Show your problems who's boss - Laugh at them!
Making light of problems and personal troubles can help us to cope with them. My wife was a nurse for many years and the only way of coping with the incredible stresses and levels of responsibility was to laugh at them. This goes for any career involving daily grim stuff.
I think it’s true that laughter is the best medicine.
As a teenager I collected beermats. Then I went on to collecting stamps. Nowadays I’m mostly collecting health conditions. A recent acquisition is tinnitus, and I can say is that although it doesn’t hurt, it’s a total pain in the ear.
Today I want to demonstrate how I would mine the subject of tinnitus for comedy and produce a joke, or perhaps two.
I think it’s true that laughter is the best medicine.
As a teenager I collected beermats. Then I went on to collecting stamps. Nowadays I’m mostly collecting health conditions. A recent acquisition is tinnitus, and I can say is that although it doesn’t hurt, it’s a total pain in the ear.
Today I want to demonstrate how I would mine the subject of tinnitus for comedy and produce a joke, or perhaps two.
Basic brainstorming
First I have to brainstorm the subject. If you don't do this you’re unlikely to get off the ground.
If you want to create more gags, this brainstorming phase can easily be extended / broadened. First I’ll ask a question:
What do I know about tinnitus?
I know that...
1. It’s a noise in one or both ears,
2. Sometimes other people can hear it,
3. It's commonly a continuous ringing sound
and
4. It can be masked using an in-ear white-noise-emitting device.
We're only looking for one, perhaps two gags today, so this is the end of today's brainstorming - unless it's not enough to create an acceptable joke, in which case we'll extend it.
.
1. Located in the ear
Where else could it ring? Another body part? Perhaps in my voicebox? This would give my speech a warm and welcoming tone. This leads me on to:
Joke 1
Good morning Mrs X
Good morning Mr Y! Your voice has a lovely friendly ring to it today!
Yes! Last night my tinnitus dropped six inches!
Don’t worry if you find this last step a hard nut to crack. Practise will lead you where you truly wish to go.
I sense there is more mileage to this subject, so we'll continue briefly.
2. Sometimes other people can hear it
This sounds a bit like a radio broadcast. The goodwill and banter of a good radio DJ helps us to endure lonely times.
This thought leads me straight into a bonus second joke:
Joke 2
You’re never alone with Tinnitus Radio - Tune in today!
Other sub-subjects from the above brainstorm and where they might lead include:
3. Ringing
Wringing out a cloth
Saturn’s rings
I’ll ring you on the phone
4. Wearing a tinnitus mask
Not much use at a masked ball
Masked pro wrestlers
I'll leave this as an exercise for you.
Have fun!
Best regards,
Marc
If you want to create more gags, this brainstorming phase can easily be extended / broadened. First I’ll ask a question:
What do I know about tinnitus?
I know that...
1. It’s a noise in one or both ears,
2. Sometimes other people can hear it,
3. It's commonly a continuous ringing sound
and
4. It can be masked using an in-ear white-noise-emitting device.
We're only looking for one, perhaps two gags today, so this is the end of today's brainstorming - unless it's not enough to create an acceptable joke, in which case we'll extend it.
.
1. Located in the ear
Where else could it ring? Another body part? Perhaps in my voicebox? This would give my speech a warm and welcoming tone. This leads me on to:
Joke 1
Good morning Mrs X
Good morning Mr Y! Your voice has a lovely friendly ring to it today!
Yes! Last night my tinnitus dropped six inches!
Don’t worry if you find this last step a hard nut to crack. Practise will lead you where you truly wish to go.
I sense there is more mileage to this subject, so we'll continue briefly.
2. Sometimes other people can hear it
This sounds a bit like a radio broadcast. The goodwill and banter of a good radio DJ helps us to endure lonely times.
This thought leads me straight into a bonus second joke:
Joke 2
You’re never alone with Tinnitus Radio - Tune in today!
Other sub-subjects from the above brainstorm and where they might lead include:
3. Ringing
Wringing out a cloth
Saturn’s rings
I’ll ring you on the phone
4. Wearing a tinnitus mask
Not much use at a masked ball
Masked pro wrestlers
I'll leave this as an exercise for you.
Have fun!
Best regards,
Marc