3 Jokes To Make Rude People Regret Insulting You

Very few people can control a conversation better than a comedian.

Right. What we've got here is a person who's under mistaken belief that they're funny.

Comedians have arsenals of jokes that put rude people in their place and redirect the flow of conversation even when there isn't a conflict. When a joke lands and everybody laughs, there's that period of space where you can lead the conversation wherever you like. So in this video, we're going to look at three specific types of jokes that Russell Brand uses to masterfully control a confrontation on msnbc. We're also gonna see how you can use these same jokes to confidently steer conversations in your own life. And FYI, this is actually part two of a series since the first video I did on this topic ran long. So the first type of joke is best used to defuse tense situations before they get out of hand. It also generally makes any situation funnier. So it's the most widely applicable. And it's unpointed wit. This is a popular style, for instance, with Conan o'. Brien. I have the legs, the legs of an NBA center and I have the torso of a little girl. And you know what? She's not even a healthy little girl. She was born in the 1840s. Her name's Molly, and she has rickets. Now, I say unpointed because you're not using this wit like Winston Churchill did to destroy someone. In his case, when Nancy Astor told him, if I were your wife, I would poison your coffee, he replied, and, and if I were your husband, I'd drink it. Now, that is very witty, but pointed. Jokes like that escalate tension. They don't diffuse it. So instead, we are going to be replying with a type of wit that gets a chuckle, not at someone's expense, so that they actually cool off. And there are tons of ways to be witty, but the easiest is with your word choice by being hyper specific. Watch how Russell chooses odd words that make it hard not to smirk.

I hope that I'm here as a fully qualified professional gentleman. None of us are free from mental illness. Free from it. Tweeting. Right now, they're tweeting themselves senseless back there. Yeah, lovely. That's to create the atmosphere of, we're a hotbed of you. It's a working news. Yeah.

He also uses less common words for the same effect.

None of you. This is a hotbed of neurosis and psychosis. Oh, my word. I'm grateful to be here. Yeah. You are talking about me as if I'm not here. And as if I'm an extraterrestrial.

Following Russell's lead, you can simply choose more uncommon words and extraterrestrial instead of alien, neurotic instead of crazy. And the end result is that people smirk and it breaks the tension that might be mounting. It's also a generally good idea for being funnier in any situation. The second type of joke is best used when you are forced to discuss a topic that you would rather not. Maybe someone is bringing up an insecurity or just being plain rude. In those cases, you want to redirect things without calling the other person out directly. And that's where purposeful misinterpretation comes in huge. For instance, when the host demands that Russell show him part of his stand up routine, Russell doesn't want to heal.

He says, no, can't we get like, you know, 30 seconds now? Well, not really, love.

But when the hosts persist, Russell uses purposeful misinterpretation to take control of the conversation and move on.

I mean, this is how it works. Gandhi, go. I hope that's not your message to Gandhi and the people of India.

Misinterpretation can also be seen when you shift the focus of what is most obvious in any situation to something that is far less obvious. You see it again in another clip that we touched on in part one, but it's worth calling out here so you can see it in action. In this case, members of the Westboro Baptist Church made a very offensive poster that was a gift for Russell. And rather than focusing immediately on the poster's obviously upsetting contents, Russell shifted his focus to something minor, taking back control of the frame and the conversation.

That's not very flattering. Photograph the face you made. You made the face. I made the face. I pays the price. Fair enough. That's true.

So remember, in any situation, even when someone is being insulting, you have control over what aspect of their speech you respond to. You can actually control the frame. And if you choose not to focus on the obvious piece and instead purposely misinterpret their intent, perhaps focusing on a minor detail or reading it as a compliment, you upset expectations, which then gets a laugh and allows you to retake control. And in this case, Tyrion Lannister had it nailed.

How would you like to die, Tyrion, son of Tywin.

In my own bed at the age of 80 with a.

Belly full of wine and a girl's.

Mouth around my so if you find yourself in a situation where someone is being sarcastic or trying to put you down by saying Something like nice job or jeez, you really killed that one. You can make the group laugh and take back control of the conversation by simply taking the comment at face value. So you might reply, thanks, I appreciate you noticing. This shows that even if you have made a mistake, you are still unfazed by it and in control of the situation. Now, if things get a bit more dicey, you have another option, and this is sarcasm. Sarcasm in this context is when the literal words that you are saying don't match the implied meaning and it's a way of saying something nice on the surface with less than kind undertones. So it's not as harsh as a direct insult, but it's still likely to make an impact on the other person.

We're just sort of admiring the whole, you know, it's the whole thing, isn't it? Well, thank you for your casual objectification. It's an experience.

I've warned against sarcasm in the past because it's generally easy to upset people, even when you might not mean to. And usually all the British people hate me in the comments for that advice because it's like a second language over there. So let's just say that this advice for avoiding sarcasm with people you don't know well generally holds true inside of the United States, but it does have its place in dealing with rude people. So if you use it, you might want to just consider softening it with a smile, like Russell does.

Is this what you all do for a living? Yes. These people, I'm sure, are typically very, very good at their job. What is it? You're conveying news to the people of America? Yes, people of America. We're gonna be okay. Everything's alright either way.

This type of joke is usually much more effective for winning an audience over than it is for making the person you're talking to actually like you. So use it sparingly and ideally with a cheeky grin. For instance, if someone is being rude to you, you could say, wow, so glad that we're getting the opportunity to hang out. That usually will make them stop in their tracks. A hugely important part of being quick on your feet like that is the ability to stay calm under pressure. And a fantastic tool for getting there is meditation. And that is why I have asked Simple Habit to sponsor this video and give you a free week of guided meditations on their app. Now, Simple Habit has tons of different guided meditations and I have personally really enjoyed the ones around cultivating more joy and gratitude. And I enjoyed them so much that I actually created one specifically for our viewers that that is designed to tap into a deep sense of confidence and charisma before you have to head out to a situation where you're likely to feel pressure so you know that you will be on. And if you want to check out that meditation, the one that I created and all of the others for free for 7 days, you can do so by tapping the link in the description. And if you do that on your phone, it's going to work better. Since this is an app, if you decide that you like the meditations and you want to build a routine and a habit of listening to one, which is a great way to begin your day, you can continue with simple habit for just 11.99amonth. And that includes all of their meditations. Either way, the free trial gives you a chance to test it out, see if it's for you before you have to make a decision. So it's worth taking for a spin. Thank you guys for watching. I hope that you have enjoyed this video and I look forward to seeing you in the next one.