Guest Post by Hardscrabble Farmer
One of the basic truths of comedy is that it must resonate with the audience. A well written set properly delivered can tap into a zeitgeist without the crowd even being aware of it’s power. The thoughts that become jokes- those little riffs of words that lead to a twist and then return to the beginning- they are already present in the unspoken thoughts of those who listen. A comedian articulates what his audiences already know and a good one does it without exposing the deeper message within those bits overtly, but allowing them to discover it themselves. A punch line comes as a surprise, but is at the same time deeply familiar.
The following set by British comedian Will Franken is just under 25 minutes in length, roughly the same time allotted to a television sitcom and at least 100 times funnier. It is, in my estimation, an almost perfect comedy set in front of an audience that struggles with it- as you will witness- because it uncovers so many truths in such a masterful and joyous manner and at the same time skewers a multitude of sacred cows.
Continue reading “It’s Funny ‘Cause It’s True”
