Chris Rock: "It's not working because the audience doesn't understand the premise."

The problem isn't the punchline, it's the setup.

“It’s a good joke. Why isn’t it working?” According to Chris Rock, it’s because the audience doesn’t understand the premise.

The setup has to click. They need to get the point of where you’re going and your attitude about it. When done right, you can feel it in the room – it’s like a string getting pulled in one of those old timey talking dolls. But if they’re not onboard, even the best punchline can’t save ya. They’ll still be trying to figure out what was going on in the premise.

Rock’s solution to this problem?

Often, it’s repeating the premise in order to remind the audience.

I ain't saying he should've killed her —but I understand.

Tired of this shit, man. Tired. Tired. Tired.

They always say the same thing, man. They always say the same thing, it's like “Well it's not most cops, it's just a few bad apples. Just a few bad apples.”

That approach is especially helpful in a longer chunk so the audience stays grounded in the topic and your p.o.v. on it.

Screenshots above from HBO’s Talking Funny, a great watch. Here’s the whole thing: