What Makes a Joke Work? - Honesty, Confidence, Clarity

We’ve all seen it happen: a joke that should be funny falls flat. The setup was clever, the punchline was tight—but something didn’t land. 

Why? More often than not, it comes down to three core principles: honesty, confidence, and clarity.

These aren't just buzzwords—they're the backbone of any joke that works, especially when it’s filtered through your unique comedic voice.

1. Honesty: Stay True to Your World

A joke doesn’t need to be factually true, but it has to feel true—true to your world.

That means the logic of the joke needs to align with the persona and reality you've presented. If you’re a chaotic character who lies about everything, then a ridiculous made-up story can feel completely authentic. But if you’ve built yourself as grounded and observational, a sudden absurd twist might feel off, even if it’s funny on paper.

Honesty also means emotional truth. Are you saying what you really think or feel, even if it’s exaggerated for effect? Audiences are sharp—they can smell when you're not being honest with them. That doesn’t mean you can’t be silly or surreal, but even the weirdest punchline has to come from a place that makes sense in your comedic universe.

2. Confidence: Own What You Say

A joke delivered with hesitation feels like a half-apology. The audience won’t laugh if they sense you’re unsure whether you should be saying it. Even a self-deprecating joke needs conviction behind it: "Yes, I’m the butt of the joke—and I meant to be." It also lets the audience know you feel safe joking about something. People aren’t mean, they want to know it’s safe to laugh, without any harm.

Confidence doesn’t mean swagger or loudness—it means committing fully to your bit. If you’re playing awkward, be deliberately awkward. If you’re telling a bold opinion, stand behind it, even if the room tightens a bit. Trust that your timing, your persona, and your punchline will get you through.

3. Clarity: Say It Clean

The audience can’t laugh at what they don’t understand.

Clarity means setting up the idea of your joke in a way that leaves no room for confusion. What’s happening? Who’s involved? Why does it matter? Then, when the punchline hits, it feels like a satisfying “click” in the brain, not a scrambled puzzle.

However, when you try to answer those questions, find the least amount of words to do so. If the joke happened on the train, you don’t need to explain trains to people. People know what it’s like to be on a train. Once you say “I missed my train” that conveys lots and lots of information - now you can move on to the funny bit of what happened next. 

If you say you missed your chance to go on a rocket to the moon, you might need to give us a bit more information. 

Regardless, keeping it a s clear as possible will make any joke funnier.