INCORPORATING HUMOR INTO YOUR POWERPOINT!

And the Number 1 Technique:

1. HUMOR
Surprise, Surprise! I saved the best for last. How have you incorporated humor into your PowerPoint? You haven’t? Oh, for shame. If you’re thinking about breaking the mold, humor will smash it to smithereens. And, I know you can be funny. You just need to find the format that works naturally for you.

A wide range of humor techniques has been presented previously in my 3 humor books (see link in right margin or my Web). This blog addresses how the PowerPoint software can facilitate the delivery of your humor. It provides visual and audio capabilities that can increase the impact of humor material. You provide the material. PowerPoint can help you with the HOW!

(HINT: Unless you’re Robin Williams, use visual and audio PowerPoint elements to maximize the effect of the humor, especially custom animation options.)

Here are a Baker’s half dozen ideas (or 7 Humorous Habits of Highly Effective Professors):

1. Still Pictures—Select stills that make a point, but are also funny. Add appropriate music to heighten impact.
2. Cartoons—Use single panel or multi-panel cartoons that are visually bigger than life. Present 1 panel at a time and read the one-liner caption in the bubble.
3. Video Clips—Pick hilarious clips from movies, TV programs, YouTube, JibJab, and other sources to exaggerate a point or concept.
4. Music Clips—Choose funny music, incongruous lyrics, or sound effects to accompany animations on slides, jokes, or skits involving groups of participants.
5. One-Liners—Instead of delivering a joke as a stand-up, use the visual AND audio effects to set up your serious premise on your slide and then fly the punch line onto the slide on cue to increase your chances of success. Timing is critical.
6. Multiple-Choice Jokes—Same as one-liners, just do the punches 4–5 times.
7. Top 10 Lists—Same as one-liners, just do the punches 10 times. Watch Letterman’s delivery and timing as each line enters on cue.

WOW!! Was this blog series looooong! As you’ll recall, it began in 1956. I hope you got 1 or 2 ideas you can use. I look forward to hearing how your PowerPoint life has been changed forever. Let me know your thoughts, reactions, new techniques I missed, or anything that hits you.

Have an incredible teaching and presenting PowerPoint year!!!

COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC