Episode 347

Learning from Comedians About Content Creation

From an early age, I’ve been a student of comedy — without realizing I was a student of comedy.

Imagine this…

 An 8-year old Krystal is in her dad’s plumbing truck, chowing down on some donut holes while listening to Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might a Redneck” routine for the umpteenth time. 

That’s when — and how — it all started.

(PS, if you haven’t listened to the audio version of the podcast yet, here’s a spoiler for you…I dedicated this entire episode to my dad! Without him, I don’t know that I’d be in love with comedy and comedians because he planted those laughs in my life from such an early age.)

I also grew up watching Adam Sandler and Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live and staying up late watching Billy Madison with my older brothers when I probably should’ve been in bed.

Over the years…

My love of comedy grew from a simple weekend thing to a full-blown obsession. How can you resist when Will Ferrell makes movies like A Night at the Roxbury, Old School, and Anchorman in my formative years. Then you throw in Tina Fey’s Mean Girls, and there was no turning back.

While I’ve been consuming everything that makes me bust a gut, I’ve also learned something that content creators can take from comedians. There are seven things we need to talk about today!

7 Things I’ve Learned from Comedians About Content Creation

Besides getting on stage and taking on the life of a comedian, there isn’t a way to fully embody the amazing qualities of a comedian that can be pee-your-pants funny. But there are qualities I most want to adopt from the comedians I admire:

1. TIMING

Timing is everything. And when you only have 30 minutes to create a great podcast episode or 20 minutes to interview someone, or just 5 minutes to make an impression in a YouTube video, you’ve got to have your timing down!

2. QUICK WIT (& OTHER CHARACTERISTICS)

Some people have this natural talent to deliver a punch line flawlessly. Still, behind the scenes, I’ll bet that that line was practiced no less than ten times in front of another audience before it was delivered successfully.

3. USE SIMPLE LIFE EXPERIENCES

The best comedians bring out the most mundane experiences in everyday life and make them hilarious! Some of my favorite moments of this are:

• Dana Carvey talks about his experience taking his teenage sons to Rome and being completely over it.
• Or Adam Sandler is talking about a grown man peeing in the shower — which also has a hilarious song that goes along with it, but I won’t spoil it for you if you want to watch his Netflix special.
• Iliza Schlesinger shares the ups and downs of her dating life that leave you with the thought, “You can’t make this stuff up!”

4. USE ONE GREAT STORY IN MANY WAYS

Once you have a story or part of your bit that you know kills, you’ll use it repeatedly. If you listen to one comedian on multiple podcasts, there’s a chance that you’ll hear them retell the same story in some capacity across various shows.

5. TEST IDEAS IN MULTIPLE AUDIENCES

I feel like comedians are some of the original inventors of repurposing content because Jerry Seinfeld would write out (and maybe he still does this today) a joke a day on a legal pad and use it on someone. You have to see if the idea you have in your head will get the reaction you think — or hope! — it will. Or it’s going to bomb!

6. BRING HOME THE STORY

The punchline. Jim Gaffigan — another one of my favorites that I’ve mentioned many times on the show before — is the best at dropping an Easter egg in his routine at the very beginning where you think he’s lost his mind. But, inevitably, he brings it home at the end…every single time!

7. MAKE AN ENTRANCE, END ON A HIGH NOTE

The idea behind this is simple: start strong, end on a high note.

As a content creator, you have to adopt the attitude of being a life-longer learner because platforms and trends are constantly evolving. Don’t be afraid to learn from comedians about content creation — or any other profession you’re equally obsessed with.