Admit it, making the people closest to you the subject of jokes sometimes gives you immeasurable satisfaction, right? The situation will be even more fun if the subject of your joke isn't easily offended and doesn't mind laughing at himself. In the world of comedy, making jokes by criticizing a specific subject is known as “roasting”. Before roasting, make sure you fully understand the limitations; this is necessary so that your joke doesn't have the potential to destroy your relationship with the subject of your joke. Also identify the characteristics of the subject of your joke to find out what topics are funny – and not funny – for them. In addition, learn how to tell a good joke so that it can emphasize your quality in the eyes of the audience!
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Method 1 of 3: Collecting Joke Ideas
Step 1. Watch another comedian perform the roasting technique
If you're a beginner, take the time to do some simple research, such as by watching videos of other comedians and learning the techniques they use. Also browse comedy videos that are widely spread on the internet to expand your knowledge.
Sometimes, you'll find that some professional comedians don't hesitate to crack sensitive or potentially offensive jokes. Before creating material, make sure you fully understand the situation. If the subject of your joke is your boss at work, make sure you "play it safe" by choosing general material
Step 2. Think of his quirky or odd habits
Write down the things that make that person unique and different from other people around you. For example, he may only want to eat food from a specific plate, or only want to take an elevator with fewer than five people. Unique habits like that are very worthy of a joke!
If the subject of your joke likes to spread peanut butter on meat sandwiches, this quirky and unconventional habit is sure to be funny to your audience! But remember, not all habits that violate the norm deserve to be made a joke; if that person likes to send cruel messages to other people, of course you don't need to talk about it, right?
Step 3. Relive the memories you had with that person
One source of joke inspiration is the interactions that have existed between you and the subject of your joke. Remember, there will always be times when someone doesn't give their best and acts a little silly or stupid. Why not use it as a joke for you?
For example, it's possible that he plunged into a swimming pool fully clothed just to save a box of donuts. This ridiculous story deserves to be the object of a joke, you know
Step 4. Extend the truth, but don't manipulate it
Often, what succeeds in getting the audience to laugh is a joke that has an element of truth in it. However, make sure you're not manipulating the truth or breaking boundaries so the joke doesn't sound cruel.
For example, you might mention Joe's pants which always look too short and don't match his style of dress. However, don't attack her dress style without any context or insult her outfit because it makes her look fat
Step 5. Get information from other people
If you have trouble gathering materials, try asking other people for relevant information. Most likely, their opinions and information can significantly enrich your material.
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You can also take advantage of stories that have circulated in your circle of friends. For example, if the subject of your joke is known to always burn food, feel free to make it the object of your joke:
"Everyone knows that Joe and the grill never get along. So, when he invited me to dinner at his house, I decided to take the firefighters there. Okay, to be honest I didn't come and chose to order food from a nearby restaurant. Nothing. punchline here, Joe is a really bad cook."
Step 6. State the facts
Don't bother looking for material that's too complex or uncertain. First, focus on characteristics that people around the subject of your joke can easily notice (even if they don't really know him). Is the subject of your joke tall? Is his voice very deep and heavy? Is his head bald? As long as these characteristics are able to provoke laughter in others, feel free to bring them up as a joke topic.
- Is the subject of your jokes old?: "Larry doesn't need to see 'The Mummy' in theaters anymore, he was there when his mummy was wrapped up and buried."
- Is the subject of your joke a tech savvy?: “Larry is a pretty good nurse, but he's a total idiot at operating computers. In fact, he passed on more of the virus to those around him than his patients."
- Is the subject of your joke a waste of money?: “This Larry is so stingy. In fact, all shops in this city had to replace the notice on the change counter at the cash register with a piece of paper that read, "Please take one thousand rupiah, INSERT THOUSAND RUPIAH LARRY!"
Method 2 of 3: Perfecting and Telling Jokes
Step 1. Prepare a card containing several choices of story climaxes (punchlines)
Record your material on one side of the card, and note all the ideas for the story's climax and various joke directions you could go (slightly offensive, very offensive, or completely irrelevant to the material) on the other side of the card. This method will make it easier for you to fine-tune your jokes based on audience response. For example:
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"Just look at how she slumps down in her chair. Seriously, my sister is really lazy…"
- “… he can't even muster up the energy to laugh at my jokes.”
- “… when his ex-wife said, 'That's enough! I have to get out of this house,' he said instead, 'Get some beer in the fridge when you go out.'"
- “… no one even bothers to tell him to do anything anymore - oh wait a minute - I just realized - wow, my sister is a genius, really!"
Step 2. Take the audience by surprise
The element of surprise can often help you create the perfect story climax. This means making sure that the climax of your story doesn't match your audience's expectations; this method you must do to provoke laughter at the end of the joke. For example, you can insert an unexpected sentence at the end of the joke or take advantage of the uniqueness of the subject of the joke to bring out the desired element.
