The Joke Idea

Simply put the definition of the Joke Idea Some people also call it the joke premise. is:

“The idea on how to state something in a funny way.”

The Joke Idea is the kernel of inspiration that let’s you state the Content of the Joke in a funny way. It is the observation, the thought that makes you laugh when you first have it, the funny approach to your Joke Problem that tickles your comedy senses.

Or put yet in another way: The Joke Idea is what you think is funny and then you start structuring it according to your chosen Form and the Formula.

Let me give you an example.

The difference between Topic, the Subtopic and the Content of the Joke is the difference between a “Yo mamma - Joke”, “Yo mama is very big.” and “Yo mama is as big as a city.”.

While the finished joke would be “Yo mama is so big, she has her own ZIP-code.”

Now in this example the Joke Idea is the idea of stating the Content of the Joke in the form of “her having her own ZIP-code”.

Take a look at this:

Topic: A Yo Mamma Joke

Subtopic: “Your mama is very big.”

Joke Problem: How can I state that “Your mama is very big.” in a funny way?

Joke Idea: The idea that let’s you apply the Formula to the Content. In this example the realization that a city has a ZIP-code and if a person is as big as a city it figures that that person also has her own ZIP-code.

Joke: “Yo mama is so big, she has her own ZIP-code.”

Content of the Joke: “Your mama is as big as a city.”

Sometimes you can state a Joke Idea several ways, apply it to different Forms of a Joke and it works no matter how it is said or implemented.

Other times you can’t separate the Joke Idea from the joke because the Joke Idea only works if you apply it in one exact way.

For example Henny Youngmans joke:

“Take my wife… please.”

The Joke Idea is that you can interpret “Take my wife…” in two different ways, but you need to word it exactly like that to work. One could make a cartoon to go with the words but the words can’t be changed. The Joke Idea is the joke and vice versa.

Now the step after having a Joke Idea is figuring out how to make a joke out of it. That consists of answering two questions:

1. Which form you should give it (Oneliner, dialogue, cartoon, etc.)?

2. How to apply the Formula to it: “Disappoint an assumption by fulfilling a second assumption in a surprising and satisfying way.”

Let me give you an example from my own body of work.

A Poem called Robert

The masked robber asked Robert:
„Your money or your life?“
And threatened poor ol‘Robert with
a ghastly gleaming knife

Hence Rob exclaimed: „I am a virgin!“
but still got badly cut
Thus Robert did discover with
a blade deep in his gut:

Although it might be true and charming
honesty is not disarming

Now the joke is a play on the expression “disarming honesty” and I laughed when I heard the expression the first time because I immediately had the thought of someone trying to defend themselves by being honest.

That was the Joke Idea. From there I went and decided it would work best as poem and then I figured out how to write the actual poem.

Which I did by writing it.

Who would have guessed?