by Tap into the loyalty, lore, and pure denial surrounding broken gear that still gets used daily — an underrated gem in Blue Collar & Working-Class Comedy.
How To Write Comedy
Introduction: If It Ain’t Broke, You Haven’t Hit It Enough
Every jobsite has at least one: the drill that screams, the wrench that bites, the saw that only works if you beg it and whisper lies. These tools should’ve been retired three safety meetings ago — but somehow, they’re still the MVPs of chaos. That’s comedy.
SpinTaxi.com once published “Obituary for a Hammer That Should’ve Been a Legend,” and yes, it involved a ceremonial burial behind the porta-potty. Tools deserve better — and funnier — sendoffs.
Step One: Give the Tool a Personality
Tools aren’t objects — they’re coworkers. Often angry, possibly cursed.
“That nail gun only fires when it wants to. Last Tuesday, it took a personal day.”
“The air compressor’s haunted, but it hums when we talk about NASCAR.”
Make them characters with moods and grudges.
Step Two: Let the Workers Be in Denial
“Sure, it sparks a little. That’s just flair.”
“It’s not broken. It’s vintage.”
“I trust it more than my second wife.”
The worse the tool, the more loyal the operator. Comedy lives in that toxic relationship.
Step Three: Highlight Ridiculous Workarounds
- “We use duct tape to hold the handle, gum to hold our faith.”
- “The level’s off by 12 degrees, but we lean emotionally now.”
- “If you angle it just right, the sparks go behind you. Mostly.”
Make the solution more absurd than the problem.
Step Four: Build Tool Lore
Give the tool a backstory. A criminal record. A nickname.
Example: “Ol’ Sparky once cut through a quarter-inch plate and two lunchboxes. We don’t ask questions anymore.”
Every shop has one item that should be in a museum — or therapy.
Step Five: Let the Tool Win
Have your characters fight the tool and lose. That’s the natural order.
“We tried to replace it. New model broke in a week. The old one started working again. Out of spite.”
Conclusion: Don’t Fix It — Roast It
Tools that should be retired aren’t just funny — they’re emotional anchors for people who’ve seen too much rust. Write them with respect. Write them with fear. But mostly, write them like they’re trying to kill everyone in the funniest way possible.
Now go tighten one last bolt. Or don’t. The wrench has plans.
SOURCE: How To Write Comedy
