Finding the Funny - How to Create Comedy From Daily Life Events

Join us for an informative and fun talk by author, Mike Buzzelli, "Finding the Funny - How to create comedy from daily life events." Mike Buzzelli's nonfiction book, Below Average Genius (ISBN 978-1-60594-931-4, published July, 2012), is a collection of narrative essays culled from his weekly humor column at Observer-Reporter newspaper in Washignton County. Each essay is a brisk, humorous tale about ordinary, daily situations blown up ridiculously big. For example, “It’s a Blurry, Blurry World” chronicles Buzzelli's inability to snap a decent photograph at Disneyland. “Come On, Come on to My House” explores the dynamic of watching a movie or television show at someone else’s home. In acknowledging the shortened attention spans of the digital native, each essay is under a thousand words. Following is an excerpt from the titular essay, “Below Average Genius:” I’m not smart enough to hang with the intellectuals, but stupid people annoy me mightily. I’d be a genius on Wheel of Fortune but a dummy on Jeopardy. Take this example from a Final Jeopardy question: “This cheese was created in 1892 by Emil Frey and named for a singing society whose members loved the cheese.” None of the contestants answered correctly, “What is Liederkranz?” That’s a pretty tough question. I don’t think I’ve ever spread a Liederkranz on a cracker. I can only name a few cheeses anyway and as far as I know Cheddar, Havarti, Swiss and Goat were never singing groups. Frey is also credited with creating Velveeta. Apparently, he was a real cheese whiz. Mike Buzzelli stand up comedian and published author. As a comedian, he has performed all around the country most notably, the Ice House, the Comedy Store and the Improv in Los Angeles. As a writer, Buzzelli published in a variety of websites, magazines and newspapers. At a little over 40,000 words, this collection of essays plunks the mundane under the microscope and examines it from a bizarre perspective. Subjects such as misunderstood song lyrics, road rage, reality television and the detritus of human life are all fodder for the rantings and ravings of an admittedly unhinged mind.