Dave Barry Speech

Everyone has had their parents tell them how to behave in life, whether its to be kind, or to wait your turn. Parents always try to lead you in the right direction in life. The excerpt from Dave Barry’s anecdote “Live Right and Find Happiness” is a high level comedy that uses witty word play and irony to reveal a universal truth about how one should act in life.
One method Barry used was witty word play, to create humor for his audience. For example Barry stated “just because many people believe something, that does not make them right… many people believe their cats actually like them” (Barry 2). This quote made one grin because of Barrys use of wit. He is using humor to let out the truth about how some people’s pets do not actually like them, but they believe they do. Barry also commented that he learned that ketchup does not have to be kept cold, he then went on to tell his grandson “don’t be one of those people Dylan. Say no to cold ketchup” (Barry 2). This quote shows his wittiness because most adult figures would normally say “say no to drugs”. Barry’s use of comedy helped

When talking about the topic of bullying he tells his grandson “don't bully, and don't hit people, unless they are bullying you, in which case go ahead and belt them” (Barry 2). This quote is ironic because it doesn’t meet the expectations of the reader. Most would think Barry would of said something like “if someone bullies you, tell an adult”, but instead he told his grandson to hit the bully. He also uses irony when he is talking about being at concerts and the people in front of him decided to stand up whenever they feel like it, resulting in the person behind them not being able to see. He wrote “as a result, the people behind them have no choice but to crush their skulls with a ball-peen hammer” (Barry 3). This is comical and ironic because, no he is not going to actually crush someones skull with a