The typical punchline structure is a list of three: first thing straight, second thing straight, third thing funny.
It’s an old structure. You could even call it a cliché. But it can still work, if the third one is really funny.
Does it have to be three? No. You can make it a list of one. You can make it two. If your punchline is funny enough, it will work almost anywhere as long as you have a good set-up.
Mike DiCenzo is an SNL staff writer who’s been breaking this structure his entire career. He’ll try lists of four, seven—whatever he wants. And he’ll sometimes mix in extra punchlines at various points in the list, just to surprise people.
Don’t let the conventions of comedy limit you. Play with established structures and see if you can discover new ways to be funny.
After all, that’s the commodity in comedy—the new.
Have fun.
I must’ve been five years old, when Mr. Moose did the “Banana who?” knock-knock joke on Captain Kangaroo.
Mr. Moose never answered, but said “Knock knock” again, and did that routine for two (I think) more times.
Then, on the fourth time:
“Knock knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Orange!”
“Orange who?!”
“Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?!” -- to this day, about 60 years later, I remember I almost blacked-out laughing so hard!
(I still love that joke.) 🤷♂️😆🥸
I could tweak #1 to express my disdain for acronyms probably?