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Studying_Paradox

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Studying_Paradox

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erehov1
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Studying Paradox

Want to take your comedy to the next


level? Study the paradox.

A Paradox is a statement that contradicts


itself yet it might be true.

Paradox can be a very effective way to


create humor. It is in a puzzle of words and
thoughts that due to its own incongruous
nature, can trigger laughter. If an audience
loves to be surprised or “tricked,” the
paradox is almost a perfect tool in not only
tickling the listeners funny bone, but also
causing them to think of the puzzle that you
created.

If someone says to you "Don't believe a word I say," do you believe them or not? That
statement in itself is a paradox, because it is self-contradictory, which is precisely what a
paradox is.

Since we have experience with oxymorons; isn’t an oxymoron a paradox in and of itself?

At the most basic level, a paradox is a statement that is self-contradictory because it often
contains two statements that are both true, but in general, cannot both be true at the same
time. In the aforementioned example, can someone be both a compulsive liar yet telling the
truth at the same time?

The beauty of the paradox is that it is configurational. It causes the audiences to participate in
the mental puzzle; now they are participating at a higher level than just listening. Which
makes the writer or the comedian more interesting and more memorable.

It's exactly the kind of tool that one can use to take their comedy writing and performing to
another level.

Great philosophers have studied the paradox. Paradox is used in the greatest literature. It has
also been used accidentally by not such wise men like George W. Bush, Yogi Berra and
Samuel Goldwyn. And how can I say they are not wise when they all seemed to achieve great
success?

Many of the paradoxical quotes used by these guys are so glaring they deserve their own
tenet definition called “howlers.” Look some up. You’ll have fun!

Another great example of paradoxical humor are quotes by Andy Rooney. “It's paradoxical
that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't
appeal to anyone.”

And doesn’t Bill Burr explore the subtle, (or not so subtle), paradox of whether or not the
definition of “great man” can be applied to Arnold Schwarzenegger in Burr’s stand up in this
video?

Woody Allen was an expert with paradox: “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my
work. I want to achieve immortality through not dying.”

Isn’t this also an example of a Paired Phrase (one of the 13 Comedy Structures?).

Paradox can also be used for t-shirts and greeting card humor.

Here are some examples of a Paradox:

• A Sign: The more you spend, the more you save.

• A celebrity is someone who works all his life to become well known, then wears dark
sunglasses to avoid being recognized.

• Who are you? I’m nobody.

• There’s a place everywhere, called “nowhere…” because anyone who’s ever been
pulled over by a cop says, “that cop came out of nowhere!”

• You can prick your finger but you can’t finger your prick

• “Youth” is wasted on the young

• Bittersweet

• A bridge to nowhere

• My accountant sucks; he’s too honest.

• It’s the beginning of the end

• Instructions for your DVD player: “To set up your new DVD player, play the setup DVD”.

• Deep down she’s really shallow

• Getting a spanking: This is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you.

• A just bought a book on how to be organized. If I can only find it...

• Love paradox: What is mature love? It is union under the condition of preserving one's
integrity, one's individuality. In love the paradox occurs that two beings become one
and yet remain two.

• Nobody goes to that restaurant; it’s too crowded.

• You cannot get an agent unless you’re working and you cannot work unless you have
an agent.
• Every man is created equal; some are more equal than others.

• This game is ninety-percent mental half the time.

• People in American take their Comedians seriously and view their politicians as a joke.

• About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and
closes with an investigation.

• Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for
something they don't need.
Exercise:

Write 25 examples of a paradox. You can choose some from your own life or find some profound
ones in literature. The object is to train your brain to become familiar with the paradox and to be able
to recognize it and use it in your comedy writing.

Often the paradox contains irony and most of you know how effective irony can be.

Learning to use the paradox will elevate your level of writing. It gives it a level of profundity and an
added texture. It makes you more memorable more interesting as a writer and performer.

Example of a paradox from my life:

A girl a dated argued with me, she said, “The Bible must be true. It was written by the wise men of the
day.” I said, “Yeah, but those wise men thought the Earth was flat.” Or...

“I just read that there are now a billion or so atheists in the world. Finally, more people like me. Thank
God!”

I got in an argument with a conservative friend. He got so frustrated with me he yelled. “I can't argue
with you when you have all these facts!”

So go find your paradox!

Have fun with this exercise!

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