Lesson 21 · Conversation moves · 7 min · Playful tease

The playful tease

How to roast someone and make them like you more

The big ideaA good tease says “I'm comfortable enough with you to mess around.” It's sharp words with warm energy: brutal words, obvious love.

Watch the pro do it

Andrew Santino & Bobby Lee· Bad Friends

Watch forTwo friends who tease each other constantly, and it never reads as cruel. Watch the faces: they're grinning while they insult each other, and the target laughs hardest. That's the energy you're borrowing, not the exact words.

Via Bad Friends on YouTube

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More pros doing it

Andrew Santino & Bobby Lee· Get Out of This World! (Ep 18)

Two friends roasting each other nonstop, and it never feels mean. The words are sharp but the energy is affectionate. That's exactly the tone of a good tease between friends. (Full episode: pick a moment and set the timestamp.)

Andrew Santino· Santino vs SXSW

Santino roasts a place and a scene, not a person. Roasting a situation is the safest kind of teasing, because the venue can't get hurt.