Writing comedy scripts can be very challenging. The writer has to not only tell a story, but they also have to be funny.
These difficulties lead to quite a bit of joke/bit/scene stealing. It's a fact of life in comedy, and for the original writer, a real badge of honor. After all, a joke isn't funny until it's stolen, right?
But even the best joke has a shelf life. At a certain point, all jokes need to be tucked away in a dark, empty, unfunny comedy cellar, right next to Molly Shannon, "more cowbell," and "That's what she said."
Consider this a send-off for three ill-fated jokes. They had a good life. They were (maybe) funny five years ago, and now it's time for a military style execution. Writers, if you're guilty of any of these comedy faux pas, feel no shame. Hold your head high, grab your screenplay, and hit delete.
As smart comedy writers, I shouldn't have to sell you on why you need to avoid tired, used up jokes. So to find out what they are, keep reading.
These difficulties lead to quite a bit of joke/bit/scene stealing. It's a fact of life in comedy, and for the original writer, a real badge of honor. After all, a joke isn't funny until it's stolen, right?
But even the best joke has a shelf life. At a certain point, all jokes need to be tucked away in a dark, empty, unfunny comedy cellar, right next to Molly Shannon, "more cowbell," and "That's what she said."
Consider this a send-off for three ill-fated jokes. They had a good life. They were (maybe) funny five years ago, and now it's time for a military style execution. Writers, if you're guilty of any of these comedy faux pas, feel no shame. Hold your head high, grab your screenplay, and hit delete.
As smart comedy writers, I shouldn't have to sell you on why you need to avoid tired, used up jokes. So to find out what they are, keep reading.