Saturday, 15 January 2011

What makes people laugh? (tip no.1 of how to make people laugh)

Some people will laugh at everything. Some people will sit through even the most hilarious, clever event ever, stoney faced, whilst seemingly unimpressed. However, most of us fall somewhere between those two points. Some people are paid to make people laugh, some people just get a thrill from making people laugh, but everyone feels good after inducing histerics from someone, but how it is done? And is there any way to just become 'funny'?
Well, it it's scientifically shown that people are 30 times more likely to laugh in the company of other people. Have you ever wondered why you can sit through Mock the Week, not even smirk, and still enjoy yourself. This is because your brain is still experiencing the same joy, it just isn't telegraphing to to the outside world, because we have no one to impress. And yes, we laugh to impress people. It may sound far fetched, but we laugh to shown someone that we share the same sense of humour, a factor vital in a friendship.
That is why there is a laughter track on sitcoms, it increases the likelyhood on someone laughing along, because the sound of laughter encourages the viewer to laugh. It is also why a comedy gig has to have an audience, a comedian can't just recite his jokes to one person and expect the same reaction as he would get if that person was in a crowd.
Ever looked at a comedian and thought, that looks so hard to do? Well he has it easier than you do in a social situation. His audience is already being encouraged to laugh by the fact that he is surrounded by people, all of whom he is subconsciencely trying to show he shares a sense of humour with. This is where tip no.1 comes in.
If you want to make a particular person laugh, maybe someone you are trying to impress, and you have a great story, don't just tell them. Get a group of people, maybe get their friends too, and tell the group. That person will instantly find you more funnier. This is what seperates a comedy gig to a conversation. It may look harder for Michael McIntyre to make 20,000 people laugh at one go, but in actual fact, he's making it easier for himself.
So next time you look at a comedian and think, I could never do that, think again

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

Why do we watch football?

I support West Ham football club. Not because I am a glory supporter (obviously), but because my uncle used to live in West Ham, and he basically forced me to support then, through the method of tickling. But I was 6 at the time so it's not as bad as it sounds.
Yesterday, I watched West Ham on BBC2, beat Birmingham 2-1, thanks to Ben Foster doing what I thought only Robert Green and Comference goalkeepers can manage. West Ham looked like they'd thrown it away when Birmingham equilised and Victor Obinna got himself sent off in the space of 5 minutes. Although to be fair to Obinna, if you are going to be sent off in one of the most important matched of the season, back healing someone in the bollocks is the way to go. Obinna, you were more entertaining than the rest of the match put together.
Why do we support football teams, and watch football. Well on the face of it, given the little amount of action that happens in the vast majority of football matches (come on, where else could you get 75,000 people into a stadium to watch a team beat another team 1-0 and still come away happy), we must like football because we are so fat and lazy, as a collective, that we just want to see people running around and wearing themselves out. Well this isnt the actually reason. Although the fat and lazy bit is correct...
We go to watch football because we want to win something, without moving a single muscle, well maybe a couple, just to get the pie down you. What's the best way to win something with no effort...let someone good at it do it on your behalf. Do premier league footballers deserve to earn 6 figures every week? Well the supporters don't deserve it

Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Stuff that i have found, that you might like.....

Hello. My name happens to be Ben.
At the time of writing (on the 11/1/11, I know, isnt it exciting) i am 15 years old. I have decided to start writing a blog because i am self centred and belive that my opinion counts for something. The idea of this blog is to use it as a way of having a go at people who i can't, or am scared of, telling to their face, to recomend anything i like for the viewing public to try, and to occasionally describe an event that happened to me that's interesting enough to tell you about.
I have no idea what to start with, so i thought i'd just recommend some people to you. If you are slightly anti-mainstream, or get your entertainment from somewhere apart from tv and radio, you may have heard of these people, but if not, here is my list, music and comedy;
Stewart Lee-seriously watch and listen to everything he's ever done. But the later stuff is better, hilarious live too
Richard Herring-AIOTM podcast, say no more
Ben Folds-spotify him or something
A Cappela music-i know it may be a bit wierd to recomend a whole genre of music, but i feel people may be missing out.

Literally can't be bothered to try and think of any more, this is just to get me started