The Science of Making Fun of Myself

With stand-up comedy, there’s definitely a science to writing your jokes. There’s a formula, there’s a punchline and how you get to that punchline can really determine how well the joke lands. After eight years of performing stand-up, I’ve learned a lot about that process. Every joke I tell on stage comes from something I’ve actually lived. I’ve never been good at writing those whimsical, made-up stories that some comedians can pull off. If it didn’t happen to me, it’s hard to make it funny in my voice. I can’t fake a story and sell it as my own it just doesn’t feel right.

When I’m on stage, I’m sharing bits and pieces of my life. I’m telling you what it’s like to be blind. The frustrating parts. The funny parts. From bumping my head on a tree that came out of nowhere to running face-first into a pillar that was just minding its own business. But most of all, I’m educating people about what it’s like to live with a visual impairment so that when we finally hit the punchline, everyone understands why it’s funny and why it’s frustrating.

That’s the box I’ve put myself in as a comedian and I’m okay with that. This style forces me to live my best life and keep finding humour in the everyday chaos of being me. I’d much rather make fun of myself than make fun of someone else. Because honestly, I don’t know what anyone else is going through. I only know my own life, my own frustrations, and my own moments of ridiculousness.

That’s also why I stay away from roast battles. I can be mean to myself all day it’s practically therapy but when it comes to roasting others, I just can’t do it. I was raised to treat people the way I want to be treated. So yeah, I’ll roast myself for walking into the same wall twice in one day, but if I made fun of someone else, I’d feel terrible afterward.

Anyway, thanks for checking out today’s audio blog. I talk this out into a microphone, save it as a dictation, and post it here on my website. That’s how these posts come to life straight from my mouth to your screen.

Take care, and I’ll chat with you later.

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