Is It Ok to Be Funny in Your Assignments

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Being able to crack a joke in class can ease tension, lighten the mood, and win you the admiration of your friends. Not to mention, laughter is actually contagious!^[1] Being funny can increase your popularity and help your social life, but it takes effort and practice to find the right comedic balance.

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   Look into affiliative humor. This kind of humor uses common ground to establish a connection with your audience while telling a joke. By using everyday occurrences your audience is familiar with, you can bring people together to find the humor in daily life.^[2]

   • A good example of affiliative humor is Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld frequently uses personal experiences that others can relate to, like waiting in line at the bank, to highlight his humorous observations. A quick Internet search of one of Seinfeld's routines may give you a better understanding of affiliative humor.

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   Study some examples of aggressive humor. This kind of humor uses put-downs or insults aimed at individuals to get laughs from your audience. In some cases, this might involve insulting a member of your audience, but it's important that you understand that some people will respond poorly to this or may become uncomfortable. When this kind of humor is used to threaten someone or do psychological harm, it is considered to be bullying.^[3]

   • Two examples of aggressive humor are Joan Rivers and Don Rickles, who have been referred to by some as "put-down artists." If you think this style might suit your sense of humor, you may want to do a YouTube search for these, or other, put-down artists.

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   Learn to use self-enhancing humor. Being able to laugh at yourself in a good-natured way is a useful skill and is a healthy way to cope with stress.^[4] Beyond that, funny events in your life are often easier for your audience to relate to, which may make the punchline of your humor more effective.

   • John Stewart is well known for his use of self-enhancing humor. In some cases, at the start of a joke, Stewart might say something to the effect of, "I'm not the brightest guy..." as a lead in to an absurd realization he has noticed.

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   Understand self-defeating humor. This kind of humor, where you aggressively put yourself down for sympathy or laughs, can sometimes be psychologically unhealthy. In some cases, this kind of humor develops from chronic bullying, where a person makes a joke about themselves before a bully is able.^[5]

   • If you would like to learn more about self-defeating humor, you might search the Internet for clips of Rodney Dangerfield, who was famous for his self-deprecatory humor style.

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   Understand what you find funny. People can usually sense when a story or situation is not genuine, so try to figure out what feels most natural for you. Think about what you find the most funny and enjoyable. Are you a prankster? Do you enjoy telling jokes? Are you a "ham" who enjoys goofing off?

   • While you won't know which humor style suits you until you try, you will probably find some things work better for you than others. Don't be afraid to develop really solid base skills before developing other areas that might be more difficult.

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   Know a few basic funny situations. You and your classmates may have specific tastes, but there are some basic set-ups that almost everyone will find amusing. Seeing opportunity for humor in everyday situations is a big part of being a funny person.

   • Pain is an extremely common trigger for humor. This is perhaps one of the reasons why the payoff of a joke is called a "punch" line, and also why characters like Bugs Bunny and the cast of MTV's "Jackass" use physical humor for laughs. For some reason, humans find the pain of others, and the accidents that case that pain, funny.^[6]
   • As an example, when you bump your funny bone when you sit down at your desk, exaggerate the effect by howling and rolling around; your over-exaggeration will likely crack up your classmates.
   • The incongruous is also something humans seem hardwired to find funny.^[7] Things that don't seem to be related to what is happening and unexpected responses to events are situations you can potentially strike comedic gold. Incongruity can also work well to deflect anxiety in situations that go wrong: for example, if you do something embarrassing in class like drop all of your papers, calling attention to your mistake (rather than trying to act like nobody noticed) will probably strike people as funny because they don't expect your response.^[8]

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   Discover what your audience finds funny. In school, you will probably have two separate audiences: your classmates and your teacher. In order for your humor to appeal to the most people, you'll need to consider what everyone will find funny. Pop culture references, word play, puns, and physical comedy are often reliable sources of humor.

   • Observe the "funny" kids at school. What do they do? How do they tell jokes? This may give you some idea of how to reach your audience, but don't feel like you have to copy anyone.

