How to be Really Funny
Stolzenberg
1988
I’m not sure a book can tell you how to be funny, whoops, I mean really funny, but this book does. It literally tells you what is funny. Example: simple mindedness also known as a “nice way to say stupid”. On the plus side, there are discussions about some excellent talent such as Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Johnny Carson, and Jack Benny. For what it’s worth, I would think this book is more about improv and comedic acting than just “being funny”. Even for 1988, this one had too many references to shows in the 1960s and earlier. (Find me a kid that knows about the show Laugh In heck, even their parents probably won’t know.)
“Say Goodnight, Dick”
Mary






