Have you ever watched a stand-up special where the comedian ends the show by referencing a joke they told in the first five minutes? And the crowd goes absolutely wild?
That is a Callback. And it is one of the most powerful tools in comedy.
The Psychology of the Callback
A callback works because it makes the audience feel smart. It creates an "inside joke" between the performer and the listener. * The Joke: "I hate pigeons." * 30 Mins Later: "So I'm at this wedding, and the bride looks beautiful..." * The Callback: "...but she walks like a pigeon."
The audience laughs not just at the image, but at the recognition. "I remember that! I was there clearly listening!" It creates a sense of closure and structural unity.
The Brick Joke
A specific type of callback is the Brick Joke.
Origin: An old joke where a brick is thrown into the air and disappears. Then, a totally unrelated joke is told about a woman on a plane. The punchline of the second joke involves the brick falling from the sky.
A Brick Joke is a two-part joke separated by a long duration of time (sometimes an entire episode or movie). * Part 1: Set up a hanging thread (The brick goes up). * Distraction: Make the audience forget about it. * Part 2: Resolve the thread when least expected (The brick comes down).
Examples
- Arrested Development: The show is famous for intricate callbacks that span entire seasons.
- Community: The "Beetlejuice" joke. The word "Beetlejuice" was said once in Season 1, once in Season 2, and once in Season 3. Immediately after the third time, a Beetlejuice extra walks by in the background. That is a 3-year Brick Joke.
Callbacks reward attention. They turn a passive audience into active participants.