Explain Yourself is a recurring feature that could become something you become known for. That has value, but using it well could also become a character-defining tool for personalities.
One of the key reasons this works is that it exploits The Seinfeld Effect by taking something relatable and mundane and turning it into something much larger.
How To Perform Explain Yourself
The idea behind this feature is to get listeners to share and explore irritating, odd annoyances that happen in everyday life. These are usually small things that are highly relatable.
For example:
People who talk on their speakerphone in public…explain yourself.
There are two ways to make this work:
- Short Contributions (Not A Topic): Invite listeners to complain about things they observe, ending with Explain Yourself. For instance, “I’m on the Freeway, 75 miles an hour, and a guy passes me in his convertible, staring in his rearview mirror…and shaving. Really? Explain yourself.”
- Make It A Phone Topic: Introduce a topic featuring a socially unacceptable behavior, and solicit for people to call and defend themselves. Let listeners take them on.
If going with option #2, theme it from time to time. For example, it could be targeted to co-workers, family members, spouses, teachers, nurses, construction workers, attorneys, bus drivers, etc.
This also works for holidays and special events (Single People who give Valentine’s Gifts to themself: Explain Yourself).
