Tig Notaro Shares Her Favorite Jokes

This episode dives into the world of comedy, focusing on how humor is crafted and shared through the unique lens of comedian Tig Notaro.

1. Tig Notaro builds her comedy around real-life experiences, emphasizing authenticity in her humor.
2. The development of a joke often involves trial and error in front of live audiences, showcasing the dynamic nature of stand-up comedy.
3. Notaro uses minimalistic prompts, such as a single word or a simple idea, to craft her jokes.
4. Humor can arise from the absurdity and surprise within everyday situations, a theme Notaro explores through her anecdotes.
5. The discussion also delves into the science of humor, suggesting that the funniness of a joke can hinge on timing, word choice, and the element of surprise.

1: Introduction

Wendy Zuckerman introduces Tig Notaro, who shares insights into her journey and evolution as a comedian. Tig Notaro: "I felt like such an outsider... and then it was amazing to realize there was a name for what I was doing."

2: The Art of Joke Crafting

Tig discusses her unique method of developing jokes based on single words or ideas, and directly with the audience. Tig Notaro: "I just take a list of ideas onto stage with me, and then I work them out right there."

3: Humorous Anecdotes

Notaro recounts humorous stories from her shows, illustrating her method of turning personal experiences into comedy. Tig Notaro: "And he scooped me up in those big, strong arms, and I was like, oh, I could get used to this."

4: Science of Humor

Exploration of the scientific aspects of humor, discussing theories and the role of surprise in making people laugh. Wendy Zuckerman: "Some academics say, you know, you need some incongruity."

5: Conclusion and Reflections

The episode wraps up with reflections on the nature of humor and the joy of shared laughter. Tig Notaro: "It is one of the greatest feelings about comedy when somebody points out what's under your nose forever."

1. Explore the Ordinary: Look for humor in everyday situations as they are often relatable and ripe for comedy.
2. Be Authentic: Genuine experiences tend to resonate more, providing a solid foundation for humor.
3. Experiment Publicly: Don’t be afraid to test new material in front of an audience to refine your delivery.
4. Embrace Spontaneity: Allowing for spontaneous moments can lead to unexpected humor.
5. Notice the Details: Small changes in wording or delivery can significantly impact how a joke is received.

Comedian Tig Notaro, who just released her fifth comedy special, "Hello Again," joins us for a chat about the science of her comedy: telling us how she builds jokes, and of course sharing a bunch of dumb and fabulous jokes. Enjoy!

People

Tig Notaro, Wendy Zuckerman

Companies

None

Books

None

Guest Name(s):

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Content Warnings:

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Wendy Zuckerman
Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman, and you're listening to science verses. And today on the show, we have a special little treat for you. So last week, we went on our grand adventure to find the funniest joke in the world. And as part of that quest, I interviewed comedian Tig Nataro, who has just released her fifth comedy special, which is called hello again. And Tig and I had such a silly and lovely conversation that we just thought we'd share the whole thing with you.

Tick and I talked about how excited she was when she first realized that being a comic was a profession. She told me how she builds her jokes, which, honestly, was not what I expected at all from a professional comic. And, of course, we shared a bunch of fabulous and really stupid jokes. So I really hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed chatting to. To Tig.

There's gonna be a couple of spoilers in this interview, by the way. So if you haven't listened to our episode on the funniest joke in the world, you should really go back and do that. Okay, my chat with Tig Nataro coming up after the break.

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Tig Notaro
My name is Tig Notaro. I am a comedian and actor and podcaster. So, I've heard you say that when you started doing comedy, you sort of were like, oh, my God, I'm a comedian. And no one ever told me, what is it about comedy that gave you that feeling that, like, I'm home now?

I mean, I just. I think I felt like such an outsider in school and in life in so many different ways. And then it was amazing to realize that there was a name for what I was doing in class and life that was driving people crazy or getting me in trouble or whatever it was. Yeah, I remember my neighbor telling me that her mother thought I could be a comedian, and I was like, oh, okay. You know, and it's weird now to be one and think back, like, all my days in school, that was my early training.

