Be Funny or Die cover art

Be Funny or Die

How Comedy Works and Why It Matters

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for £0.00
£8.99/mo thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Offer ends 31 July 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Be Funny or Die

By: Joel Morris
Narrated by: Joel Morris
Try for £0.00

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends 31 July 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £35.99

Buy Now for £35.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Comedy can soothe our pain, vent our anger, make us feel less alone, and provide the answer to life’s most difficult questions, such as What do you call a man with a seagull on his head?* It’s a social glue, but it can also be divisive, and the joke is on us if we don’t understand how it works.

So what are the rules? How does comedy do its magic, and why does it matter? Join professional comedy writer Joel Morris on a hilarious journey into the hidden world of shared laughter, where he reveals the mechanisms that make jokes work and what comedy can teach us about ourselves. Offering astute analysis of everything from stand-up to slapstick and sitcom to spoof, Morris examines comedic patterns, rhythms, and dynamics to uncover the algorithms that secretly underpin comedy.

Packed with gags and examples of comedy at its best—plus some invaluable tips on how to master that b’dum tish timing—Be Funny or Die is a fascinating investigation into how our species has developed and mastered this essential art form where laughter is the universal language and only the funniest survive.

*Cliff.

©2024 Joel Morris (P)2024 Dreamscape Media Anthropology Media Studies Performing Arts Social Sciences Comedy Funny Witty Thought-Provoking

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Save the Cat! cover art
The Hidden Tools of Comedy cover art
Befriending Your Nervous System cover art
The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication cover art
Dirty Briefs cover art
The New Comedy Bible cover art
Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? cover art
How to Write Funny cover art
Storyworthy cover art
Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy cover art
Ten Drugs cover art
Naked Statistics cover art
The Warrior, the Strategist and You cover art
The Psychology of Secrets cover art
Poor Charlie’s Almanack cover art
The Unfinished Harauld Hughes cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
I really enjoyed this book. I am a fan of the Rule of Three and Comfort Blanket podcasts, and in this book Joel Morris is giving an even more forensic analysis of comedy. I learned a lot and will listen to it over and over again.

Great book about comedy...with jokes

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A really well written look at comedy and humanity. Joel Morris is always interesting when talking or writing about comedy or anything he loves.

Insightful and funny

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An excellent listen - engaging and entertaining, very well thought through and researched! Fascinating. Joel is an authority in this space and a pleasure to listen too!

Very thoughtful and entertaining!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Incredible.
As a writer of novels that blend crime and comedy I've done my fair share of reading of books on plot and writing theory but have always found that books on comedy weren't really about comedy. They tended to be about how to become a standup.
As a result it was refreshing to read something from someone who, like me, professes no desire to do that. Safe behind our keyboards we want to see how the story works and how the comedy works and make it better.
Joel Morris has written one of the only two books I've ever read on the subject of comedy that actually nailed down how comedy works and why it works (and sometimes doesn't). He covers the neuroscience of comedy, reveals why (as I've always said) comedy is more difficult to write than any other genre and, crucially, how to make it less difficult.
I backed the crowdfund for the book so have been looking forward to getting it in my hands for a long time and it was entirely worth the wait, a genuine treasure-trove of advice that comes from having actually done it that is constructed in a way that renders it a) impossible not to laugh at the book and b) impossible not to constantly take away actual examples of how to make your comedy writing better no matter what type of comedy you write.
Whether you are someone who is curious how comedy works or a seasoned writer, this book will fascinate and entertain you.

Whether you are someone who is curious how comedy works or a seasoned writer, this book will fascinate and entertain you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I can almost guarantee that there isn't a book that exists that is more densely packed with insight into the why and how of comedy than this one. I will need to listen to this at least another three or four times to properly digest everything. thank you Joel.

the best book on comedy I've read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Hugely interesting, clever, thoughtful and generous - a book full of good ideas, confidently read by a skilled communicator. I’ll no doubt listen to it again in the future

The best book on comedy I’ve read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very in depth look at the science of humour and comedy but told in a way that makes it easy to understand and to break down each type of humour. Would highly recommend to any fan of comedy; you’ll learn just as much about yourself that you will about your favourite comedians!

Great listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Unpacks how & why comedy works, with some of the science explained instead the usual just-so stories. And it's incredibly listenable to - engaging & fun.

Excellent - learnt so much & a joy to listen to

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good for comedy fans and comedy writers alike. Even has references so you know where the jokes are from even if you don’t get the jokes.

Works as an explainer and a guide

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I bought this book because I'm a huge fan of stand up and comedy in general and I was looking for more technical insight.

I didn't just get that, a LOT of laughs and great narration, but a clue as to why some people like my own writing style, and others think I'm an utter idiot and not in the least bit amusing.

I won't just be recommending this to friends, but also clients. To help them understand how their own comedy can help them stand out online, whether it's super gentle, or talking about people falling down manholes.

The most enjoyable book I've listened to in the last 2 or 3 years, and if I was an AI model I'd be giving it 3 thumbs up.

Incredibly funny book for anybody who finds it incredibly funny.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews