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Jokes in your Trivia

Jokes in your Trivia

 

Today we are looking at a slightly different topic than normal and we are going to look at using Jokes in trivia. To some of you this may sound like an alien concept (“You want me to tell jokes as well as perform trivia?” I hear you cry) but before you stop reading and assume this is advice for wannabe comedians then think again. We are going to talk here about how you can utilize jokes in your trivia setup for maximum effect.

 

But first, welcome back to the blog and I hope you are having a very profitable and indeed lucrative week. All the positive feedback we have been getting about the blog has been great and we are hearing stories of trivia hosts all over the globe using our ideas and suggestions to make more fun, interactive and entertaining trivia nights. Makes it all worthwhile……

 

Jokes in your Trivia – When to use?

Let us begin with the simple question. When and where should jokes trivia be used. The answer is not as simple as one may think. The first thing you have to decide is what the audience is. Is it a serious trivia challenge with players from across the region eager to show their brain power and knowledge of useless facts? Is it a tried and trusted trivia night where the crowd has been large for years and you have just stepped into the role? Is it a rather upmarket bar where the audience are more reserved? Is it a small venue with only 4-5 teams? If the answer to any of those questions is indeed yes, then perhaps jokes trivia is not right for you. I have constantly talked on this blog about the need to ensure that whatever you are doing from the technology to the hosting style to the format all needs to correlate with the audience in front of you and the use of jokes trivia is just as vital. If you have a rather serious trivia crowd in who just want to play trivia then adding a joke round or going OTT with the jokes yourself may put them off and drive them elsewhere, a venue maybe where their trivia bug can be satisfied. If you play your cards wrong when it comes to Joke Trivia then you will see it has the opposite effect.

 

You need to assess the venue yourself and because every venue is different it is very difficult for me sitting behind this keyboard to give a plain set of rules (but that doesn’t mean I am not going to try). Essentially, what I will say is…..this type of trivia works best where the audience is more relaxed, outgoing and a little but more, well how can I say this….boozy! You need an extrovert audience with a sense of humour and a “laugh or be laughed at” approach to the questions. Creative and fun people will make this more interesting. Introverted and quiet crowds will lead to embarrassingly poor rounds and answers that don’t make anyone laugh.

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Jokes in your trivia Trivia – How to use them?

 

I know what you all were thinking during the entire run of that opening paragraph…..how can I make Jokes Trivia? How can I blend jokes and riddles into my usual set of questions? Well let me begin by saying one thing and making it very clear…..do not, whatever you do, get carried away with proceedings.  The worst thing you can do is let the Jokes override the whole event as it will drive people away and what may seem like a good novelty at first will soon descend into a routine bore. Be very careful…..always keep that in mind.

 

Jokes in your Trivia – How can you do it?

 

Well, here is the thing. Some people use Joke Trivia as an extra round….so, for example they will ask questions where the host will tell a joke and it is the job of the audience to fill in the blanks or write down the punchline. You could even get people on the mic to do this! A point per correct answer. The problem with doing it this way is that it will detract from the main quiz. Say you are doing a trivia set of 100 questions  and 10 of those are jokes….that means 10 points will depend on the jokes round and in a competitive quiz this could make a heck of a difference. What this will serve to do is annoy players who feel there general knowledge is secondary to jokes.

 

The best way I have found to do this is either –

 

  1. Have a special round at the interval or during the end of the trivia. (At the end may work best as people who like it then have a reason to stay). Doing it in the interval also has its advantages as it gives people a break from the normal trivia. Either way, you need make it short and concise and fun. Maybe 5-10 questions with a special prize, detached from the main quiz. Forget about the main team scores and have a spate prize….maybe a bottle of wine or beer vouchers or such like.
  2. Have a one off Jackpot questions….whoever comes up with the funniest answer wins. Have a one question shootout $1 to enter and the winner takes either everything! It is all about making it fun and giving everyone a chance so make the answer something creative and interactive.

 

In essence then –

 

  • When it comes to Joke trivia make sure it suites the venue
  • Avoid turning players away by assessing the impact
  • Don’t try if it you have a feeling it may backfire
  • Ensure the jokes are appropriate
  • Do not over do it
  • Engage the audience

 

Jokes in your Trivia – How to get them

Getting joke content is easy.  You can simply go onto Google and type in ‘Funniest Jokes of All TIme‘.  There are numerous websites with great, not lame, jokes.  Turning jokes into trivia questions just might add some spice to your events.  And just like any spice, too much ruins the meal.  One format to follow might be to have 1 joke question every 20 normal questions, or use joke trivia as a bonus round or tie breaker.  It is fun, funny, and if done properly can add extra value to your events.

Adding riddles, is equally fun.  For example:  How do you drop a raw egg onto concrete without cracking it?  This is a bit of preponderance.  Most people don’t solve it.  The answer is “Concrete is hard to crack, and egg won’t do it!”  There again, good content is easy to come by.  Simply do a websearch “Best Riddles and Answers.”

 

Stay tuned to the blog for further updates ranging from hints and tips on boosting business. Question ideas and format suggestions as well as all the usual tried and trusted information on the wide and competitive work of trivia hosting.

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