“And you know what?” George Wallace says with a twinkle in his eye. “I want them to bring back smoking on these airplanes.”
A few people in the crowd yell, “Yeah, yeah.” But they’re getting ahead of themselves. Because George isn’t pro-smoking:
“I was one of the first people said, ‘Get rid of smoking.’ Now I want them to bring that smoke back!”
The crowd chuckles and wriggles in their seats with anticipation. They know something good is coming. They’re ready. So George gives it to ’em:
“I had no idea what this smoke was covering up! People are releasing odors on these airplanes—”
The crowd erupts with laughter and applause. Meanwhile I hit pause. And I stare.
I’m not great at writing funny. I’m trying to get better, because it’s a valuable skill. As Dan Kennedy put it, “Make ’em laugh and take their money.”
So I spend my lonely Thursday afternoons watching old comedy specials. And while the crowd is laughing, I put the video on pause and I stare at the screen. Like a mule, staring at a barn door, trying to discover the secret of how to make the door handle work, and how the farmer does it so easy every day.
But there’s a problem with a mule like me imitating a farmer, I mean a comedian, like George Wallace.
Comedians have a lot of live-show advantages. The audience comes in a good mood… ready to laugh… and triggered to laugh when they hear others laughing. Plus the comedian can mime, do voices, roll his eyes.
You’ve got none of those advantages when writing.
That’s why funny writing is so rare and so elusive. And that’s why I’m always on the lookout for funny writers.
So today, I want to tell you about a writer who’s got it. In fact, a copywriter.
I could pump him up because he’s got endorsements from big-name marketers and copywriters. Like Ramit Sethi. And Drayton Bird. And even a guy named Andrew Campbell, from the Harmon Brothers Ad Agency, which makes those funny and viral video ads.
But forget that.
Instead, I could pump him up because he is the biggest copywriting thing on an entire continent. An improbable feat.
But forget that, too.
Instead, I could pump him up because he’s sufficiently controversial to get himself banned from large corners of the Internet. And you might be curious to see what’s up.
But no. Forget all of that. And instead, I suggest you check out this copywriter only because he succeeds in writing funny, day after day, in the context of selling.
You might know who I have in mind. Or you might not.
In any case, if you liked this email, you might like his emails also.
And if you didn’t like this email, you might still like his emails, because he does humor in writing much better. And maybe he can show you how to do it too.
So in case you’re curious… then start wriggling in your seat with anticipation… and get ready for something good here: