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March 13, 2013

‘The neatest thing in the world’

Drye to discuss humor Thursday night

Charles Oliver charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com

Jerry Drye recalls the day he discovered his life’s passion. He was 8 and sitting in a barber shop when he asked a bald customer if the man was going to “get a little taken off the top.” That got a laugh from that customer and others in the barber shop.

“I don’t mean to suggest that I knew at eight years old I was going to make a career out of humor. But I did realize that getting people to laugh is the neatest thing in the world,” he said. “From then on I read everything I could about humor. I listened to Bill Cosby records. I watched Marx Brothers movies. I guess you’d say I was doing research even then.”

Drye, now an assistant professor of communication at Dalton State College, will present “Talking Funny: The Power of Being Amazingly Amusing in Life and Work” in a Last Lecture on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Goodroe Auditorium of Gignilliat Memorial Hall. The free program is open to the public.

The Last Lecture series is inspired by “The Last Lecture,” a book by Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch. That book was, in turn, based on a lecture Pausch gave shortly after learning he had terminal pancreatic cancer, which focused on how he had achieved his childhood dreams and how to help others achieve their dreams.

Drye jokes that he doesn’t think this will actually be his last lecture.

“I’m hoping they don’t know something I don’t. I hope that when I’m done I don’t get a pink slip or that my doctor doesn’t tell me ‘I have some news,’” he said. “The idea is that if you had one lecture to give, what would it be? What is your passion? And my life has been characterized by a passion for humor.”

Drye has worked in both radio and television and has also worked as a standup comic and motivational humorist with various organizations.

“But I also wanted to teach, so I eventually went back to school and got some more education so I could pursue that dream. But I still use humor in the classroom. In fact, I’m currently working on my doctorate and my research is on how to use humor to engage students,” he said. “If you count my standup and my keynotes and banquets as well as my classroom work, over the last 30 years I’ve probably made over 5,000 professional presentations.”

Drye says he expects a lot of laughter during the speech.

“But I also hope people can learn something about how to appropriately use humor to enhance their lives and their relationships,” he said.

Drye says inappropriate use of humor can quickly backfire.

“When I teach public speaking, I always tell my students, ‘We are learning here how to talk to the Rotary Club, not the comedy club.’ Those are two different places, two different audiences. You’ve always got to be aware of the audience you are speaking to and why you are speaking to them,” he said.

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