Dave Attell
A mechanism-level breakdown of 42 analyzed bits from Dave Attell (2014), spanning 1 special. Every excerpt is tagged with its primary humor mechanism using the Comedy Stack framework.
- Analyzed bits
- 42
- Specials
- 1
- Active range
- 2014
- Go-to mechanism
- incongruity-resolution
How Dave gets laughs
Distribution across the primary humor mechanisms in the analyzed set.
42 attributed excerpts
Short quoted bits used here as editorial examples of Dave Attell’s mechanism-level craft. Each excerpt links to its full-transcript source.
“It is time. Paul, are you getting this? This is crazy action. How about you, the lord of no energy? Are you enjoying this?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'It is time. Paul, are you getting this? This is crazy action. How about you, the lord of no energy?', then the trigger 'Are you enjoying this?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Anal beads, what’s— what do you think is worse: more beads coming out than went in, or the missing bead? No man left behind.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Anal beads, what’s— what do you think is worse: more beads coming out than went in, or the missing bead?', then the trigger 'No man left behind.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“That is a hard dump, the cheesesteak dump. I mean, it’s not so much the steak, it’s that bukkake of whiz in there, okay?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'That is a hard dump, the cheesesteak dump.', then the trigger 'I mean, it’s not so much the steak, it’s that bukkake of whiz in there, okay?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“This one was called “the double chin.” Now that was not good. 10 Bucks to get in, 20 to get out. It was horrible.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'This one was called “the double chin.” Now that was not good. 10 Bucks to get in, 20 to get out.', then the trigger 'It was horrible.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Please give me a warm, loud round of applause for the one and only Dave Attell, everybody. clap your hands, everybody, for Dave Attell.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Please give me a warm, loud round of applause for the one and only Dave Attell, everybody.', then the trigger 'clap your hands, everybody, for Dave Attell.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“There’s a lot of hot women here. All right, yeah. Where are the single women? None, there’s no single women anymore. I don’t blame ’em.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'There’s a lot of hot women here. All right, yeah. Where are the single women? None, there’s no single women anymore.', then the trigger 'I don’t blame ’em.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“– I think you’re being fooled. That’s an oral-b that you’re putting in your hooch. you know what guys have now? The anywhere vagina.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward '– I think you’re being fooled. That’s an oral-b that you’re putting in your hooch. you know what guys have now?', then the trigger 'The anywhere vagina.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is superiority.
“It’s about a little guy. His name is shorty. And, uh, he’s— you know, he’s a midget. [Under breath] all right, he’s a midget.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'It’s about a little guy. His name is shorty. And, uh, he’s— you know, he’s a midget.', then the trigger '[Under breath] all right, he’s a midget.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“All fun stuff was invented in new orleans. – Poker, craps, looting. You guys know what you’re doing here. There you go. This one drunk.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'All fun stuff was invented in new orleans. – Poker, craps, looting. You guys know what you’re doing here. There you go.', then the trigger 'This one drunk.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Thank you, guys. All right, take it easy. – Thank you. – All right. Can you guys— really, get back in the shack, all right?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Thank you, guys. All right, take it easy. – Thank you. – All right.', then the trigger 'Can you guys— really, get back in the shack, all right?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“That one would’ve killed in idaho. So— I like to hold the door open for a woman, ’cause I think that’s very gentlemanly, yeah.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'That one would’ve killed in idaho.', then the trigger 'So— I like to hold the door open for a woman, ’cause I think that’s very gentlemanly, yeah.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is benign-violation.
