Humorous Speeches -
Entertain with style

When we are talking about humorous speeches, we are not talking about being comedians, but rather an informative speech that is delivered in an entertaining and light-hearted way.

Preparing your humor for the speech is essential. Write down your speech; research humorous quips, quotes and anecdotes to add flavor; and practice, practice, practice.

Different elements of humor that you can consider for your speech:

• Relevant to your audience.
• Surprise: it is unexpected.
• Exaggeration - over stating something for effect.
• Expressive voice.
• Body humor and gestures.
• Puns.
• Humorous anecdotes.

Do's and Dont's when using humor in a speech

• Research. Know who your audience is.
• Practice before hand.
• Display confidence.
• Get a laugh out of your audience early - it will set the tone for your speech.
• Allow time for laughter.

• Poke fun at the expense of audience members.
• Use taboo subjects: sex, race, gender, class.
• Don't stop if an attempted humorous line didn't work, keep going (after the pause of course).

Examples speeches

Below are three humorous speech examples from YouTube. The first one is a winner from a Toastmasters speech contest. The second is a humorous best man speech, and the third is a commencement speech by Will Farrell. I'll note some humorous elements that they've done well.

• Specific to Audience - Toastmasters (people who get together with the express purpose of learning to speak in public).
• Exaggeration/Absurdity: "What did his audiences have to deal with? World War I, Great Depression, World War II...his audiences have never had the pain of a slow Internet connection."
• Pause. After revealing his new public speakers role model.

• Specific to the audience: close friend and family.
• Expressive and exaggerated gestures: When doing his 'interpretive dance'.
• Setting a familiar scene, pausing and then surprising you: "In play school, he was different from all the other five year olds. (pause) He was eleven."

• Specific to the audience: Graduates at Harvard, academics and Ivy Leaguers.
• He is being a comedian: Though it is never a good idea to try being a comedian for a humorous speech, he IS a comedian, so he has 'earned' the right to be.
• Comedy as truth (and mixing surprising metaphors): "I received a degree from the school of hard knocks. Our colors are black and blue."
• Unexpected (and pausing for the laughter): "Talking about Hemingway or Clancy".

More resources for using humor in your speech

• How to use humor effectively
• More humorous speeches at YouTube.
• More serious speech yet still containing humorous elements from JK Rowling.