One of the reasons I love to tune in to the TV show “Saturday Night Live” is to see if one of the actors will crack up in the middle of a performance. Watching someone else try to stifle a laugh is one of the funniest things in the world. But in Humorous Interpretation, if you laugh at yourself while performing, you might as well hold up a sign that says “Game Over.”

H.I. is typically treated more like a recorded movie and less like live theatre. Your performance, while side-splitting, should also be disciplined and polished. Some competitors can’t help laughing in the middle of a piece, and that’s understandable – it’s natural to be pleased with yourself if you are receiving immediate feedback from your audience that you are doing well. But if you smile or laugh when you are supposed to be playing a bewildered or angry character, it ruins the effect of your characterization, and it makes you seem conceited and unprepared.

Here are a few suggestions for how to keep yourself from laughing during an H.I. round:

1. Purse your lips slightly. Bring the corners of your mouth into a small “O” shape, pushing your lips forward. This will help to hide the smile spreading across your face. Raising your eyebrows can also help with this, although contorting your face in such a way might actually make matters worse if your audience finds it amusing.

2. Go with it. If you can’t make yourself stop laughing, work it into the piece. Find a way to make it correlate with whatever is happening in the piece. If you’re playing an antagonist who is supposed to be very angry, make that character suddenly snap and become a diabolical evil genius – translate your giggles into maniacal laughter. If you’re playing a sad character, pretend to be crying instead of laughing.

3. Don’t look at your audience. This is tricky if you’re performing a monologue, but it is one of the best ways to keep from laughing. When you look at someone who is smiling, it makes you want to smile, too. Find a way to look elsewhere – look up at the ceiling as if your character is reminiscing, or close your eyes as if your character is very serious. If your piece has multiple characters, you should hardly be looking at your audience anyway. If you avoid directly looking at the people who are laughing, you’ll be one step closer to maintaining a straight face.

4. Keep the piece moving. One of my choir teachers used to say, “The note you just sang is not important. What is important is the note you are about to sing.” The same can be said for speech: The line you just said is not important. Concentrate on your next joke, your next setup. If your audience bursts out laughing after a great line, just continue moving forward in your piece, and don’t allow yourself a moment’s hesitation to join in.

5. Bite your tongue. Not too hard, of course. But if you have a hard time stifling a giggle, this is certainly a quick way to make yourself stop smiling. Ouch…

6. Practice before you perform. You should always practice your H.I. by performing it in front of other people. Otherwise, you won’t know how the piece will fare in competition because you will have no feedback to base your interpretation on. Rehearsing in front of your friends and teammates can also be a huge asset to you because it will help you train yourself not to chuckle when your audience starts laughing.

Related Humor Articles

Weddings can surely bring tears to people’s eyes. It is one moving and inspiring event that makes us want to cry. When we see the bride walking down the aisle, we cannot help but reach for our handkerchief and dab the tears welling up in the corner of our eyes. When the father of the bride and the bride dance together or when the mother of the groom makes a speech, any spectator can easily be touched.

But weddings are not all about weeping. Many modern couples want to incite laughter as well. This can be achieved with the use of humorous wedding accessories that can make your guests laugh out loud. Here are some examples of this kind of wedding accessory.

Funny Fashion Apparel

1. T-shirts – Make a statement with t-shirts with printed funny texts. These shirts are ideal to use during the engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, or bachelor’s (or bachelorette’s) party. To have this kind of shirts, you can buy wedding transfer iron on sheets that are available in many online wedding apparel stores.

• “The Bride is Mine” t-shirt
• “I Survived my Stag” t-shirt
• “I Stand Up For Brides” t-shirt
• “It’s all about Me” t-shirt

2. Flipflops – The pair of black and white “Just Married” sandals is the perfect footwear for the couple getting married at the beach or those who have tropical or Hawaiian themed wedding. The nice thing about this pair of flip flops is that it leaves the words “Just Married” imprinted on the sand when you walk on it.

3. Hats – Couples can be playful with the choice of hats they use for the wedding day or any party or gathering relevant to this occasion. The Brushed Cotton Twill Crusher Hat, Wedding Party Denim Crusher Hats, Bride & Groom Cowboy Hats, and the “Bride” Angora Down Brim Hat are just few of the many funny options that the couple can use as head wear.

