Laugh Laugh Laugh Cry

Elysha has said that the best stories I tell are “Laugh Laugh Laugh Cry.”

Many of my stories fall into this formula, meaning:

I tell an amusing and sometimes hilarious story, making the audience think that we are on a joyous journey, but as they laugh, I am quietly, almost secretly, setting up the true nature of the story, which lands near the end of the story, wherein the audience learns that this journey hasn’t been all fun and games. Many of the things that made them laugh were details that created an emotional punch at the end.

They think they are on Funny Street, but then they look up and realize we have been traveling on Drama Street all along. Or Tragedy Turnpike. Or Devastation Road.

It’s an effective means of telling a story. It offers enormous amounts of misdirection and surprise. Laughter also opens up the audience’s hearts and minds. Lulls them into a false sense of security. Makes them like you.

Then you punch them in the gut with what you really wanted to say all along:

A cold, hard, undeniable truth.

Laugh Laugh Laugh Cry.

It would appear that Bob Odenkirk may view storytelling similarly, at least based on the title of his new book.

We started listening on the way home from a Broadway show last night. I’ll know for sure soon enough.