, he doesn't shill the product, he makes a skit out of it (in his style of humor) and the actual promo (Minimal Shilling) is at the end of the video.

The one joke I'm impressed he hasn't made yet is one about gamers not looking up.

I have had many similar skit ideas but I have not the gall nor the equipment to film them lol

 

[A. E. Lowan]

You might like ProZD's humor Lowan, a lot of his humor is exaggeration with a touch of truth.
He tends to stick to the 'gaming' space which might not fit others here, but is fine with me.
Just about all of his skits make me wheeze because of how true they are, despite the exaggeration.
The best part about him is that when he does a Promo video, he doesn't shill the product, he makes a skit out of it (in his style of humor) and the actual promo (Minimal Shilling) is at the end of the video.

The one joke I'm impressed he hasn't made yet is one about gamers not looking up.

I have had many similar skit ideas but I have not the gall nor the equipment to film them lol

Fun fact: I've been a progression raider and have played WoW and SWTOR and console games for decades, and I have no idea what the looking up thing is. Of course, I usually tank or heal. I'm really terrible DPS. I can talk at length about kneecaps and loinclothes, though.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Fun fact: I've been a progression raider and have played WoW and SWTOR and console games for decades, and I have no idea what the looking up thing is. Of course, I usually tank or heal. I'm really terrible DPS. I can talk at length about kneecaps and loinclothes, though.

It's kind of a 'meme' that developed in 3D games where the player can move / crane their head around to view things (or have camera control)

Often, developers would 'hide' a solution to a puzzle either on the walls (out of 'normal' view) or literally on the ceiling. Or Somewhere out of 'sight'
Players not 'smort' enough (or get too tunnel visioned) to look upward to see the hidden thing, so get stuck on puzzle for hours and then 'oh...well I feel stupid' after discovering.

Thus 'gamers don't look up'

It's not near as common as it used to be (thank the lord, because I still fall for it occasionally) but it still happens occasionally. Very old 3D first person game meme. It makes me laugh every time I fall for it though.