Professional Stand-up Comedian Shaun Eli Divulges His Secrets

NEW YORK, NY -- Stand-up comic Shaun Eli, founder of Ivy Stand-up(sm), a showcase of smart professional comedians performing clean comedy - reveals the secrets of telling a joke like a professional comedian.

Everyone wants a great sense of humor.  But to make people laugh if you're not a natural requires a bit of help.  And while you can't teach people to be funny, you can certainly help them be funnier and to live up to their full comedy potential.  Shaun Eli, who has written jokes for Jay Leno and whom Reader's Digest called one of America's smartest comics, believes that making people laugh is a talent that anyone can develop.

So why give away his secrets if that's how he makes his living?  "Would Tiger Woods worry about competition if he gives away a few golf pointers?  I don't think so."  Not that Eli's comparing himself to Tiger Woods.  "I'm sure I'm much funnier than he is," Eli says.  "I've done thousands of shows of original material- I'm not concerned that I'm going to put myself out of business by giving a few pointers.  But what I am doing is reinforcing how important laughter is to people."

In his column "Don't Step on your Laughter: A Pro Comic Shares his Secrets" available at his website. Eli explains that in one sense you have an advantage over a professional comedian.  Yes, an advantage- because when you're telling jokes to your friends, family and colleagues you already know your audience.  You know their politics and background, their likes and dislikes.  Whereas a pro comic has to weigh the possible reaction to every joke, indeed to every premise, by all sorts of people- whom will this offend?  Will they understand the references?

Eli's column details such important secrets as:

-How to pace the set-up to get to the punch.  Without a proper set-up, there is no joke.

-How to structure a joke properly

-Which types of jokes might not work for certain audiences

-THE most important factor when preparing to tell a joke to your friends (it should be obvious but almost everyone overlooks it).

Media Contact:  
Shaun Eli 
(212) 252-2888

Shaun is available for phone, email and in-person interviews.

###