Lesson 17 · Improv moves · 5 min · Commitment

Total commitment

Say the absurd thing like you'd defend it in court

The big ideaHalf-committed comedy is awkward. Fully committed comedy is a gift. If you're going to claim cereal is soup, defend it with a straight face for three lines.

Watch the pro do it

Paul Rudd & Will Ferrell· Anchorman (2004)

Watch forA character makes a claim that makes no sense, and states it like a scientific fact. Nobody winks at the camera. The commitment of everyone in the scene is what makes the nonsense funny.

Via Movieclips on YouTube

Backstage only

This lesson comes with the Backstage Pass

From $4.99/mo. You also get the full breakdown on every bit. Cancel anytime.

Get your pass

Admit oneAll rooms

More pros doing it

Bill Burr· SNL monologue

Burr's signature move: he takes a position the room doesn't like and then refuses to back down. The groan turns into the laugh. The everyday version is defending a ridiculous opinion with a totally straight face.

Bert Kreischer, Donnell Rawlings & Bobby Lee· Scream therapy

Three comics fully commit to a silly premise, and each one pushes the bit a bit further than the last. That's 'Yes, And' in the wild.