Author: Cherie Kerr

ISBN: 0-9648882-2-X

“So George Washington is Standing there in the Boat and He says…”

Build to Laugh: How to Construct Sketch Comedy with the Fast and Funny Formula  is no recent release. Still in print and readily available, the book has already encouraged a decade of emerging comedy writers to think about their material in deeper ways.  The long shelf life came from its clarity and its playful explanations. It actually helps writers learn to be funny.

My own reasons for reading Kerr’s book may be unique, however.  I am no comedy writer, nor am I a comic, really.  I teach history and philosophy, mostly to students who want to be CEO’s, rock stars, millionaires, and Special Forces operatives. Lucky for us all, a course or two in the humanities is still required for the bachelor’s degree. So in trying to reach people with little genuine interest in history and philosophy, I have discovered an important tradeoff.

While sleeping students may seem more civil and polite, they retain much less of the lecture materials than do conscious students. What I have learned from teaching is that giggling students—even when laughing at the silly teacher’s antics—come to more classes and retain more of the serious stuff between the laughable. And what have I learned from Kerr’s excellent little book?  [Drum roll, please!] I have learned the source of “the funny.” Hilarious stuff happens right in front of us every day.  It is in the newspapers, at the parking lots, in our personal tragedies, and yes, even in history and philosophy books. And you can learn how to find it and to use it.

So can ANYONE really learn to be funny? Kerr offers no guarantees with her advice gleaned from her own experience as a comic, especially not for history teachers. But her “formula” is rather easy to follow. Most of the “eight steps” empower a reader to “see” the material in new ways, find the joke, understand why it is funny, and to toy with perspective. Much of this advice can be found in any good writing textbook. But who wants to actually read a writing textbook?

Kerr’s book, about comedy, is a fun read. You will find yourself bracketing moments, thoughts, and situations that burst with levity, and they just need your help to let out the laughter.  And here, I can provide a guarantee if Kerr does not. If you will look for funny things you will find them, even in textbooks, ancient archives, and philosophy lectures.  Anyone standing in front of groups of people (teachers, politicians, bosses, drill sergeants, pan handlers) will benefit from a close reading of Build to Laugh.  

The above review was contributed by: Joe Petrulionis:  Joe Petrulionis reads, writes, and teaches the history of ideas and he emphasizes the political and cultural context in which these philosophical, scientific, and artistic notions emerge. Joe has a recent Masters Degree in History and is in recovery from a previous career and graduate specialty in finance and economics. To read more of Joe's reviews CLICK HERE