You Have To Be Funny To Public Speak
You do not have to be funny. You do not even have to be likable. You do not have to make friends with the audience. You just need to convey your subject matter in a manner that maintains the respect and attention of the audience. Some speakers use witty comments to lighten the mood, and try to grab the attention of the audience. That is a risk that the speaker take. If the audience does not get the joke or if the joke is inappropriate, then the speaker risks losing the audience. The more cautious route is to make comparisons and examples, rather than jokes, to prove your point. A joke certainly can make a long winded speech easier, but the risk of bad taste can be perilous. For example, if you pretend that you are giving a speech about speaking Italian, then do not use a joke that is controversial to Italians. Instead, discuss the comparison to the other romantic languages of Spanish and French.
