Tuesday, August 04, 2009

How To Write A Funny Blog Part 2 HUMOR V. FUNNY

Remind me again why I thought it was a good idea to write this series. Thanks.

How about an example of a persona? Let's use Dooce.

We know she loves her husband Jon, her two dogs and her two children. But her deconstructed persona has her throwing objects at Jon's head, dangling one of their dogs over boiling edamame water and placing things on Chuck's head. This is where she distinguishes herself because she knows her deconstructed self. That and she's a brilliant writer, which most bloggers aren't.

Full Disclosure: I don't know Dooce, she wrote me back once with the word 'thanks' in the email and if she did know me might run screaming into the Utah night with Chuck on her head.

Back in the 80's Carol Leifer and I used to walk out of Catch A Rising Star and go next door to a raunchy bar with a bowling alley. We'd trash men all night and laugh our asses off. One day she called me and asked me to be on her first TV show Leifer Madness. When I showed up on set, after hair and makeup, Carol said, "Oh my God, what did they do to you?" They made me up with a turban and a housecoat so I looked like my part, the apartment manager. My lines were tragic and boring. Carol was upset and said, "NO, I wanted the girl at the bar, she's who I hired." She had hired my persona, not the real me. The show failed. I blame her. (love you Carol, mean it)

And here is where I should point out that men never really think women are funny. Fuckers.

Being a humor blogger is not a bad thing, but it is much harder to be funny than to be humorous. Humor is when you walk away thinking, 'Oh, that's cute.' Funny is when you walk away and can't stop laughing, tell it to your friends and generally annoy the shit out of everybody with your stupid funny joke.

My pet peeve in this category is the sheer volume of people who refer to themselves as humor writers. And if they're on those aggregate humor lists who take anyone who applies. GET OUT.(I joined one and but got HIRED for another one. After that, I joined no lists) They have other bloggers judge your writing, bloggers with no credentials, nothing published and worst of all, strangers kissing ass with very little sense of humor. If you read some of these websites you realize they're taking page views and Google ranking off your work. If you see The Onion or David Sedaris's name on a list, sign up for that one. Otherwise, write a novel. If I can do it, anyone can. Or write a screenplay, if I can do it, so can you.

P.S. But they are very hard to write. I should change my title from "I Fucked A Priest" to something a little more Disney. Agreed?

Tomorrow, Timing

21 comments:

  1. So... the question I've been dying to ask...

    Is it all okay if I just write to write and continue not to care if people find it funny or humorous, as long as I don't make them want to put a screwdriver in their ear?

    Blogging is more like group therapy to me - and believe me, I NEED THERAPY. If I get too worried about the reader, I'm afraid I'll suffer from performance anxiety. Do they have a pill for that?

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  2. People often tell me I write funny posts, but I dunno. It's just my life. I find it funny, but for someone else to find it funny is well...funny.

    And I would soooooooo enjoy hunkering down and watching the drunk guys in an ally, lol

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  3. I'm like blognut, I write to write. It's not so much group therapy more like I love to gab and everyone I know has heard my stories a million times and don't care so now I get to tell them to a bunch of strangers who don't care.

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  4. I find your description of Dooce funnier than I actually find Dooce. I'm sure it's my problem.

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  5. No way, I efed a priest is WAY better than Disneyish.

    But that is just me.

    Do you want to ghost write for me?

    JK.

    Umm, I love you because you are funny, and say it as it is. I think it's annoying when people try to be funny. Just be yourself. I don't claim to be funny or humous or anything like that. Maybe just mean and I don't have to work hard at that at all!

    Dooce is cool, I think she is bored of writing and therefore I'm bored of her blog. Her earlier stuff was great though!

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  6. "And here is where I should point out that men never really think women are funny. Fuckers."

    Um, this is not true m'funny-fucking-lady. True, if we're twenty years old we have to give equal time to your breasts, but eventually, the upper brain kicks in. You're hilarious and I fathered four kids, so I'm pretty sure that's a guy thinking a woman is funny.

    Oh, definitely, "I Fucked Mickey Goofy." See, that could go either way. I love titles with more than one possibility.

    Thanks for another great post.

    SLC

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  7. I've been MIA for a while and don't have time to go back and read your first installment but... I love this one.

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  8. Mizz Suzy, you're delightful.

    I've written several novels, and am working on a few million more - the writing isn't what stumps me...it's what comes after. Maybe when you're finished with the funny posts, you could cover that? And then perhaps you could explain the inner workings of the Hadron Collider while you're taking a break from the tough stuff.

    Shade and Sweetwater,
    K

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  9. Disney Fucking A Priest Would Be Really Funny.[Old Habit Die Hard?]
    Personally I dont attempt Humour when blogging.For one thing, when I am funny In Real Life it's spontanous.I can be quite funny but it has to be quick & unrehearsed. I am one of those people who people always laugh atExcept when i try to tell a joke.[embarrassed silence ALWAYS follows] I either lose the story half-way through.......put the empasis in the wrong place.start stuttering .etc etc.
    Plus blogs are a little like Text & Instant Messenger notes.Its hard to to read the subtly......
    Of course everyone thinks they are funny (have you ever met anyone who said "I HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOUR")
    It's a funny old world.although ,in 99% of blogs,you wouldnt know that......

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  10. funny is like pregnant.....

    you either are or you aren't.....


    I just like stuff to flow naturally...

    if it takes effort.... it loses something in the translation...

    but, I am not a writer.....

    I am a woman who writes....

    for fun.....

    for therapy......

    for myself, and anyone else who chooses to read......

    but mostly for myself.......

    it's cheaper than therapy, but not as comfortable as the therapists couch.......

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  11. -->Dooce is good but I enjoy Bossy at www.iambossy.com a lot more.

    (I don't know her either but reading some of her blog posts get me to chuckle out loud with the unexpected commentary she provides.)

    Personally, I write to amuse myself and if others find it funny, maybe they should start reading with their eyes open.

    http://www.WebSavyMom.com

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  12. Doocebag was only funny when that dood at Violent Acres called her kid a retard.

    Other than that, she appeals only to overly hormonal women who have nothing better to do than meddle.

    Which is why she's so damned rich off of her crappy blog.

    Anways, what I'm saying is your definitions of humour and funny work when you understand that different people have different definitions of both.

    Also, men DO find women funny. Not only would I let Sarah Silverman do whatever she wanted with my penis, her poo humour makes me laugh.

    And I'm pretty sure my penis would make her laugh, also.

    Just saying.

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  13. I like the humor vs. funny distinction.

    And where does comedy fit in?

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  14. Nicely explained. I need to go douse my blog in kerosene, and try again... except it make me happy... eh, forget the kerosene.

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  15. And I've never read dooce... anyone that commercial doesn't appeal to me for some reason.

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  16. I love it when I laugh out loud at someones post. I do it a lot around here. Comments are funny too!

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  17. You hit them all on the head. All of them! ;o)

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  18. It's a good idea to write the series because we need to hear it and feel slightly inferior and wonder if we're funny and or humorous and then toddle off the bed feeling hopeful but concerned. I'm new to this land o' blog and I'm glad to find your advice and fuel my angst.

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  19. I don't think there is anything wrong with being merely humorous. I enjoy reading quietly funny stuff. Maybe because I'm an introvert?

    I think funny is like the class clown who likes the attention and loud laughter and humorous is the wall flower in the corner chuckling to herself.

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  20. I'm still trying to deconstruct my persona. I keep getting stuck on the fact that when I started blogging, I was called DCup and most of my readers were horny men. They've had a wee bit of trouble with me changing my focus a bit to encompass attempts at being funny? humorous?

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