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   Be respectful of others. Some people will take even playful humor seriously, which could result in feelings being hurt or resentment. Take note of who can take a joke and who gets hurt feelings easily. A huge part of being funny in class is delivering your humor in a way everyone can appreciate.

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   Practice balanced humor. While you may want the reputation of "class clown," it's important to remember there is a balance between being funny and being offensive. It's a good idea to stay away from jokes and pranks that hurt or ridicule others. Also, some friends might become annoyed if you're always practicing your humor on them. Remember, you want to be funny, not a bully.

   • Goofing off in class works best if people know you pretty well. If you're new to the class, start small and build up your humor routine so that people find you funny and not obnoxious.

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   Know your limits. There are times when being the class clown will make everyone laugh, and there are times when trying to clown around will upset people. Don't overdo it, and don't continue to ham it up if you've been asked to stop.

   • A good comic is usually able to read an audience. If you've brought up a hot button issue, or you can see that your audience isn't in the mood for your hi-jinks, it might be better to save your material for another day.

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   Trust your instincts. Humor comes from a place of truth; it has to feel natural for you if it's going to be funny to others. Even if you don't get big laughs at first, try to stay true to what feels comfortable for you.

   • Some people are just naturally more humorous than others. But don't worry, even if you struggle with your sense of humor in the beginning, you can learn to communicate your sense of humor with practice.^[9]

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   Use self-deprecation in your humor. Many professional comedians, like Louis C.K. and Chris Rock, use themselves as the targets of their jokes -- especially the mean ones. This is a process called "aiming up," and it can put people at ease because they're less worried that you will make fun of them.^[10]

   • Self-deprecation is very common in things like lawyer jokes, which are even told by lawyers themselves! This joke plays on the perception of lawyers as corrupt. An example of this would be: "Why don't sharks bite lawyers? Because they don't attack their own kind!"
   • Self-deprecation is also a good way to disarm attacks from others, like bullies. Humorously acknowledging that you're bad at science or have ugly glasses takes the power away from people who might try to make you feel bad you about those things.

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   Use surprise and misdirection in your humor. People often find an unexpected punchline or a setup that takes a sharp turn very funny. The difference between what they expect to happen and what actually happens can be a source of a lot of laughs.^[11]

   • For example, you could ask your teacher if she would punish you for something you didn't do. If she says no, you can reply, "Great, because I didn't do my homework." This joke will be funniest if you actually did do your homework, because then it has two unexpected twists.

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   Develop a sense of community with your humor. A lot of being funny is sharing experiences with others who understand them. If you target things that a lot of your classmates also experience -- like how hard math is or how bad cafeteria food is -- people are more likely to find you funny. ^[12]

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   Turn your weaknesses into strengths. Own your weaknesses. If you're naturally clumsy, don't be embarrassed about it. Make it a feature unique to your brand of physical comedy! People who come across as self-confident are more likely to be considered funny by others.

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   Work on your sarcasm. Sarcasm is a classic standby for funny people, and it can actually help exercise your brain!^[13] Sarcasm is essentially a "true lie," which means that it works by saying the opposite of what you mean in a way that's obvious. For example, when your teacher gives your class a homework assignment, you could say "I don't think you've given us enough homework! Can we have some more, please?"

   • You can also use sarcasm to respond to sarcasm. If someone makes a sarcastic comment, you could reply, "Wow, sarcasm! So original!" The gap between what you're saying ("sarcasm is original") and the meaning of what you're saying ("sarcasm is not original") may get a chuckle from anyone listening. Similar uses of sarcasm against sarcasm may be doubly funny, as you're ironically using sarcasm to critique sarcasm.

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   Misunderstand what people say intentionally. This technique relies on playing with double meanings of words.^[14] Oftentimes, you can accentuate this kind of humor by waiting for the right context. For example, if someone tells you, "I've got class now," you might reply "It took you long enough to get some!"

   • You can also try this with your teacher. For example, if your teacher tells you that you can't sleep in class, you could reply, "I know, but I bet I could if it were quieter in here."
   • This technique works best with people you know. Intentionally misunderstanding people who don't know you might result in hurt feelings, offense being taken, or frustration for others.

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   Finish the lines of others. This can even work on your teacher if she is laid-back. While she is speaking, you may think of a more interesting way to finish her thought. ^[15] For example, if she begins a sentence by saying "When I was a kid," you could finish her sentence by saying, "Let me guess - you rode dinosaurs!"

   • When talking to your teacher, try to keep your comments light and unoffensive. If you know your teacher is sensitive about her weight, for example, don't make jokes about it.

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   Stockpile your ammunition. Part of being funny is making the joke seem effortless. Think of jokes, scenarios, or topics that you find humorous while at home. Then you can practice these jokes in front of your mirror so you can also work on facial cues. Some jokes are funniest when told with a straight face (called "deadpan" humor), so try practicing both deadpan and your usual delivery to see which you like best.^[16]

   • Keep your jokes and puns topical. A pun like "Without geometry, life is "point"less" might go over well in a math class, but might flop in a history class. A joke like "What happened when the chicken crossed the road? It was poultry in motion" would be funnier in English class than in a science class.

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   Answer questions in bizarre or unexpected ways. If the teacher asks you a question, reply with a completely different answer. This can be either a random word like "banana" or an answer to a different question, like, "The capital of Maine is Augusta!"

   • Use this technique sparingly! If you do it too often, your teacher may get annoyed with you, or your classmates may think you're rude.

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   Think about using props. Prop humor can work particularly well for pun-based jokes. For example, you could bring a box of Glad Wrap plastic wrap to school. If someone gets upset with you in class, whip out the box and tell them, "Don't get mad! Get Glad!"

   • Situational comedy also works well with props. If your teacher often says that you (or a classmate) seem to let everything "go in one ear and out the other," you could come to school one day with cotton balls taped over your ears. When the teacher asks why, you can tell her that you're trying to keep everything in!

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   Work on your physical comedy. For example, you could raise your hand and make a peace sign in class. When your teacher acknowledges you, you can reply that you weren't asking a question, you were just promoting world peace. The humor here is that your teacher can't be upset that you were giving a peace sign because then she would be upset with the idea of peace itself.

   • Physical comedy can be very funny, but remember not to make fun of people or ridicule others. For example, mimicking a disabled kid in your class isn't funny, it's just mean.
   • You may have a gesture, way of dancing, or way of doing something that is different from others. You can use this to your advantage to be physically comedic. When people ask, "What are you doing?" you can simply reply, "Sometimes you just have to dance!"

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   Play harmless pranks. Pranks that are mean or hurt someone aren't acceptable and are considered to be bullying.^[17] There are plenty of ways to play pranks that are harmless and hilarious. For example, the senior class of a high school in Maryland hired a mariachi band to follow their principal around for the whole day. She thought it was so funny she put it on Twitter.^[18]

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• Take your time as you develop your comedic persona. You may have to try out different things before you find what works for you.

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• Don't be cruel to your classmates or a bully. Being offensive, belittling others, and causing harm is never funny.

• Clowning around too much or making offensive jokes and comments can have serious consequences, such as being sent to the principal's office, detention, missed recess, punishment at home (like being grounded), and even suspension.

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Being funny in class can help lighten the mood and win you friends, but it takes some practice to find the right style for school. One way to use humor in school is to answer questions in bizarre and unexpected ways. For instance, if your teacher asks you "What's the capital of Maine?" you can answer "Banana!" Just remember to use this technique once in a while or else your teacher and other students could get annoyed. You can also try finishing people's sentences in ridiculous ways. For instance, if your teacher says "When I was young," you could immediately chime in with "let me guess. You rode a dinosaur?" Of course, you'll only want to do this if your teacher has a sense of humor. Otherwise, practice your comedy on your friends between classes. To learn how to use sarcasm to be funny, keep reading!

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