How to Write a Joke

In this episode of 99% Invisible, Roman Mars interviews Elliott Kalan, a comedy writer and former head writer for The Daily Show, about his new book, "Joke Farming, How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense." Kalan explains his systematic approach to joke writing, which he calls "joke farming," developed out of the need to produce jokes on demand for The Daily Show. He breaks down the process into elements like identifying the point, premise, structure, tone, and considering the audience. Kalan and Mars discuss examples of jokes, including ones from The Daily Show, Rita Rudner, and Charlie Hill, to illustrate the importance of structure, subverting expectations, and understanding the audience. They also touch on the potential for comedy to be used for negative purposes and the balance between joke structure and the emotional impact on the audience.