Comical Wedding Décor and Favors Aside from personal accessories, decorative accessories and wedding favors that are funny in nature are also available to spur some laughter among the guests attending the wedding.

1. Table napkin – There are stylized personalized napkins available in various online wedding stores. You can have your initials printed on them or have a funny quote like “We are tying the knot (around our necks!)” or “Here comes the bridezilla, all dressed in white!” Of course, when choosing comical quips to put on the napkin, check with your partner if he or she is up to it, as you would not want to offend anyone with the text prints on the table napkin.

2. Cake toppers – In lieu of the tradition wedding cake topper, funny cake toppers are making their way to the hearts of many couples. Some of the funniest cake toppers we have seen include:

• “Princess Bride Kissing Frog Prince” cake topper
• “Cell Phone Fanatic Bride and Groom” cake topper
• “Golf Fanatic Groom Mix and Match” cake topper
• “Still Shopping Message Mix and Match” cake topper
• “Western Lasso Interchangeable” cake topper
• “Love Pinch Bridal Couple” cake topper

3. Wedding favors – Give away a memento that will not only serve as a souvenir for your wedding but also something that can elicit laughter from your guests.

• Novelty Popcorn Carton (with prints like “He popped the question” or “Topped with love”)
• “Sole mates” mini shoe polisher
• “We clicked” mouse pad
• “Love is cool” heart shaped mint candies

These humorous wedding accessories can surely turn your wedding day into a fun event that people will surely remember for a lifetime.

Be honest.  What comes to mind when you think about being put on hold after calling a business?  Granted, it’s not something most of us spend quality time pondering.  But the average person would probably equate it with the same fondness of heart they feel toward, let’s say being stuck in rush hour traffic or waiting in the lobby of the dentist’s office.  Wouldn’t it be great to hear some interesting trivia or perhaps an occasional spot of humor?  You can bet on it!  And so are an increasing number of savvy businesses.

As more companies are harnessing the power of on hold messages than ever before, message on hold production has come more fully into the mainstream of the advertising industry, and has been progressively shedding its “elevator music” image by mixing in a dash of wit here or a pinch of wisdom there.

Fading is the day when the only option callers on hold have is listening to a uniform style presentation of products and services.  And, though the straight ahead approach will always be perfectly valid, and is the only practical choice for some types of businesses (more on that in a moment), many callers seem to enjoy a brief exodus from the often too serious workday.

The challenge for any company when considering the content of on hold messages is to keep callers on the line, remind them that they haven’t dropped off the company radar and of course, simultaneously generate sales, or at least spark enough interest in products and services to get them talking to salespeople.  If you own a business and have ever mulled over the idea of creating custom messages on hold, remember, when adding-in humor or trivia it needs to be kept in good taste.  As in any other customer interaction a little discernment goes a long way.

Putting some thought into the products or services your company offers, you may conclude that humor or trivia is not a good fit for your callers.  It’s true that in some instances it just doesn’t play well.  But, if you want to give your callers something to smile about while on hold, try testing the waters with coloring outside the lines; perhaps just a teensy bit at first.

Competent message on hold production companies make it their business to skillfully “knit the wit” into your messages so your customers stay entertained AND hear all the best about your products or services.  They’ll not only be glad they called you; they may connect more positively with your company image.  No kidding!

Related Humor Articles

Pops have a tendency to appear comedic. Dramatic pieces that involve multiple characters require character development on a deeper level than a humorous piece when it comes to pops, and the reason is simple. In a funny performance, it’s standard operating procedure to include at least one or two characters who stand in a stereotyped or extreme way – Knees bowed in, hunched over, confused face, pushing glasses up on the nose to imitate a shy, nerdy person. Tall posture, one hand on the hip and other hand pointing at the audience for a Tim Gunn effect, et cetera. But you can’t get away with using stereotyped character stances in a dramatic performance because it comes across as a joke. Since it’s never a good sign if people are laughing at you during a dramatic performance, here are a few ways to differentiate between comedic and dramatic pops:

Comedic pops can be “bigger” and more exaggerated, with broader movements and even audible shifting noises. Your gestures in H.I. or any comedic piece will naturally be more flamboyant, which you can use to your advantage when it comes to pops.

