7 Ways to Master Collecting Humorous Bits (On Humor)
Humor columnist Karim Shamsi-Basha shares seven ways to master collecting humorous bits to use in writing or stand-up routines.
Humor is all around us, but it takes much awareness—much like a hunter on the prowl. Except in this case, you’re hunting for what makes people hoot and holler!
When you pay attention with humor in mind, you’ll find “funny” at every corner. The world we live in is quite preposterous and full of incongruities, contradictions, and plain oddball happenings. Just look at any news service, and you’ll see headlines like these:
- An aggressive squirrel in California sent two people to the emergency room.
- Pennsylvania flood museum temporarily closed due to flood.
- A wandering wallaby is on the loose in Berlin, police say.
What the heck is a wallaby?
At the coffee shop where I’m penning this life-changing column, there are two women nearby gossiping about their neighbor who doesn’t cut his grass.
Woman #1: “I can’t even look at the yard next door. It’s horrible.”
Woman #2: “I bet some aggressive squirrels live there!”
Here are seven ways to collect your humor armor:
1 — Watch
Stand-up should be a daily pick on your Netflix list. I watch stand-up often, and I’ve performed at a few open mics. It sharpens your humor and gives you courage to push the limits. Here’s one: “When I first immigrated from Syria to the United States in 1984, friendly Americans would ask me, ‘How do you like it so far?’ I would reply, ‘Yeah, it’s pretty far!’”
2 — Listen
In addition to coffee shops, you can eavesdrop on trains, restaurants, malls, and just about anywhere else. Once, at the grocery store checkout lane, I heard a couple whispering about how they hoped the kids wouldn’t walk on them again like the night before. That’s enough material for three columns!
3 — Read
At my first job at the Birmingham Post-Herald newspaper in Alabama, we had a copy editor who picked discarded materials out of garbage cans to read. You don’t have to go that far, but comedy can be found in the oddest of places. Once, at a bookstore, I saw a book titled: “The Beginner’s Guide to Sex in the Afterlife!”
4 — Travel
Different cultures interpret humor in diverse ways. In India, burping after a meal is considered a compliment to the chef. In the Middle East and other regions, you must remove your shoes at the door (hope your socks don’t stink). In Iran, they have squatting toilets. Tell me you can’t go on and on about that one!
5 — Socialize
Social media, especially Instagram and TikTok, are treasure boxes for humor. YouTube can also be a useful source. Funny influencers have millions of followers for a reason. Find your favorites, watch them, then use their funny bits and ideas for your own material.
6 — Imitate
I’ve gleaned so much humor from watching several shows, including The Office. On occasion, I act like Michael Scott’s character without even realizing it. My kids call me Michael Scott sometimes—and it’s pretty hysterical. Pick your favorite characters from television, novels, stand-up, or any other source, then borrow away.
7 — Read
There are many comedy masters worth studying. My favorites are Dave Barry, Bill Bryson (his A Walk in the Woods memoir is a masterclass in humor writing), Dorothy Parker, David Sedaris, and Fran Lebowitz. I also find Garrison Keillor and his Lake Wobegon books terrific sources of material. Did you ever listen to Prairie Home Companion? I was addicted to that show on NPR. Look up Keillor’s bit on The Ketchup Advisory Board!
Create your own sources and start collecting funny bits. I use an actual journal. You can type in your phone, but something unique happens in the brain when pen meets paper.
I’ll end with this: Why shouldn’t you write humor columns with a broken pencil? Because there’s no point.
