Q: How Can I Be Funny Like You?

A: lol um...ok so, well, the thing about that is...imagine you're a banana peel -

Hiya one and hiya all, especially the new kids here. You are all cool and worthy and, get this, you belong.

About once a month I do a lil something called Help Wanted where I answer questions sent in by you, the live audience. In many cultures, this is called an advice column. But this ain’t Greece or Rome, and I don’t know if what I dispense can much be called advice on account of it being pretty dumb most of the time.

BUT: It is the only place that I, a comedy writer with a psychology degree, am legally allowed to give advice.

AND: I do enjoy the form. The questions that come in are amazing because they are real and thus they are alive. And so, in answering them, I find myself getting real. In other words, the questions are amazing prompts to get me writing. Is that selfish? No, its halibut, relax and eat your fish.

Below is the first question anyone ever asked back in November 2020. I’ve updated it with new references to ensure it stays FRESH. Enjoy!

Want advice? Your question/conundrum/pickle can be SS (super serious) or DAAD (dumb as a doorknob) or anywhere in between. I’ll fucking answer them all I don’t even care. Except I do care so much and that is why I’ll answer em.

Submit your questions to botharetrue@substack.com.

Q1: How Can I Be Funny Like You

— James from Seattle, WA

A1: