Be Funny or Die: How comedy works and why it matters

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'The ultimate Ted Talk on comedy...Joel Morris has finally invented "being funny whilst talking about being funny"' Caitlin Moran

Comedy is a game that all humans play. There are big social prizes if you win, but it is easy to end up with custard pie on your face...or worse.

Comedy can soothe our pain, vent our anger, make us feel less alone and provide the answer to life's most difficult questions, such as, 'What do you call a man with a seagull on his head' It's a social glue but it can also be divisive, and the joke is on us if we don't understand how it works.

So, what are the rules How does comedy do its magic and why does it matter Join professional comedy writer Joel Morris on a hilarious journey into the hidden world of shared laughter where he reveals the mechanisms that make jokes work and what comedy can teach us about ourselves. Offering astute analysis of everything from stand-up to slapstick and sitcom to spoof, Morris examines comedic patterns, rhythms and dynamics to uncover the algorithms that secretly underpin comedy.

Packed with gags and examples of comedy at its best plus some invaluable tips on how to master that b'dum tish timing Be Funny or Die is a fascinating investigation into how our species has developed and mastered this essential art form where laughter is the universal language and only the funniest survive.

Reviews

• 'It's clever, kind, generous and so gloriously nerdy. It's fearlessly forensic, and I love the close examination of what makes us laugh, and most importantly, why' Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable
• 'Joel knows what hes talking about. And hes sickeningly funny. Stop reading this sentence and buy this book' Charlie Brooker
• 'The ultimate Ted Talk on comedy ... Joel Morris has finally invented being funny whilst talking about being funny' Caitlin Moran
• 'Joel Morris gets to the heart of comedy in Be Funny or Die' Richard Curtis
• 'Joel manages to achieve the remarkable in being both deeply analytical and utterly joyous at the same time. If you have any interest in either what it is to be humorous or what it is to be human you need to read this book' Robin Ince

Author Bio

Joel Morris is a BAFTA-winning comedy writer. A long-time collaborator with Charlie Brooker and the co-creator of dimwit pundit Philomena Cunk, he has written for countless TV and radio shows, including Mitchell and Webb, Miranda and Murder in Successville, as well as the Paddington films. He co-created cult spoof newspaper The Framley Examiner, the hit Bollocks to Alton Towers tourist guides and the chartbusting Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups. Joel lives in London, UK.