“– Yeah, you’re waiting on an escort? Finally, the other guy I’ve been meeting online. All right, dude. This is what my comedy’s about.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward '– Yeah, you’re waiting on an escort? Finally, the other guy I’ve been meeting online. All right, dude.', then the trigger 'This is what my comedy’s about.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“You figured out a way to a blow a guy without even blowing him. Look how quiet it got, ’cause you know I’m right.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'You figured out a way to a blow a guy without even blowing him.', then the trigger 'Look how quiet it got, ’cause you know I’m right.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“So wherever they make ’em, they’re making ’em pretty good. I think they make ’em in china, yeah. Little kids are making our sex toys.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'So wherever they make ’em, they’re making ’em pretty good. I think they make ’em in china, yeah.', then the trigger 'Little kids are making our sex toys.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is benign-violation.
“Justin, you’re good? You can move the camera around a little bit. It’s all right. This isn’t baby’s first steps or anything like that.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Justin, you’re good? You can move the camera around a little bit. It’s all right.', then the trigger 'This isn’t baby’s first steps or anything like that.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“We just had ’em act out. Magazines are cool, because as you’re masturbating, you also get to do this. I’m, like, a sophisticated pervert.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'We just had ’em act out. Magazines are cool, because as you’re masturbating, you also get to do this.', then the trigger 'I’m, like, a sophisticated pervert.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“You guys, this is the whitest town I’ve ever seen in my life. If christian mingle was a place, it would be here, right here.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'You guys, this is the whitest town I’ve ever seen in my life.', then the trigger 'If christian mingle was a place, it would be here, right here.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Who wants to do it? You wanna do it? – There ya go. This guy looks great. What’s your name, sir? – What’s it?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Who wants to do it? You wanna do it? – There ya go. This guy looks great. What’s your name, sir?', then the trigger '– What’s it?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“You would wink. I know what it is, it’s incredibly hot. Let me—let me get this kmart fan on everybody. Is that what it is?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'You would wink. I know what it is, it’s incredibly hot. Let me—let me get this kmart fan on everybody.', then the trigger 'Is that what it is?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“We’ll be right back. [Chuckles] [drumming] – and now, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for mr. – keep it going for ’em, everyone.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'We’ll be right back. [Chuckles] [drumming] – and now, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for mr.', then the trigger '– keep it going for ’em, everyone.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“you guys are cool, you’re laughing at that. I’ve done that joke with a little person in the room. They’re not that cool about it.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'you guys are cool, you’re laughing at that. I’ve done that joke with a little person in the room.', then the trigger 'They’re not that cool about it.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Like I said, this is not— not an appropriate joke. All right, the biggest one, he stands up and he starts pointing at me.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Like I said, this is not— not an appropriate joke.', then the trigger 'All right, the biggest one, he stands up and he starts pointing at me.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Come on, it’s a joke. You know I don’t know who my dad is. I have no idea. I was raised in a carnival.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Come on, it’s a joke. You know I don’t know who my dad is. I have no idea.', then the trigger 'I was raised in a carnival.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“That’s what smokers call breathing. Oh, what happened? Scott, you knocked over my drink. Get a picture of that. Somewhere a clown fell down.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'That’s what smokers call breathing. Oh, what happened? Scott, you knocked over my drink. Get a picture of that.', then the trigger 'Somewhere a clown fell down.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“You’re wearing a hazmat suit, your girl’s slipping on it, your dog’s licking it, there’s a thumbprint on the alarm clock. wow, the crowd’s rolling.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'You’re wearing a hazmat suit, your girl’s slipping on it, your dog’s licking it, there’s a thumbprint on the alarm cl...', then the trigger 'wow, the crowd’s rolling.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Here’s a fun thing to do next time. Okay, next time your guy goes in that area. Do this, okay? It’ll blow his mind.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Here’s a fun thing to do next time. Okay, next time your guy goes in that area. Do this, okay?', then the trigger 'It’ll blow his mind.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“What’s your story? We should know a little bit about the people behind the scenes here. What do you do? – I was a hairdresser.