Have you ever wondered why certain people are just funnier than others? It’s not always just about the punchlines—although that helps. A lot of it has to do with the comedian’s perspective. You see, comedians tend to see the world in terms of four specific attitudes: stupid, weird, scary, or hard. And it is from these perspectives that the best stand-up material is born.

That being said, comedy is all about establishing a connection with the audience. A comedian needs to be able to read the room and know what will make the audience laugh. This is why so many comedians rely on observations and punchlines that are based on common experiences. When a comedian can make the audience laugh, it creates a sense of rapport and helps to establish a connection. Comedy is all about understanding what makes people tick and finding ways to connect with them on a deeper level.

Comedians are professional complainers. They go onstage, complain, and the audience laughs because they feel the same pain.

It might sound unusual, but if you listen carefully, you will agree.

In this article, we’ve included some prompts, so you can write some jokes of your own and share them.

The Four Secret Attitudes of Stand-up Jokes

Stupid

Stupid. We’ve all been there—you’re in the middle of a conversation and someone says something so idiotic that you can’t help but laugh. Comedians are masters at finding the stupidity in everyday situations and making it funny.

Here are a few examples

Have you ever noticed how men will never ask for directions?

Did you know the Asian Winter Olympics will be held in Saudi Arabia?

Does your dog turn around itself twenty-seven times before laying down on its bed?

These are just some examples of stupidity. You probably have some juicy ones of your own. Have a look at “Jerry Seinfeld on airplane travel”, it’s a great example.

Here is material for you to try this attitude on your own:

You might have seen the videos about the world cup fans arriving for the competition. They are sadly hilarious.

When the organizers of the football world cup released their latest promotional video, they were hoping to get everyone excited about the big event. Instead, they only succeeded in becoming joke material.

The issue? All the fans featured in the video seemed to be from Pakistan! You can see them wearing each country’s colors, but you can really see that they are like movie extras. Good propaganda is terrifying, bad propaganda is funny!

Weird

Weird. There’s nothing funnier than someone who is totally unfamiliar with reality. Comedians who focus on the weird don’t just make jokes about aliens or conspiracy theories; they also point out the absurdity of human behavior. We do some pretty strange things, and when you step back and take a look at them through the lens of comedy, they can be downright hilarious. Here is an interesting one, just search for George Carlin – Things That Come Off of Your Body.

Talking about weird, here is Mr Lotito, the guy who ate a plane!

Lotito always had a hearty appetite, and he loved to push the boundaries of what was possible to eat. He started with small objects like blades, but soon began working his way up to bigger and more challenging items. His friends and family were amazed when he announced that he was going to eat an entire airplane!

To everyone’s surprise, Lotito succeeded in completing his task.

And you complain about your gluten intolerance?

Scary

Scary. We all have fears—whether it’s public speaking, spiders, or dying alone—and there’s nothing funnier than watching someone confront their fears head-on. Comedians who focus on the scary use their material to make light of the things that scare us so that we can laugh in the face of our fears. After all, what better way to deal with your fear of death than by joking about it?

Here is a good example: “Sarah Silverman’s Sister Hates This Joke”

The most fashionable fear among comedians nowadays is getting cancelled. The comedians getting cancelled, not the fear!

Here is what new comedians are saying:

I’m not sure when it happened, but at some point, in the last few years, I started to become afraid of cancel culture and woke people. It seems like everywhere I turn, there’s someone ready and willing to call me out on my “privileges” and tear down my every joke.

I used to be so confident in my comedy, but now I’m constantly worried that someone is going to jump down my throat for saying something that isn’t politically correct. I’ve even started censoring myself for fear of offending someone.

It’s exhausting being constantly vigilant against the ever-watchful eyes of cancel culture and woke people. Sometimes I just want to relax and enjoy a conversation without having to worry about whether I’m crossing a line.

I guess I’ll try to make a living as a mime, doing only kids parties! That should keep me out of trouble!

Hard

Hard. Life is hard enough without having to worry about being funny all the time. But that’s precisely what comedians who focus on the hard times do—they find humor in the midst of difficulties like breakups, job loss, and personal tragedy. These comedians prove that laughter really is the best medicine by helping us see the silver lining in even the darkest moments of our lives.

It can be hard to do something as simple as getting some Penne al’arrabiata, just watch Eddie Izzard Star Wars Canteen.

Could you turn the following into comedy?

“I can’t believe how hard it is to be a single parent. I mean, it’s not like I asked for this or anything. But now that I’m stuck with the responsibility, it seems like every other person is trying to make my life harder.

Take my ex-husband for example. He’s constantly trying to weasel his way back into our lives, even though he knows that I’m not interested. Or my mother-in-law who keeps giving me unsolicited advice on how to raise my kids. It’s like they all think that being a single parent is some kind of joke.

But you know what? It’s not funny. It’s hard work, and sometimes I feel like I’m doing it all by myself. Yet I soldier on because I love my kids, and they’re worth everything to me.”

Relationship with the audience

There’s something special about a comedian who can work a room. They can take what’s happening in the moment and turn it into laughs. Andrew Schulz is one of the best at crowd work. He has a way of engaging with the audience that makes them feel like they’re part of the show, delivering his jokes with a fresh, spontaneous energy. Whether he’s talking about current events or just everyday life, Schulz finds a way to connect with his audience. Once a comedian’s crowd work is noticed, people come to the show expecting it to happen and often give the comedian that extra bit of energy to make the show funny.

So next time you’re wondering why some people are just funnier than others, remember that it’s all about perspective.

Comedians see the world in terms of something being stupid, weird, scary, or hard—and it is from these perspectives that the best material is born.” If you want to start writing your own comedy material, try looking at the world through these four secret attitudes and see what happens!