GUIDE TO FUNNY
©Disney. Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).
GUIDE TO FUNNY
Contents
Page 1 Disney’s Guide to Funny
Page 2 Foreword from Dom Joly
Biography of Bridgit Mendler
Page 3 Biographies of Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh
& Dom Joly
Page 4 Songs by Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh
Five Steps on Writing a Funny Song
Page 5 Skits by Bridgit Mendler
Five Steps on Performing a Funny Skit
Five Steps on Sponsored Stunts
Page 6 Sponsored Stunts by Dom Joly
Page 7 Inspiration from the Stars
Page 8 How to Get Involved
Go to www.disney.co.uk/rednoseday for more information
GUIDE TO FUNNY
Disney’s Guide to Funny
Disney has been entertaining families around the world for over 80 years, and from
Mickey Mouse to Jack Sparrow, and Phineas and Ferb to Sulley, Disney characters
are famous for making people laugh. Within this Guide to Funny are plenty of tips
covering everything from coming up with funny song ideas to inventing silly stunts,
perfect for sponsoring, from some of the biggest names in comedy including British
funny man Dom Joly, Disney Channel’s Good Luck Charlie actress Bridgit Mendler
and Disney XD’s Phineas and Ferb co-creator Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh.
To raise money for Comic Relief, the folks at Disney UK are inviting the British
public to find their inner funny and make Disney laugh with a funny joke, story,
picture or video for which Disney will donate £1 to Comic Relief up to £100,000.
Families can showcase their comedy magic even further and raise more laughter and
funds by performing songs, skits and being sponsored to do silly stunts by friends and
family.
The family with the funniest and most creative fundraising idea will be crowned
Disney’s Funniest UK Family, winning a dream holiday to Disneyland Paris and a
£20,000 donation in their name to Comic Relief on behalf of Disney. So what are
you waiting for?
Read on to find out more…
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GUIDE TO FUNNY
Foreword from Dom Joly
“There is no such thing as “not funny.” Comedy is a subjective medium,
if it wasn’t, we would all be laughing at the same joke and I would
be out of a job.
“Everybody laughs at different things – if you find something funny then, by
definition, it is. This is particularly great news for you, because it means that there is
nothing stopping you getting out there and playing a silly stunt on family or friends, and being
sponsored in the process. Not only will this be enjoyable but you can tell them that it is for a good cause and is raising money
for charity should they decide to complain!
“There have been occasions, when faced with a member of the public who didn’t appreciate my sense of humour and voicing
their displeasure at having been chased through Trafalgar Square by a giant pigeon that I would have loved to say that it was
for charity. Sadly, in my case I have to apologise, assure them that it won’t be shown on television and run away.
“You do not have these problems – you are doing these things for Disney’s Comedy Magic campaign raising money for Red Nose
Day for the greater good, there is almost a moral imperative for you to get out there and do stuff…
“No experience is necessary and if you are having trouble thinking of things to do, then I have written you a little guide for
how to go about it. There are more fantastic fundraising ideas from Disney’s roster of funny people – Swampy Marsh and
Bridgit Mendler – for those who think sponsored stunts are not for them.
“What are you waiting for? Oh yes, you’ve got to read the rest of this… fine, but then get on with it!”
Biography for Bridgit Mendler
Bridgit Mendler has starred in a host of Disney productions including the hit Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth, in
which she played singer Olivia White, and award-winning series Wizards of Waverly Place as Justin Russo’s vampire girlfriend. She sang with Nick Jonas on the hit showJONAS and currently stars as Teddy Duncan in Disney Channel’s twice BAFTA-winning comedy Good Luck Charlie.
Born in Washington DC, she started acting in drama
productions and musical theatre at the age of
eight and is an accomplished singer who is
signed to Hollywood Records and about to
release her new single Ready Or Not in the
UK 4th March 2013.
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GUIDE TO FUNNY
Biography for Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh
Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh is the co-creator and executive producer of Phineas
and Ferb, Disney XD’s BAFTA-nominated and Emmy award-winning animation
series focusing on the adventures of Phineas, his English stepbrother Ferb and
their sister, Candace.
Currently in its third season, the show has built a loyal following since launching in 2008 with over 80 million people
across Europe, Middle East and Africa* tuning in between October and December 2012 alone and featuring cameo
appearances from the likes of David Beckham, Jonathan Ross, Simon Pegg and Lenny Henry. Each episode features an
original song written by Swampy and co-creator Dan Povenmire.
Swampy, who also voices Major Monogram in the show, lived in the UK for six years before returning to his Santa Monica
roots where he surfs and hangs out with his children and grandchildren.
Biography for Dom Joly
Dom Joly is a multi-award winning television comedian, journalist and travel writer. His first television series, Trigger Happy
TV, was a prime-time Friday night hit for Channel 4 in 2000-2003 and went on to be sold in over fifty countries
world-wide. Since then Dom has made TV shows for the BBC, FIVE, Sky One, and Comedy Central USA, including the
wacclaimed spoof travel series Dom Joly’s Happy Hour.
