And what you can do to diffuse it
This is a long one, but I think it’s a good one.
TLDR: People come to me to learn how to add to humor to their presentations. It’s all about preparing a joke to be set up for success, how you should respond if it does bomb, and how to lower stakes with an authentic delivery. It’s all about building and maintaining confidence! And of course, don’t blame the writer. (Unless it’s you!)
And to speakers & event planners who don’t like the word “joke,” I get it, I understand it, but I’m going to need to use the word for the purposes of helping people with this post and also to appease the gods of SEO.
In this post…
We’ll explain why some jokes fail
Why you shouldn’t think about humor as “jokes” in the first place
What to do when your attempt at humor nose-dives anyway
How speakers can adopt a safe delivery style for humor
Many presenters are scared of jokes but they want to use them anyway. Congratulations. (I guess.) You are a lifeguard that’s afraid of water.
So buckle up, friends… with the glory of success comes the anxiety of getting there.
As an experienced stand-up, writer, and producer of many comedians, I promise you this
Not every joke is going to warrant a standing ovation.
Some can land you in comedy jail.
And some might introduce you to the trauma of seconds feeling like hours.
Every single famous comic deals with comedic failure, so let’s start by recognizing its no big deal. Everyone’s died on stage but very few people have actually died on stage
You can always bounce back when a joke bombs, and you can adopt some strategies to avoid the dreaded situation in the first place, OR you can use a momentary awkward situation as another way to connect to the audience with humor.
First, let’s dive into…
Why Jokes Fail and How to Deal With It When They Do
Placement: Maybe your topic is serious and you picked the wrong place in your presentation for humor. Speaking audiences are much more empathic than comedy club audiences. (Boy is that an understatement.) They may have problems “switching gears” between pathos and puns, so knowing where and when to place a funny line is crucial. You’ll learn by experience, but it’s a safe bet for beginners to ask yourself “If I was telling this story to a friend, would it get a laugh out of them, or just the ‘I’m so sorry’ look?”
Sensitivities: What’s funny in one culture can be a total miss in another. In most professional situations, avoid racial or cultural humor and stay away from politics. It’s a third rail. Read the room.
Relevance: Your reference to “be kind, rewind,” will be lost on anyone born after 1980. As will your obsession with Olivia Newton John or Juan Epstein. (Google it, youngsters!) Again, read the room.
Delivery Issues: Mumbling, speaking too quickly, or losing confidence halfway through a joke are comedy killers and will ruin great punchlines. ALSO - Don’t sacrifice your authenticity by “leaning in too hard” & delivering lines like a comedian, unless you are one. (Or trying to make fun of sounding like one. Which can work!)
You Tried to Take Them to Crazy Town: Sometimes a line is funny but requires the audience to suspend reality in a way they weren’t prepared to. (This is especially true of speaking audiences.) Comedy writers refer to this as “taking the audience to crazy town.” The best way to guide a group of people toward to a heightened comedy reality is to take them by the hand through rising levels of absurdity. For more on this, read here.
The joke bombed because it wasn’t funny: Sadly, sometimes it’s that simple. It’s ok. Every now and then, even Lamborghini turns out a lemon.
It’s important to understand the 'why' in “why didn’t that get a laugh,” to prevent future comedy casualties and prepare you to handle them with grace if they occur. In fact…
When a joke fails, it’s an opportunity to connect.
When I worked on “The Burn” with Jeffrey Ross, we wrote a lot of jokes and edited many out in post-production. We usually cut the B and B+ level jokes, kept in the best ones AS WELL AS the clunkers. Why? Because not only was Jeff funny when a joke worked, he was really funny when a joke didn’t play. He was great at living in the moment, so the audience never jumped off the comedy train.
How to diffuse a joke bomb
So, your funny line just nose-dived. What now?
First, Don’t Panic, Stay Confident: Keep your head up and your smile wide. Confidence will help gloss over the misstep and keep the audience engaged.
