Kick in the Career: Why did Donald Duck call the electric company?

Humor is one of my favorite subjects and the ability to use it well can be a powerful business tool. But as I’ve mentioned in the past, humor, or attempts at humor, are frequently overused or misused because basic principles of humor are incorrectly understood.

I’ve often been struck by the fact that movie audiences will laugh at comedies even when nothing funny is happening. They laugh because they want to laugh, or even need to laugh. They go to comedies for the same reason they go to a restaurant. Laughing, like eating, is a hardwired requirement of their existence. In order to use humor effectively, you just have to connect a listener’s built-in desire to laugh, and fulfill that desire at a serviceable level.

Being a “funny person” is not an essential requirement. What is essential is a desire to be funny, and the ability to communicate that desire to your listeners. If you can show a listener that you at least want them to laugh, they’re certain to go along with you – because remember: laughter is something they want and need.

People fail with humor when they fail to make their humorous intentions clear. If they know they’ve bought a ticket to a comedy, they’ll act the way they’re supposed to act at a comedy. But if they’re not sure what kind of a show they’re seeing, they won’t be in their “funny gear.” And if they’re not in their funny gear, they’re not going to laugh – because they’re not sure that’s what they’re supposed to do.

When listeners are in “funny gear,” they’ll accept your humor in a playful way and enjoy it. But if they’re in “serious gear,” nothing will make them laugh. Either they won’t understand what they’re supposed to do, or they’ll resent the fact that they’re now being asked to laugh by somebody that they don’t think is funny.

So why did Donald Duck call the electric company? Because he wanted to talk about his bill! Now that’s funny!