Dom’s latest show, Fool Britannia is a Saturday night prime-time hidden camera show on ITV. A second series has just been
commissioned and will air in autumn 2013. As well as comedy, he has had a weekly column in the Independent on Sunday
for the last twelve years and is an award-winning travel writer for both the Sunday Times and the Mail On Sunday. He has
several books under his belt. Most recently Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, documenting his international
monster-hunting adventures and The Dark Tourist – a travelogue in which he visited some of the most unlikely holiday
destinations in the world (North Korea, skiing in Iran, Chernobyl).
*Data based on 15 reported EMEA markets
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GUIDE TO FUNNY
Songs by Swampy Marsh
“My co-writer Dan and I have written 300 original songs for Phineas and Ferb.
So where to start?
“We usually know exactly what we’re going to write about so that’s a big help.
We have a minute and a half to fill, and we can write a song about anything in any style in an
hour. We pick a style of music – something we haven’t done before, or something that will complement or contrast with the
mood of the sequence – and off we go.
“You’ve got to stay open to the brainstorming process. We sit around with pads, pens, keyboards and guitars and the first
half of the session is about writing down or saying anything, no matter how stupid. It’s the silly stuff that you never think
you could use that usually works. Get over the fear of looking silly! We always try to make each other laugh by looking
foolish, because that’s where we get our best stuff.
“You should always be prepared to get inspiration at any time. Sometimes Dan finds things to write about while he is
travelling to work and records it on his phone, and I’ve been sitting in a restaurant when an idea for a song flashes up and I
have to scribble it down on a napkin!
“My advice to anyone who wants to raise money for Red Nose Day by writing funny songs is exactly what we say in Phineas
and Ferb – carpe diem... seize the day! Get out there and do it. Don’t be afraid, because you will definitely have fun.
“It’s so important that families get involved with Disney’s Comedy Magic to raise money for Red Nose Day – and what better
way to make friends, family and the folk at Disney UK laugh than with a hilarious song! Any time you can get involved in
something which makes other people laugh for a great cause, you have to take that opportunity. Most people think their
families are slightly weird, now is your chance to prove it in song! Embrace the weirdness and do something great for other
people which will last a long time.”
’
Five steps to writing a funny song
SWAMPY s COMEDY Tip
Be the first person to laugh at yourself. Most
people have the ability to be funny. The worst
that can happen is you might look a bit silly
but that’s all part of the fun!
1.
Decide what you’re going to write about and feel free to
mess around with topics, being sure to be a little bit silly
it’s critical to the process.
2.
Sing melodies with nonsense words until you find a line or melody that makes you happy. Before The Beatles had the lyrics to their hit song Yesterday, Paul McCartney sang “scrambled eggs, oh baby how I love your legs!”
3.
Always be ready for ideas at any time and have a pen or device to hand to record the
magic as it comes. My phone is filled with snippets of me walking down the street
singing little melodies. I get tons of funny looks in the street!
4.
Go for something catchy. All the great comedy songs are memorable
and you can sing or hum the hook... just don’t take too long to get
to the jokes.
5.
Now record it! And remember, you don’t have to be a great singer or
musician to get your song out there. Not being the best singer can definitely
be a comic advantage!
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GUIDE TO FUNNY
Skits by Bridgit Mendler
“In Good Luck Charlie, it all starts with the character. You need to press
the buttons that bring out the quirky part of your character that will make
people laugh. For instance, my character Teddy is really nerdy, so when we want
to make something amusing, we have Teddy say a nerdy line, trying to be flirty maybe,
and it comes across funny. The key to making something funny is knowing the character you
are playing and catering to your audience. We have a family audience so we make jokes about things that they can relate to
and find amusing.
“Be careful not to be mean! It isn’t necessary to being funny, so whenever something is verging on that, I steer it back to
something that is uplifting for the other characters. Make jokes that you’re comfortable with. If you are comfortable with
the humour you are using, people will find your performance amusing.
“Me and my best friend used to make videos together. We’d invert situations and make goofy renditions of things that could
happen to you that we exaggerated things to make even funnier – that was a lot of fun!
“My family are comically creative too – my mum has an alter ego called Gloria who is very funny - so I would definitely
want to be crowned Disney’s Funniest UK Family. I’m thrilled to be involved in Disney’s Comedy Magic, and hope I can inspire
families to have fun and unite at the same time as raising money for those in need.”
Five steps to perfecting a funny skit
1.
Listen and make sure you really hear the other person’s lines. In your head you should be responding to the other person as you would in real life.
2.
Be creative. Don’t be afraid to use wacky situations when you are doing a skit with other people or to laugh at yourself.
3.
Pay attention to your audience and how they are receiving your material. If you try and make a joke but you’re not committed to the material, people can tell. Be committed to the moment!
4.
5.
Memorise your lines so that it feels natural when you say them but don’t rehearse to the point where it feels stale.
Have fun. If people see you having fun performing, the humour is contagious. That’s all you need. If you can laugh at yourself, that makes it fun.
