Exaggeration: Describe the setup under extreme conditions.
Exaggeration is a statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is. In comedy, exaggeration serves to drastically overstate your take (as seen through your Comedy Lens) by such a ridiculous amount that it becomes hilarious.
Though this might seem simple enough to make happen (“Go big or go home!”), sometimes knowing exactly what and how to exaggerate for laughs isn’t always as easy as it seems.
To begin, think of that familiar question: “How BLANK is it?”
The idea is to heighten to absurd levels whatever the “BLANK” represents. In our case it’s the main action within your humor blueprint setup. That exaggerating is actually done by implementing some of the other humor-heightening devices at your disposal.
Exaggeration Example:
Check out the way popular comedian Jim Gaffigan exaggerates how weird, long, and yucky baths are to him.
He gets laughs from exaggerating the downsides of bathing from the point of view of his Comedy Lens, a Midwestern husband and father with a sarcastic inner voice.
Jim Gaffigan – Showers vs. Baths
I’m sure most of you showered. There’s probably one or two weirdos out there that took a bath.
How much free time do you have on your hands? What, are you taking a break from ruling ancient Egypt?
“I don’t have anything to do, and I’ll never have anything to do, so I’ll just sit in a pool of my own filth. Ah, luxury.”
Now here’s that same bit within the humor blueprint template. The pertinent humor-heightening devices are listed after each joke:
Jim Gaffigan’s Comedy Lens: Midwestern husband and father with a sarcastic inner voice.
Bit Name: Showers vs. Baths
Premise: I’m sure most of you showered.
Setup (apply Comedy Lens—Midwestern husband and father with a sarcastic inner voice): There’s probably one or two weirdos out there that . . .
(Norm: Didn’t shower, stayed dirty, stink right now and are fine with that.)
Violate the norm: (How WEIRD are they?)
Jokes:
- took a bath. (positive to negative, exaggeration, recognition)
Gaffigan Premise Two: Those who take baths.
Setup (apply Comedy Lens—Midwestern husband and father with a sarcastic inner voice): How much free time do you have on your hands?
(Norm: I have plenty of time; I have nights and weekends off, I start work later than most.)
Violate the norm: (How much FREE TIME do you have?)
Jokes:
- What, are you taking a break from ruling ancient Egypt? (exaggeration, funny specifics, cut back to)
- “I don’t have anything to do, and I’ll never have anything to do, so I’ll just sit in a pool of my own filth. Ah, luxury.” (different perspective, exaggeration, funny specifics, cut back to)
NEXT UP: SARCASM (it will be the honor of my lifetime to explain such a complex heightening device).
This content was lifted directly from Book Two of the Funny Muscle series :
Fine-Tuning Your Funny Muscle: How to Practice Creating Laughs Like a Pro
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