Remember that contrast between pops is very important in a humorous piece simply because it’s funny to watch someone physically go back and forth between extremes.

In a performance of a dramatic piece, you want to keep your pops somewhat close together and simple – for example, make one character slightly shorter than the other by bending your knees, and keep the focus on your shift in facial expression and posture rather than elaborate hand gestures.

Dramatic pieces lend themselves well to silent, delicate character transitions. This goes back to contrast; your character stances should be close enough together to allow you to switch between them with minimal movement.

Some competitors will actually “melt” between characters instead of popping, which is basically a slower, more relaxed transition. While this has its advantages because you don’t come across as stiff the way you might with a regular pop, it generally makes you look like you’re trying to do a pop and you’re not doing it correctly. Steer clear.

Simple advice, but it’s definitely something you should keep in mind when you’re performing any piece with multiple characters. I should also note that it’s important to make sure you aren’t wearing particularly noisy shoes for a competition if you plan on popping in any dramatic pieces. A well-placed squeak can really ruin a touching moment.

Laughter is supposed to be the best medicine, and whether you’re dealing with a particularly stressful time in your life or simply need to relax after a long day of work, finding something to make yourself smile is always a great idea. And one of the major advantages of the world wide web is that there’s literally always something there designed to make you giggle and feel good. Whether it’s a bit more esoteric, like cats with text overlaid designed to make them sound like babies, or something more typical–like your favorite comedians doing sketches designed to go viral–the web is a true treasure trove of humor.

For anyone who has been dealing with the frustration of making video-heavy humor sites load on a dial-up connection, the good news is that satellite internet now makes it possible to get online to check out what’s funny no matter where you happen to live. And since laughter being the best medicine applies to all corners of the country, knowing that the punchline is all about timing and dial-up might ruin that means that those who are able are leaping to satellite internet as fast as possible more often than not.

If you’re now running at the same speed as broadband and hoping to LOL, knowing where to go can be a bit of a challenge–especially if you’ve already checked out your favorite websites and find their content a bit lacking. One great place to start out is with Awkward Family Photos. While it might sound a bit mean-spirited or as though it couldn’t possibly deliver time and time again, this is a well-curated blog. And this means that you’ll likely find yourself giggling more often than not, often straight-up guffawing. This is mostly due to the fact that no matter how diverse, most awkward family photos do share the same elements. And that will make them something that you’re laughing with, while remembering the time that you, too, were forced to pose in a truly embarrassing way.

As far as families and humor, there’s also the incredible My Parents Joined Facebook. For those who are younger–and their parents, who might be checking out Facebook for the first time–this is a true wealth of LOL-worthy moments. From college-age children who are appalled to realize that their parents are “liking” inappropriate status updates to those who are tagged in photos that end up being a whole bunch of trouble, there’s definitely a whole lot of sympathy involved in flipping through the pages of My Parents Joined Facebook.

Of course, these image-heavy blogs that happen to go viral and then go big are only part of the equation when it comes to what’s funny on the web. For those who are more into the concept of videos, Funny or Die makes it so that you can literally vote the content on or off the site. If something is hilarious, be sure to vote it up–if it gets enough votes, then it might end up featured. While you sometimes have to dig through more than enough content that’s not quite funny, there are things aside from celebrity cameos that are giggle-worthy on here. And with a faster satellite internet connection, making video constantly load is no longer a completely stressful activi

Now Pay Close Attention –

Using your Facebook Fan Page to increase your business exposure and revenue is simpler than you’ve been told. Everyone with a facebook fan page faces the same two problems:

[Problem #1] How To Find Interested Facebook Users

[Problem #2] How To Bring Them To Become Your Fans

Facebook Fan Supply has been solving these two problems for hundreds of satisfied customers. The Facebook Fan Supply has been tried and tested and known to produce excellent results.

First: Click Here For Facebook Fans
Facebook Fan Supply always supplies REAL FANS targeted to your specific: Age Group, Keyword and Location.

Second: Order Your Facebook Fan Supply Package of 1,000; 2,000 or 5,000 Guaranteed Facebook Fans
Your new fans will arrive in 3 – 4 weeks and all fans are REAL FANS guaranteed to stick to your fanpage. Buy Facebook Fans today and boost your businesses online presence overnight.

More Humor Articles