Joke structure, also known as Joke Format or Joke Type, is essential for any comedian. A building cannot be strong without a proper structure. In the same way, jokes cannot be good without a proper structure.
Joke structure is simply a method used by comedians to organize/maintain puns, punchlines, or setups to create comedy conflict. In this article, you’ll learn how to structure your jokes and write the best jokes of all time.
Elements of Joke
First, you should know about the elements of a joke, so below are the six main elements of a joke.
Have a look at this joke,
“Yesterday, my son’s math teacher asked him,” What is a line?” He answered that a line is a dot going for a walk. The teacher asked another question with anger, then “What are parallel lines” he replied, “Parallel lines are a dot going for a walk with his GIRLFRIEND.”
Below are the elements used in this joke,
- Character (My son and the math teacher)
- Setting: My son and the teacher are in school, and the teacher asks my son some questions.
- Plot: The Plot is that the math teacher has asked my son a question,n and he needs to answer it.
- Conflict: The conflict is that the teacher was angry with my son’s and, we’re so she asked another question with a twist.
- Fun Part: My son’s teacher asked him a question with a twist, and he answered in the same manner with a twist, which was the central part of this joke.
- Theme: Classroom, Math Class, School, Education
I hope now you have understood what the main elements are and their functions.
Structures of Joke
Below are the formats or types of jokes that are used by many famous stand-up artists.
#1. Exaggeration Jokes
Exaggeration jokes are prevalent jokes. It is like a way of bringing a story to life. Exaggeration gets humor from incongruence.
In exaggeration jokes, it is not compulsory to add a bunch of punchlines. The thing important in it is to make your story interesting.
Your exaggeration should neither be over or inner because it may lose the listener’s trustworthiness, and it may seem boring to the listener.
Write a few sentences about your experience, add some exaggeration (Emotional, Reactions, Pranks), and then rewrite it so that it can flow better.
#2. Broken Assumption Jokes
Whenever you speak a line, you provide information about, who, what, when, where, how, why, etc.
Here are some cases you exactly give the information, and in some cases, the listeners assume.
For example, “I go running every day.”
Here, you exactly answered Who- “I,” What- “Running,” When-” every day.”
But, the listener also made some assumptions like Why-” To Stay Fit,” Where-” Maybe near a Park,” How-” By Foot.”
The listeners made assumptions based on the information you didn’t give. These assumptions are then needed to be broken into punchlines to make a joke.
An Example of a Broken Assumption Joke is,
“A student asked his teacher,” Would you punish me for something that I haven’t done? The teacher replied with a No, Then the student said, I haven’t done my homework.”
Here, the assumption ‘What’ was broken into the punchline.
#3. Misplaced Sincerity Jokes
This is a joke where the comedian pretends not to know specific knowledge that the listeners know is true. Steve Martin uses Misplaced Sincerity Jokes very frequently.
Misplaced Sincerity is a great comedy format to utilize. I propose using it to punch-up material as opposed to “compose into” a joke. Start with something pre-written.
Discover any thoughts or expressions that are anything but challenging to misjudge or require explicit information. Ask yourself, “What might occur on the off chance that I misjudged or didn’t have this data?”
Write a subsequent that accepts you “overlook what’s important.”
#4. PUNS or Double Entendres
PUNS, also known as Double Entendres, are used by many comedians and are enjoyed a lot.
Puns consistently evoke compelling feelings, great or irritated, from the punner and the punnee. While they get negative criticism in most social circumstances, they can cause the most challenging-hearted audience to start grinning now and again. Done right, these puns can even make you sound more brilliant.
You should acknowledge the flaws of the English language. A few words sound like different words. There are punctuation rules we never follow and don’t understand. Grasping these idiosyncrasies can get innovative energy pumping.
To help your punning aptitudes develop, you should work on punning through composition by:
Posting regular buzzwords and making puns from these.
Creating a character as often as possible using puns and placing her into fascinating circumstances/discussions.
Recording most loved expressions and giving these a contort with close rhymes or like-sounding words.
#5. Meta Jokes
Meta-jokes can be said as “Jokes about jokes.” The funniness originates from their capacity to portray famous jokes. Meta-jokes use “references” to make comedic strife. The comedic struggle depends on the audience’s ability to reference the sort of joke being ridiculed.
Make a desire for a “typical completion to a joke.” That desire is broken when the punchline ridicules the joke itself. Then, write a perfect Meta Joke. Always try to rewrite it because rewriting a joke can make the joke flow perfectly.
Steve Martin and Elbert Brookes are the two famous comedians who use Meta Jokes. They are even known as Meta Comedians.
Not every comedian will use all of these forms but no comedy is solely one type of comedy.