If the subject of your joke is tea-obsessed, try telling a story like this: “One day, I saw Charlie bringing about 200 tea bags to the office. When I said, “Oi Charlie, can you really drink that much tea?', he said, 'I'll tell you a secret, okay. Actually, I put this tea in my socks so that the smell of my feet goes away.' I asked again, 'Well, then why are your teeth so brown?'. He replied, 'Yes, dear. Time for this expensive tea to be wasted!'"
Step 3. Make sure the timing is right
Control yourself when telling jokes! If you rush your story and reach a climax, chances are your audience won't be able to digest your joke. Instead, make sure you always pause at some point, especially before you reach the climax of the story, so that the audience can follow the flow of your joke well.
Step 4. Focus on the details
Your jokes will sound even funnier if you are able to put them in the right perspective and package them into an interesting story. If you just said, “Haha, Fred is ridiculous, right? His period is always late,”, most likely no one will laugh at you. For that, try to package it in an interesting story so that the fact sounds funnier.
- For example, you might say, "Fred, yes, he's never been on time for an office meeting. To the extent that when he gets to chair the meeting, he thinks he should start the meeting by saying, 'Okay, any questions before I end the meeting?'. And for the 'morning snack' menu, he brought warm decaf coffee and half a bagel to share with people in the office."
- Even if you need to convey details, make sure your time is not wasted because the portion of detailed information is bigger than the portion of the joke itself.
Step 5. Tell the joke confidently
If you're not sure about the joke you're going to tell yourself, how can you convince your audience? Remember, an unconvincing joke is bound to sound flat. Therefore, believe in your jokes (or at least act as if you believe them) in order to successfully attract the attention of your audience.
- Look around the room and look into the eyes of the people there. Also, make sure that you are always standing straight and are not busy moving your hands as a sign of anxiety. Also convey your jokes in a clear voice and communicative tone of voice.
- Practice your jokes regularly in front of the mirror; take each rehearsal process seriously as if you were actually performing in front of an audience.
Method 3 of 3: Understanding the Difference Between Funny and Cruel Jokes
Step 1. Make sure the subject of your joke is not easily offended
Don't pick people who are likely to get angry or offended when they hear your jokes. Think about it: have you ever been the subject of a joke before? If so, and if his reaction at the time was overwhelmingly negative, he probably isn't the right candidate for you. If possible, you can even ask beforehand if the person is comfortable being the subject of your roast.
While people who find it difficult to joke (and accept jokes) are easy targets for roasting subjects, they are actually the worst subject you can choose. Make sure you choose someone who can laugh at himself
Step 2. Know the limits
When making other people the subject of jokes, of course, you must fully understand that there are boundaries that should not be crossed in order to protect their feelings. The problem is, everyone's boundaries are different; That's why, you have to carefully evaluate the subject of your joke and its life situation.
- Use your personal knowledge and experience of the person to find out what topics are worth – and aren't worth – talking about.
- For example, don't discuss the eating habits of your friend who turns out to be anorexic or is very disturbed by her body shape. On the other hand, do not discuss the style of dress of a friend who always feels insecure about his physical appearance.
Step 3. Show sensitive jokes in front of other people first
If you feel that one or more of your joke ideas have the potential to offend your target audience, try presenting them first to someone who is not the subject of your joke. For example, if the subject of your roast is coworker A, try cracking your joke in front of coworker B first. If the subject of your roast is a family member, try cracking your joke in front of the rest of the family first. Usually, they'll know if your joke sounds offensive.
Choose people who can keep your material private. If your joke turns out to be offensive, of course you don't want him to divulge it to the roasting subject in question, do you?
Step 4. Observe the body language of the subject of your joke
Supposedly, his body language will show how honest he feels when he hears your jokes. If he laughs at your jokes, chances are that you didn't hurt him. However, if his body language is uncomfortable, make sure you move on to the next topic immediately.
- End your joke if his lips look like a fake smile or his expression looks annoyed.
- End your joke too if he seems to be crossing his arms and legs and positioning himself away from you; this kind of posture shows signs of irritation and discomfort. Alternatively, he will appear restless and continue to move in his seat.
Step 5. Avoid jokes about other people's past relationships
For many people, their past relationship (especially one that wasn't too long ago) is a sensitive and offensive topic. Therefore, it's best to avoid the topic completely when you're joking; Besides, you also need to consider the feelings of the person who came with the subject of your joke at the time. If the subject of your joke already has a new partner, chances are that your joke has the potential to destroy the new relationship.
However, there are plenty of joke subjects who don't mind the topic, even if a part of their past is you
Step 6. Avoid taboo topics
Remember, it's better to "play it safe" by avoiding sensitive topics that have the potential to offend others. For example, don't talk about your friend's mother who recently died and make it a joke; nor should you offend the political and/or religious beliefs of the person who is the subject of your joke.
Again, there are no rigid rules that you must follow. However, make sure you really know your target audience before cracking a joke
Step 7. Control your jokes
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the line between a funny-sounding joke and a cruel joke. However, you should also feel a little uncomfortable if the idea of a joke you're thinking of isn't really worth telling. Remember, roasting should be a fun activity, both for communicators and communicants. Therefore, it's best to ignore joke ideas that make you feel uncomfortable.
