Deadpan is actually a little hard to explain. Most people think that it’s just telling jokes with a straight face and monotone voice, often bringing up Steven Wright as an example. I don’t think I agree with that. With Wright, his monotone was more of a distinguishing gimmick. His jokes would still be funny even when performed in a regular or excited tone. Deadpan is more complicated than that.
Deadpan is the kind of comedy that, in the right hands, can make you piss yourself laughing from a character simply pronouncing the name a foreign country.
How does that work? Well, with a typical joke structure, you start with a set-up, and you end with a surprising punchline. But the punchline itself is expected. You were there for the set-up, so you know that something is coming, like how you know to brace yourself when you realize your kid has been awfully quiet for the last 15 minutes and you can’t find any of your Magic Markers. Or the family dog. With deadpan humor, though, the breadcrumb trail of the set-up is usually obscured by an emotionless face or tone of voice. The flat delivery lulls you into a false sense of security so when the punchline hits you, it’s like it came out of nowhere. The surprise adds to the experience.
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andre Braugher And The Art of the Deadpan
Source: Pinoy Daily News
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