retort

How to clean up your trash talk

October 14th, 2009

by Deborah S. Roberts

In a 2001 interview about the art of comedy, Jerry Seinfeld said that, though he isn’t offended by cursing, he doesn’t use it in his routines because it’s a cheat.

“[I]f we’re talking about automobile racing, when you swear in comedy, it’s kind of like cutting across the infield. Yes, you do get there faster, but the idea is to go all the way around the track.”

For some reason, when comedians make crude comments or toss out the f-word, audiences immediately start guffawing. Requiring both storytellers and listeners to put in a little intellectual creativity to get to the comedic payoff, as Seinfeld says, takes a bit more effort.

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