Acknowledge the Situation with a “Saver”: Generally, just pointing out the obvious can win back your crowd. Casually call it for what it was, a missed attempt, facetiously promise the audience “you’ll never do it again,” or develop a “saver.” One of my favorites comes from Boston Comic and Conan Monologue Writer Brian Kiley, who would just pull a pen out and pretend to cross the joke off of a piece of paper he had on a stool. Think of something that works for you. In general, shrug with confidence, don’t let it get to you, and…
Move On Gracefully: The best recovery is a swift one. Segue back to your main points and remember, the show must go on.
Strategies for speakers to write & deliver jokes that won’t bomb.
Remember Jokes are just funny lines. Read them naturally.
In modern comedy, the goal is to be funny without sounding “jokey.” This means that the “joke” sounds natural, but lands funny. Think of it more like “writing funny stuff,” but sounding natural. Above all else you never want to sound like a comedian. (Unless you are a comedian.) You sure as hell don’t want to write like an old school comedian, and you should always sound authentic and find humor that feels natural for you and what you talk about.
When working with celebrities on events like the roasts, the best approach for writers was always to write conversationally and encourage them to talk normally, to not over-deliver, and let the line do the heavy lifting of the humor. The same is true for you.
Learn to 'Throw Away' the line
This subtle technique involves delivering a joke as if it's an offhand remark, which can make the humor appear more spontaneous and less scripted.
Why?: It reduces the pressure on the audience to laugh, feels more natural, and if the joke doesn't land, the casual delivery minimizes any negative impact.
When to Use It: It's especially effective in formal presentations or sensitive topics where heavy-handed humor might not be appropriate.
See it in action: Watch the comedy of Ellen DeGeneres, Tig Notaro, or Garry Shandling.
It’s just a funny line, it’s not skydiving, folks.
Practice, practice, practice your speech. Then practice again.
You know that joke you saw a comedian do that got a huge laugh? More than likely, it’s the product of meticulous word crafting, rehearsal and practice. If it wasn’t, they got lucky or are extremely skilled extemporaneous speakers. Most work at it.
Chris Rock is well known in comedy circles for working out the rawest versions of his material in front of a live audience. It’s only there that he can gauge reactions, tweak timing, and adjust punchlines. The same goes for Jay Leno, who, even when he was hosting the Tonight Show each week, would run new jokes by the audience at his regular Sunday live show at the Comedy and Magic Club at Hermosa Beach.
The same is true for you: Hone your humor in a low stakes environment.
The safest situation is of course by yourself, but it’s crucial to try out your humor, or at least run it by some fellow speakers you trust. Humor buddies, writing groups or just getting up at your local Toastmasters club are crucial elements for infusing your speaking with humor.
Look back (or listen) to the Post Game Reels.
The more prepared you are, the more confident you will be, and the more likely you’ll succeed. Be sure to record yourself and review afterwards to see if you nailed your delivery, how it really was received, and to help you do better next time
Here’s my big closer…
How to add humor to your presentations, a step by step plan.
First, remind yourself that the work you put in will be worth it. All the best speakers use humor to connect with audiences, recharge their attention span, and make their messages sticky. It leads to more bookings, getting re-booked, and more back of room sales.
Next, start slow. Don’t put too much humor in your presentations at first.
Start up top. Humor is most beneficial near the beginning of you speech. So start with something near the top. (Not your first line, you daredevil.)
After you’ve established yourself with the audience, try some funny lines about yourself, your topic, the location, or your audience’s pain points.
Then, see if you can find a call back for the end of your speech, so you exit having said something funny or light. It will make you more memorable.
If something doesn’t land right, take it in stride, maintain your confidence, review what happened, and please don’t give up. Try again next time. And then add more.
Good luck and it’s not rocket science, it’s just talking funny.
Got a funny story about a joke that flopped? And do you want to share some tips on how you recovered? (I need advice!) Let me know at chrismcguirecoaching@gmail.com
For 1:1 Coaching, to schedule a free discovery call, or to find out about my live and virtual courses, hit me up at www.laughwithchris.com
For more of my thoughts and advice on humor and storytelling, please subscribe to my free substack at letstalkfunny.substack.com
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