Wendy Zuckerman
Yeah, right. And you were getting in trouble for it and everything. You can get paid, like, that realization, I can get paid to do this? That's wild. It just feels, you know, it just feels good.

So, Dolby. So we're a science show, and we're talking about the science of humor under this, like, ridiculous guise of we're on a hunt to find the funniest joke in the world, objectively. So, on this quest, we're interviewing some of the funniest people we know about how they build jokes. So, for you, I've heard you say that, but you build a joke based on a word. On a single word.

Tig Notaro
Yeah, I guess it's either a single word or a sentence or phrase or something. An idea, a concept, because I don't sit behind a computer and write out my material. I just take a list of ideas onto stage with me, and then I work them out right there in front of a live audience. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah.

Wendy Zuckerman
So can you give me an example? Let's see. I was on my new special. I have this story about having a medical issue come up and my wife calling 911 and a fireman showing up at the door, and I couldn't walk because I was in so much pain. And he scooped me up in those big, strong arms, and I was like, oh, I could get used to this.

Tig Notaro
Bada bing, bada boom. Right then I thought, oh, I get it now.

If you think you're shocked, how do you think I felt? That is not my typical type.

And it was just really riding on a napkin fireman and going on stage and just telling the story. And, of course, there's many audiences that got to hear me fumble through this story and find the punchlines and the structure of the. The incident. But that's what makes comedy fun to me, is that uncertainty. And I've been doing stand up for about 28 years now, so I feel very comfortable on stage.

But I also need certain things to kind of make it fun and exciting for me. And that's one of those things that continues to make it fun and scary and exciting. And I always describe it as, like, a fight or flight response that I have where these punchlines come out because the story is there. It's real. I'm not making up these things.

Wendy Zuckerman
Is it real? Cause I don't remember. I've been watching a lot of your comedy, and I think I've heard one of these. You weren't fumbling through it. So I guess by the time I heard it, it was polished.

So it actually happened. That story, parts of it or all of it? Oh, yeah, the whole thing. I mean, basically everything I'm saying on stage is true.

Tig Notaro
You know, there's comedic twists and punchlines to real moments. But I'm not, like, creating this fake story of a fireman carrying me out. Like, I'm not. What? To me, I'm like, I'm not that good of a comedian to make up all of these intricate stories.

You know, I'm just telling you this happened. Yeah, that's what happened. That's amazing. And you're working through the crowd. You're not sitting there with a paper and pen writing out, like, oh, this would be a funny turn.

Wendy Zuckerman
It's all with the crowd. Yeah, yeah. You know, I might record my show on my phone and then go back and listen to it and recognize these moments, that the reaction is way more heightened. And then I'll think, oh, okay, I'll go back and say that again. And then sometimes I'll go say it again, and it doesn't, you know, explode in the way that it did the first time.

Tig Notaro
And then I'm left thinking, okay, do I move on or do I try it again? And I always feel like it's a good thing to try something at least three times to see if it was just an off night or maybe my delivery. The pacing was off somehow. Sometimes it's as simple as a single word that you just have to change out, and then it is solid. Interesting.

Wendy Zuckerman
Tell me about this. Cause there's this. In the scientific literature, there are some very dry but inherently funny papers that are trying to find, like, funny words. Like, what is a fun. So when you say, like, you're switching out a word, that's amazing, that just.

That can turn it on a dime, that then people laugh all of a sudden. Well, yeah. Even aside from stand up, I have a podcast, and in one of the episodes, one of my co hosts just casually mentioned that there was a bulbous frog in. I don't even remember the story. I was so, so bothered by the word bulbous, and I couldn't move on.

Tig Notaro
I said, I'm sorry, we have to go back. What do you mean, a bulbous frog? Please. Also, the delivery of this word, it kept like, yes, and the bulbous frog. And it was so bulbous.

And I was like, stop saying that word. It made me sick to my stomach. But I also recognized it as a funny word when I hadn't really thought about the word as being funny. But when this frog kept being described as bulbous. It just switched the vibe of this story immediately.

