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LET US LAUGH
By : M.R.Sethi
ALMOST everybody
likes to be considered a man of humor. We want to attract crowds of
admirers at parties. Persons with a jolly disposition and quick wit
are always popular. How we envy the man whose repertoire is always
full of jokes, anecdotes and quips to suit every occasion. But
unfortunately, there are also people who bore you with jokes either
very stale or totally unsuited to the occasion. This has given rise
to the quip that some people make others happy wherever they go;
some make others happy whenever they go.
Joking is an art. To be successful, a joke must provoke laughter.
There is no point if you have to add the words, "It was a joke,"
after telling your bon mot. Why do some persons' jokes fail to click
while others invariably raise a guffaw ?
To be a good jokester, you must study and pay serious attention to
the art of joking. To begin with, a joke must suit the occasion. It
is no use if during a discussion on politics you crack a joke on
doctors or make fun of priests while the discussion is veering round
to science and scientists. If you do so, your joke will fall flat.
One necessary ingredient of every successful joke is a sudden
alteration in point of view. Although the presence of an incongruity
is necessary for laughter, it is not sufficient. A joke is nothing
in itself. It must be told and told well. Many people ruin their
jokes by faulty narration, poor memory or without pause at the right
place.
Jokes should not be memorized like school texts. Telling a
memorized joke looks mechanical. Some people begin to laugh before
the end of their jokes. This looks funny and the joke loses its
punch. Keith Preston says, "He must not laugh at his own wheeze; a
snuff box has no right to sneeze". Some speakers or debaters lean
heavily on jokes. They should avoid this habit. After selecting the
joke pertaining to the occasion, you must sort out what kind of joke
will have best impact on the listeners. Your joke must suit the
occasion.
Some persons are fond of telling and listening to bawdy jokes. If
you must tell a bawdy joke, select your words carefully and if
politer synonyms are available, use them. However, before telling a
dirty joke you must make sure that your audience is as much willing
to hear your joke as you are itching to tell it. You must not try to
tell such a joke before an audience that feels (or pretends to be)
embarrassed by it.
With a little presence of mind and awareness of the situation, you
too can coin many a new joke. But merely coining will not do. Your
delivery should be effective. For that, a careful observation of the
type of joke, of the party, the occasion and mood of the audience is
a must. Moreover, one should have the tolerance to laugh at
yourself. Nobody who resents jokes of others aimed at him can be a
good jokester himself.
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