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'What’s your story? We should know a little bit about the people behind the scenes here. What do you do?', then the trigger '– I was a hairdresser.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“I’m always curious to what— what they call fisting. Au bon pain, or the other— fencing without swords? What do you guys call it?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'I’m always curious to what— what they call fisting. Au bon pain, or the other— fencing without swords?', then the trigger 'What do you guys call it?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“You see a guy, an old man, on a bike like that, you’re like, “that dude has a dui. “That guy is just a drunk.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'You see a guy, an old man, on a bike like that, you’re like, “that dude has a dui.', then the trigger '“That guy is just a drunk.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“This is great. Ever do a bunch of mushrooms, think you’re having a pillow fight, but it turns out to be a live baby?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'This is great.', then the trigger 'Ever do a bunch of mushrooms, think you’re having a pillow fight, but it turns out to be a live baby?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
““People,” that’s what they want. If they’re people, then that bumps the rest of us up into being gods. And that’s a lot of work.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward '“People,” that’s what they want. If they’re people, then that bumps the rest of us up into being gods.', then the trigger 'And that’s a lot of work.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“So who’s gonna help me out here? Miss, do you wanna do the camerawork? – Okay, there you go. All right, I love it.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'So who’s gonna help me out here? Miss, do you wanna do the camerawork? – Okay, there you go.', then the trigger 'All right, I love it.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
““Get in there, hog, come on. There’s cheese in there.” [clears throat] I guess what I’m trying to say is I wanna have a family.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward '“Get in there, hog, come on.', then the trigger 'There’s cheese in there.” [clears throat] I guess what I’m trying to say is I wanna have a family.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Women are into it, but then at the last second their dignity kicks in, now they turn away. Well, there’s no pause on a dick.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Women are into it, but then at the last second their dignity kicks in, now they turn away.', then the trigger 'Well, there’s no pause on a dick.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Just get back in that shack. And the dude— put a bra on, all right? Really, got— it’s a family show here. Keep it going.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Just get back in that shack. And the dude— put a bra on, all right? Really, got— it’s a family show here.', then the trigger 'Keep it going.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“– Let’s get to the reason why we’re all here. Please welcome mr. – all right, we’re here at one eyed jacks new orleans.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward '– Let’s get to the reason why we’re all here. Please welcome mr.', then the trigger '– all right, we’re here at one eyed jacks new orleans.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“A little something I learned in the scouts. We’ll be right back. – What’s up, philadelphia? How’s it going? Let’s hear it, come on.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'A little something I learned in the scouts. We’ll be right back. – What’s up, philadelphia? How’s it going?', then the trigger 'Let’s hear it, come on.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Huddle up, guys.” relax. There’s no huddle in tennis. Now— you’re laughing. Now I know it’s funny. – let’s throw one out for the ladies.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Huddle up, guys.” relax. There’s no huddle in tennis. Now— you’re laughing. Now I know it’s funny.', then the trigger '– let’s throw one out for the ladies.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Oh, my god. You know what we should do tomorrow, early? – Balloon rides, let’s go. Has anyone been in a hot air balloon?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Oh, my god. You know what we should do tomorrow, early? – Balloon rides, let’s go.', then the trigger 'Has anyone been in a hot air balloon?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
““He’s a drunk. Look at him.” I like booze. I’m a booze guy. Justin, do you like booze? Yeah, there you go. I can tell.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward '“He’s a drunk. Look at him.” I like booze. I’m a booze guy. Justin, do you like booze? Yeah, there you go.', then the trigger 'I can tell.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“I did a show one time for these special needs kids. It was a benefit, okay. I did a benefit for the special needs kids.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'I did a show one time for these special needs kids. It was a benefit, okay.', then the trigger 'I did a benefit for the special needs kids.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“They’re sending their security in now, man. [Crowd groaning] uh-oh. The crowd is going—something’s happening here. – You ruined everything! – It’s a hostage situation.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'They’re sending their security in now, man. [Crowd groaning] uh-oh. The crowd is going—something’s happening here. –...', then the trigger '– It’s a hostage situation.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
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