What makes me laugh? A lot of things, honestly—but not always the things people expect.
A great sitcom still works every time. Friends can still land a line I’ve heard twenty times, and Frasier may be one of the sharpest-written comedies ever put on television. The timing, the delivery, the way a scene builds—it still holds up.
The same goes for certain movies. Arthur is still my personal favorite, and I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon. Then there’s Caddyshack, Blazing Saddles, and The Princess Bride—which gave the world one of the most quotable lines ever: “Inconceivable!”
Stand-up can do it too when it’s done well. Jim Gaffigan has that dry delivery that makes ordinary things funny. Dave Chappelle can make a room laugh just by the way he sets up a sentence. John Mulaney has impeccable timing, and Brian Regan has always understood how to turn simple observations into something hilarious.
But honestly, some of the funniest moments don’t come from professionals at all—they come from ordinary people who are naturally funny without trying.
That’s probably why forced humor usually misses for me. My students often try to make me laugh, and most of the time you can see the effort coming from a mile away. When someone is working too hard for the laugh, it usually lands flat.
The moments that work are the ones nobody planned.
A few years ago, I had a student who was usually the loudest voice in the room and somehow had the least to contribute academically. One day, with complete confidence, he announced that he was an A student—which was a bold claim even on his strongest day.
Before I could respond, another student fired back: “Man, the only A you have is in your name.”
That one landed.
It was quick, unexpected, perfectly timed, and delivered with zero hesitation. I still laugh when I think about it, because that’s usually how real humor works: it catches you before you’re ready for it. 😄
