“Dying is Easy, Young Man,Comedy is Harder”

Curtis C. ChenFebruary 17, 2017

Rainforest Writers Village (Session One)

“Yo, who the F is this?”

“leaven[s] the suspense with Kangaroo’s droll quips” – Publishers Weekly

“our hero never loses his sense of humor” – Kirkus Reviews

“laugh-out-loud humor” – Jason M. Hough, New York Times bestselling author

Academy Award nominated

screenwriter Allison

Schroeder

What is Funny?To crush your enemies—no, wait, that’s something

else.

I can’t tell you how to be funny.

Types of ComedyTypes of Comedy

Mmm… PIE…

Types of Comedy

Types of Comedy

PHYSICAL INTELLECTUAL

Types of Comedy

EMOTIONAL

Types of Comedy

PHYSICAL INTELLECTUAL

EMOTIONAL

The Three StoogesRoad Runner cartoons

Buster Keaton

Hamilton referencesNew Yorker cartoons

puns & wordplay

EVERYTHING ELSE…

Types of Comedy

EMOTIONALPHYSICAL

INTELLECTUAL

Comedy vs. HumorSave the Laugh Track, Save the World

You can be funny without telling jokes.

LOUDER, FASTER, FUNNIER

(recognition laugh)

How I Met Your Mother House, M.D.

John Rogers Jane Espenson Keegan-Michael Key &Jordan Peele

Cultural DiversityMmm… Cultures…

Not everyone shares your sense of humor.

Can you tell that joke?

Should you tell that joke?

Humor has a price.

“punching down”

SO WHY ISN’T THIS “RACIST”?

PhonologyWill Scarsdale Like Josh’s Shayna Punim?

Sorry Not Sorry!¯\_(ツ )_/¯

Curtis C. ChenTwitter: @CurtisCChen

facebook.com/curtis.c.chen

www.curtiscchen.comJUNE 20, 2017

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