Your joke needs at least 2 parts, a setup and punchline. This is joke structure. But what makes a joke very satisfying is attitude. What is it you are really trying to say? Having a clear point-of-view is what helps you create a relationship to your audience. Ideally every joke, or set of jokes about a topic reveals how you the comedian feels about the subject you are talking about. POV is your unique perception of things. By having a clear and perhaps surprising POV on a topic, your set will improve in its originality, and the material becomes more personal to you the comedian. How do you feel about the topic you are talking about? Having strong feelings about something creates energy and excitement. The four easiest attitudes that comedians often take on are weird, scary, hard, stupid.
Here is an example of a joke with just a premise and punchline, but no attitude (POV).
Premise: My smart home thinks it’s so smart…
Punchline: It makes fun of me all the time.
What is the comedian trying to say? Smart homes are weird? Scary? Stupid? Perhaps she thinks that smart homes are actually stupid, or that she is stupid. Are you a Neo-luddite, or a huge tech fan? If the audience can understand your point-of-view, they will usually like your joke better. If they can relate to your POV from their own personal experience, it is an even bigger win. Understanding your point-of-view opens up many more possibilities for improving the joke.
EXERCISE: Try to write as many punchlines as you can for the following premise, that best represents your opinion on the premise. You can use the four attitudes listed above to get you started.
My smart home thinks it’s so smart…
- Weird
- Scary
- Hard
- Stupid
Be specific about YOUR experience, not “people’s” experience
Weak POV: “Dating apps are weird”
Strong POV: “I’ve become the person who judges potential matches based on whether they use the Oxford comma in their bio”
The second version tells us exactly who YOU are—pedantic, detail-obsessed, probably overthinking everything. That specificity IS your point of view.
Your POV should create tension or surprise
The best points of view go against what the audience expects. If you’re talking about having kids, the expected POV is “it’s hard but rewarding.” A stronger POV might be “I love my kids, but I finally understand why some animals eat their young.” Lean into the uncomfortable truth, not the safe version.
Commit fully to your POV, even if it’s uncomfortable
If your POV is “I’m a terrible person,” don’t hedge it with “but I’m working on it.” The audience wants to see you own your perspective completely. They’ll forgive almost anything if you’re honest about it.
Test: Can someone else tell this joke?
If another comedian could perform your joke word-for-word and it would work just as well, you haven’t found your POV yet. Your perspective should be so specific to your experience and worldview that it only makes sense coming from you. This is why personal usually outweighs political jokes.
Add “because” after your premise and finish the sentence honestly. That’s often where your POV lives.
- “My smart home thinks it’s so smart… because it judges my 3am snack choices”—POV: You’re insecure and defensive
- “My smart home thinks it’s so smart… because it refuses to understand my accent”—POV: Technology is exclusionary
- “My smart home thinks it’s so smart… because I programmed it to have an ego”—POV: You’re complicit in your own problems
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