Why I Trust Comedians
Posted on September 17, 2008 - Filed Under Pitching Ideas
I was reading Seth’s article on political spin and how we all have good bullshit detectors that allow us to sift through the circus of lies surrounding politics. The article sparked me to send him this video from The Daily Show on political hypocrisy. I found it ironic that the most trusted source for news on the US election is a comedian. Comedians exist to entertain, not to act as a trustworthy source of information, right?
But as I delved deeper, it made sense to trust Jon Stewart:
- I like him. He’s funny and entertaining. This makes me like him. You are more apt to trust someone that you like. Think about it. You are far more likely to go and see a movie if a close friend recommends it than if the reviewer in the local paper does. So comedians who command the favour of their audience are viewed as trustworthy.
- His comedy is based in truth. The best comedians draw their material from cultural truths. Their gift is to be able to step back and recognize the inherent comedy in the situation. Their performance is to introduce others to the humour that they find. Jon Stewart performs a lot of comedic jujitsu use politicians own words against them. Its so hard to be offended by a comedian when everything they are saying is true.
Screw CNN … I have the Comedy Network
So how does this help you? The next time you are pitching an idea, feel free to assume the role of the comedian. Interact and entertain. Get people to laugh. Get people to like you. Then present them the truths in your argument in a light hearted manner that they enjoy. They may be laughing, but they are also listening and evaluating your ideas. Besides, it’s always easier to sell an idea when everyone’s in a good mood.
- Christian
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