And I think it's just an extra sense that you develop as a. A comedian, a writer, performer, whatever it is, where you're like, oh, yeah, this is. I feel like there's something here with this word. And then so there are these, like, these theories of humor. Do you think about it like, you know, surprise is one.

Wendy Zuckerman
You know, there needs to be some element of surprise. Some academics say, you know, you need some incongruity. Like, the audience thinks you're going one way, but then you take them in another direction. Are you thinking about things like that? Oh, if they guess the punchline, then there's no surprise.

We have no joke here, just more feeling out the room for you. Yeah, I mean, I had a joke years ago. I certainly think the element of surprise is hand in hand with comedy. But I also think that that's what is so fun and surprising about comedy is sometimes the thing that you think is gonna be obvious or that you're gonna need to be surprised about. You're still amused.

Tig Notaro
And I had a joke when I first started doing comedy about. Are you familiar with safety man? No. It's an inflatable man. Safety man is a funny word inherently.

Right. And even more ridiculous when you realize what it is and he comes in a tote bag. You open the tote bag, and you inflate a full size man to put in your car for safety reasons or in your house or something like that. So that people, oh, so it's like home alone. It'll be like a.

Wendy Zuckerman
So you can feel like burglars will think there's a man in your car. And so when I used to talk about safety man, I would talk about how, you know, the person that is planning to rob or attack you will probably be more scared off when they see you pull this bag out and blow a man up to size. The person hiding in the bushes is going to be like, we're going to let this one go. And whenever I would tell that story, oftentimes I got the feedback where people would say, I knew what was coming. But when you walked us through the process, I was still laughing uncontrollably.

Tig Notaro
And I always felt that with the audience where I thought, they know, they can picture exactly where it's going, and nobody is like, oh, that ruined everything. It's equally as amusing, I guess, when you're along for the entire ride. Yeah. And with safety man right there with you. Yeah, exactly.

Wendy Zuckerman
Wow. They don't sell safety man anymore, right? He hasn't made it. No, I looked him up and there's vintage safety man.

Tig Notaro
I think you can go on eBay and stuff like that and there's like old safety man things you can buy, but it's like who's put their mouth on that? You know?

Wendy Zuckerman
Oh yeah. Cause you're supposed to sit there blowing it up yourself. Yeah, yeah, yeah. After the break, Tig shares some of her favorite jokes with us and they are so fabulously silly. You just gotta stick around for them.

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Tig Notaro
Season two for details the Harrigan women. Seemed to have it all. We were blessed. My mom was amazing. But detectives would soon discover.

Inside the house there were the bodies of two women. A story of betrayal you would struggle to believe if it wasn't true. I am just praying to God this. Is a sick joke from 48 hours. This is blood is thicker.

The Hargan family killings. Listen to blood is thicker the Hargan family killings, starting May 8. Wherever you get your podcasts.

Wendy Zuckerman
Hi. Welcome back. Today we're sharing my interview with comedian Tig Nataro, who I interviewed for our episode on the funniest joke in the world. If you haven't heard that episode, stop right now and go back and listen. Cause there's about to be a huge spoiler in it because I am about to tell Tig which joke won this big science experiment to find the funniest joke in the world.

So there was this big competition. Yeah. Like. So I came up with this stupid pitch we're gonna find, or this incredible pitch to find the funniest joke in the world. And then I realized, 20 years ago, some academics in the UK actually tried to do an experiment to find the funniest joke in the world.

Thousands of people voted from around the world. Do you want to hear the joke? I would love to. Okay. And I want your thoughts.

I want your eyes. It better be one of mine. All right. Two hunters are out in the woods. When one of them collapses.

He doesn't seem to be breathing, and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone, calls for emergency services. He gasps, my friend is dead. What can I do? And the operator says, calm down.

I can help. Let's first make sure that he's dead. There's a silence. Then a shot is heard. Bang.

Back on the phone. The guy says, okay, so now what? Saw it coming. Still found it amusing. What are your thoughts?

