Task

Tasks: Michael McIntyre, Yes Man

In the tasks below, we will have a look at the text about Michael McIntyre, before we move on to humour and comedy in general.

Discuss:

How would you sum up Michael McIntyre's piece of advice to the reader? Why is this important to him?
Like so many others, Michael McIntyre has experienced that the road to success is not a straight line. To what extent do you think resistance in life is a good or a bad thing when you try to reach a dream?
We all need people cheering us on. Who are the most important people for you in your life? How do they help you when you need support (e.g. in school, sports, other leisure activities, future career...)?
Michael McIntyre had a dream and he worked hard to achieve it. What if you do not have a dream to focus on? Is it possible to still motivate yourself to work hard?

Find out:

Before you move on, find out a bit more about Michael McIntyre. What kind of comedian is he? How popular is he in Britain? Do you like him? Does he represent your kind of humour? What does he do and say to make people laugh?

Here are two examples of his routines:
Link to Michael McIntyre stand-up routine: Michael McIntyre takes on Scandinavian Hotels (youtube.com)

Link to Michael McIntyre's Big Show: Send To All with 'Spice Girl' Geri Horner (youtube.com)

Vocabulary 1:

There are many different types of humour. What kinds of humour do these words describe? Write down a definition of the following words.

black comedy / gallows humour
deadpan / dry humour
satirical humour
burlesque humour
self-deprecating humour
slapstick humour

Vocabulary 2:

These idioms and expressions are all related to humour. Find out what they mean.

Discuss

In 2015, researchers from Oxford University in England wanted to find out what makes people roar with laughter at certain jokes. They carried out a study where they analysed the reaction of 55 students from London School of Economics to 65 jokes that were mostly taken from successful stand-up comedians, such as Michael McIntyre.

Below, you will find a few of these jokes. In small groups, take turns in reading the jokes aloud for the rest of the group. Then move on to the discussion questions below.

The Top Six Funniest Jokes Ever... (According to Oxford)

Snail with an attitude

A guy is sitting at home when he hears a knock at the door. He opens the door and sees a snail on the porch. He picks up the snail and throws it as far as he can. Three years later there’s a knock on the door. He opens it and sees the same snail. The snail says: "What the hell was that all about?"

A genie and an idiot

Three guys stranded on a desert island find a magic lantern containing a genie, who grants them each one wish. The first guy wishes he was off the island and back home. The second guy wishes the same. The third guy says: "I’m lonely. I wish my friends were back here."

True love lasts forever

It’s the World Cup Final, and a man makes his way to his seat right next to the pitch. He sits down, noticing that the seat next to him is empty. He leans over and asks his neighbour if someone will be sitting there. "No," says the neighbour. "The seat is empty." "This is incredible," says the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Final and not use it?" The neighbour says, "Well actually the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first World Cup Final we haven’t been to together since we got married." "Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. That’s terrible….But couldn’t you find someone else, a friend, relative or even a neighbour to take her seat?" The man shakes his head. "No," he says. "They’re all at the funeral."

Off to work

A guy shows up late for work. The boss yells, "You should’ve been here at 8.30!" He replies. "Why? What happened at 8.30?"

Racing a bear

Two campers are walking through the woods when a huge brown bear suddenly appears in the clearing about 50 feet in front of them. The bear sees the campers and begins to head toward them. The first guy drops his backpack, digs out a pair of sneakers, and frantically begins to put them on. The second guy says, "What are you doing? Sneakers won’t help you outrun that bear." "I don’t need to outrun the bear," the first guy says. "I just need to outrun you."

Kid vs barber

A young boy enters a barber shop, and the barber whispers to his customer. "This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it you." The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, "Which do you want, son?" The boy takes the quarters and leaves. "What did I tell you?" said the barber. "That kid never learns!" Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. "Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?" The boy licks his cone and replies, "Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!"

Which of the jokes did you think was the funniest? Why?
What, if anything, do funny jokes have in common? What about these jokes: Do they have anything in common?
Is there anything in the world that is too serious to joke about?
Choose a joke that you think is funny and tell it to the rest of the group in English. Is it as funny in English as in Norwegian? Why is it sometimes difficult to translate jokes into other languages?

Present or write:

Choose one of the four tasks below and do one of the following:

Write a text discussing one of the questions.
Choose one of the questions and make a short presentation for the class or for a small group.

Present your favourite comedian. Is this person an actor, a stand-up comedian, or something else? What makes him or her funny and different from other comedians? How would you define the humour that this comedian uses? Give examples of their work.
What is the purpose of humour and comedy? In which situations do we turn to humour? Find out what the positive effects of humour can be – for the individual, for the relationship between people, and for the society in general.
Humour often differs from country to country, and we often talk about a difference between British and American humour. Is there a difference in humorous style between these two countries? Give examples of comedians representing both countries.
Find examples of what people laughed at in the 1940s, the 1960s, the 1980s and today (jokes, films, cartoons, shows, songs ...). How has popular humour changed over time? Give examples of the differences you find.
Humour has often been used in social and political criticism. Why do we laugh at political satire? To what extent do you think political satire is important in today's society? Give examples of comedians or TV shows that use comedy to shed light on political or social unfairness.