’
BRIDGIT s TOP Tip
Great comic timing takes practise and a
lot of work but if you are passionate about
it, go for it. Take classes, practise and work
on your craft. You can do it!
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GUIDE TO FUNNY
Sponsored Stunts by Dom Joly
“The things that make me laugh are setting up situations that unsuspecting
people come across and assume are real. Sometimes it is funny for totally
different reasons…
“I was once dressed up as a garden gnome sitting on a large plastic toadstool in the front garden
of a house in Weymouth. The hidden cameras were set up and I was going to try and chat to people wandering past my front
gate. Then, just before we started filming there was movement in the next-door garden. It turned out that the house was
for sale and an unsuspecting estate agent was showing a family the garden. They all spotted me at the same time and they
stopped and stared. I waved at them with a big smile: “Hello there…we’ll be neighbours soon…!”They tried to be polite and
smiled thinly but I’m fairly sure that a sale was not secured that day.
“You don’t need to go this weird however – why not start with some lighthearted tom-foolery at home and ask your friends
and family to sponsor your silly stunt to raise money for Red Nose Dasy?
“A really simple one is to buy an identical remote to the one used for your telly and then keep subtly changing the channel
when someone else is watching.
“Too easy? How about taking all the eggs out of the fridge, hard-boiling them and then putting them back?
“The simplest is to show a friend that you can balance a glass of water on the back of your hand. Then challenge them to
balance one on each hand. Once they are doing this, wander off – your work here is done.
“If you want to get really ambitious then rent a couple of full-sized cat costumes from a fancy-dress shop. Then, simply wait
for the milkman and, when they take milk up to a door, hang around the float trying to look inconspicuous. It made me laugh.
Five steps to perfecting a stunt
1.
2.
Think about an everyday scenario and then try to flip it on its head – this often leads to funny, surreal stunts
3.
Keep a straight face. This is the most difficult part of a good stunt – the more serious you can look, the better chance it has of working
4.
Always keep the jokes light-hearted. If they become mean or physical then they lose
something. An ideal stunt is one where both the prankster and the ‘prankee’ laugh at the end
5.
Remember, this is raising money for a great cause, Red Nose Day, so in a way it’s your
civic duty…
Fancy dress shops are a great place to wander around and get inspiration from. I often used to find a costume and
then think of the joke
’
Dom s Comedy Tip
BE CREATIVE
think outside the box and have fun doing it
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GUIDE TO FUNNY
Q: What do you get
when you cross a pig
and a cactus?
A: A porky-pine
Q: Why did the
pirate cross the road?
A: Because he needed
to get to the second
hand store
One Direction
Celebrity Jokes
Q: What did the ocean
say to the shore?
A: Nothing, it just waved!
Bella Thorne
Q: What do you call a
fake lasagne?
A: An im-pasta!
Nick Grimshaw
Q: What do you call a
fly with no wings?
A: A walk
Q: Why did the tomato
blush?
A: Because it saw the
salad dressing
Jane Goldman
Vanessa Feltz
Debby Ryan
Q: How do you make
a tissue dance?
A: Put a little boogie
in it!
Jason Earles
Q: Why can’t a car play
football?
A: Because its only got
one boot
Q: What’s stupid and
yellow?
A: Thick custard
Q; What do you call
chips that aren’t your
chips?
A: .. nacho chips
Melanie C
Kelly Osbourne
Christian Williams
Q: What do you get
when you cross a dog
with a telephone?
A: A golden receiver
Cheska - Made In Chelsea
Two aerials meet
on a roof, fall in love
and get married.
The reception was
brilliant
Q: What do you call a
man with no shins?
A: Tony
Ashleigh - Made In Chelsea
Q: What did the zero
say to the eight?
A: Nice belt!
China Anne McClain
Q; What’s at the bottom
of the sea and shakes?
A: A nervous wreck!
Tyger Drew Honey
Richard Branson
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GUIDE TO FUNNY
How to get involved
There are many ways to showcase your comedy magic and help reach the £100,000
target.
Be funny in person by heading to your local Disney Store and make a cast member
laugh to earn the £1 donation from Disney to Comic Relief – the teams in store are
waiting and willing to see your comedy magic until 24th February.
Alternatively, log onto disney.co.uk/rednoseday to share your joke, funny story,
picture or video, and get social too – you will be able to reach an even wider
audience by sharing your humour on Disney’s Facebook pages.
Kids can also get involved through Disney’s leading kids’ virtual world, Club Penguin,
by capturing and submitting a screenshot of their penguin telling a joke or via
Disney’s online game Superbia in a special Red Nose Day quest which will unlock
exclusive Red Nose Day themed items for your room, a virtual Red Nosed Mickey
Mouse and a Red Nose Day bag for life.
For the chance to be crowned Disney’s Funniest UK Family simply register and tell
us your creative and funny fundraising tale, in no more than 500 words, to earn
the chance of winning a family trip of alifetime to Disneyland Paris as well as a
£20,000 donation in your name to Comic Relief on behalf of Disney.
Go to www.disney.co.uk/rednoseday for more information
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