Tig Notaro
Well, it actually reminds me of one of my favorite. I don't know. They call them pedestrian jokes like this, where a couple is in bed, middle of the night, and somebody knocks on the door, and the husband gets up, goes to the door, and then comes back, gets in bed. And his wife said, who was that? And he said, with some stranger who wanted me to help him.

He wanted me to give him a push. And she said, and what did you say? And I said, no. And she said, well, what if we were in need of a push? And I think you should help this person.

And he was like, okay, fine. And he gets to. He goes out to the door, opens it, and yells into the darkness. And he says, hey, are you still there? And the guy off in the distance yells, yeah.

And he said, do you still need a push? And he said, yes. And he said, where are you? And he said, I'm over here on the swing.

It's so dumb, but I think it's so funny.

Wendy Zuckerman
Is that your entry into the world's funniest joke? That is that is one of those jokes I share all the time with people? Is it really? I promise you, there's also. I don't even know who this comedian was, but when I first started in stand up, I remember going to a club.

Tig Notaro
Basically, all these shark attacks happen close to shore. And he's like, well, that's where all the people is. I remember him saying that, and I was like, oh, yeah, it's funny, but I guess it's also just factual. So what do you think it is? That's right, because there's nothing surprising about that.

Wendy Zuckerman
Is it the shock of recognition that makes us laugh? Is that what's funny? I think there's things that you know subconsciously or you just take for granted in your life, and then when somebody stops and points things out that you've been surrounded by day in and day out for decades and you just didn't even think about it. Or maybe something amused you in the back of your mind, but it just didn't register. And then a comedian goes on stage and just walks you through the ridiculousness and you're like, right.

Tig Notaro
How did I not see that? It is one of the greatest feelings I think about comedy when somebody points out what's under your nose forever. Yeah. Do you want to hear? So I've been watching a lot of comedy and reading a lot of comedy books and blah, blah.

Wendy Zuckerman
So a joke that I think is better, we've just got to beat the hunter joke. That's all I have to do, and then I still get paid, you know what I mean? That's what the scientists found. I think the swing beats the hunter joke, right? It's a funnier joke already.

Tig Notaro
I think so. I mean, I'm not gonna stop telling it. I think so, too. Okay, so what was number one for me was two monkeys are sitting in a bath. One monkey says, and the other says, we'll put the cold tap on then.

That's good. That's good. You know, I have to say, I don't know, how is this show pg? You can be rude. You can be rude.

I feel like this. I feel like this is across the board. Everybody is amused by this joke, and maybe you've heard it since you've been studying. Tell me. Tell me this joke.

Let me think. How does it go? It's very simple. What is worse than performing oral sex on Willie Nelson? What is worse than performing oral sex.

To Willie Nelson is hearing, I'm not Willie Nelson.

After all is said and done, that's what you hear. I'm not Willie Nelson.

That might be the best joke. That's your new entry.

It's really good. It'd be so bad. It'd be such a bad experience. Yeah. And, God, I mean, I love Willie Nelson.

I love that man. And he's an attractive man. But you've got a picture. When you say you've got a picture. That Willie, you got a picture that Willie.

But also, you know, just like somebody in their nineties, I guess, with long braided hair and a bandana on their head. Like it. And they're not Willie Nelson. It's rough times.

Wendy Zuckerman
Well, what a perfect way to end. We found it. We found it. We did it. We did it.

Tig Notaro
Yeah. I think your job is done. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

Wendy Zuckerman
That was my interview with comedian Tig Nitaro. If you haven't heard our episode on the funniest joke in the world, go back and do that. What are you doing with your lives? Tig's podcast is called handsome. Go check it out, and we will be back in your ears in just a couple of days with a classic sides versus episode.

Please let us know what you thought of this app. Do you want to hear more of these kinds of interviews? Get an insight into how we build our show? Let us know. We're over on Instagram at science versus, or you can find me on TikTok endyzuckerman.

I'm Wendy Zuckerman. Back to you next time.