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comedy writing

UPDATE: Patients ARE smarter (and louder) … here’s proof

June 18, 2015 by Mighty Casey 1 Comment

quality scoring image

It’s been a fun week here in Mighty Casey Media Land. We kicked off the week a little early (on Sunday) – the 411 on that is available here, and some of the social exhaust is available on Storify here and here. One member of the e-patient posse worried that the guy was gon’ have to enter witness protection, given the avalanche of opprobrium aimed his way from the expert-patient community.

Thank god. I was worried this guy might need to go into the witness protection program. TY @MightyCasey – #FTW! https://t.co/xIayus5Gao

— Hurt Blogger | Britt (@HurtBlogger) June 17, 2015

In an email thread among a group of expert patients working on aggregating and curating patient-useable outcomes reporting tools, Dr. Corrie Painter said she had called the Brookings Institution, the think tank where the author of the US News piece that set my hair on fire does his think-tank thing, and left a terse message on the Governance Studies main line about pontificating patriarchal putzes (technical term).

Given my willingness to talk to anyone, any time, if it moves the needle on healthcare system transformation, I went one better and called the *other* number on the guy’s bio page. I expected to wind up leaving a voicemail, but …

He. Answered. The. Phone.

We talked for about 30 minutes, during which I assured him that I did *not* think that Yelp reviews were the ne plus ultra, or even a thing, when it came to outcome metrics on physicians and other clinical providers of medical services. But, as I pointed out in my “I’m channeling Lewis Black, with boobs, in healthcare here: righteous rage + cutting humor = driving that point home!” post, what real metrics are *available* to patients seeking intel on the expertise and outcomes of the doctors they go to for care?

There are PQRS and Physician Compare data sets, but they’re pretty small beer. Physician Compare serves up Medicare data – just *try* to find intel on a pediatrician, or an obstetrician, in that reporting tool.

In a follow-up post of his own, Yaraghi clarified his position on online review sites like Yelp *not* being the right place for medical provider ratings based on medical training, outcomes, or efficacy of care. His closing graf is the money shot for me:

Patients’ involvement in their medical care is the best thing that could happen to our severely sick health care system. Patients should have access to reliable and valid data to help them decide about their medical provider. They should have the capacity to shop around and visit multiple providers. Healthcare is the most important service we obtain in our life and being able to choose who provides it, in my opinion, is a fundamental patient right. Currently available online patient reviews however, are not the correct measure to rely on when making such a decision.

Net/net here: Niam Yaraghi is a guy with an open mind on the idea of patient expertise. In the days and weeks to come, I hope that the e-patient community turns out in force to engage him in conversation, and to make their case for both patient expertise and the deep need for effective, accessible physician scoring – on number of procedures, on patient satisfaction, on recurrence rates, on all stats relating to the efficacy and humanity of their care – that people can use to find the best doctor for their healthcare needs.

If you’d like proof of the kumbaya here, [now updated with video capture] here’s the Google Hangout on Air  hosted by David Harlow, HealthBlawg, who started this whole thing with a Twitter DM.


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Filed Under: Business, Crisis communications, Find the funny, Healthcare, Media commentary, Social media, Storytelling, Technology Tagged With: #epatient, #medx, #shitstormsisters, branding, comedy writing, david harlow, e-patients, expert patients, health care, health care reform, healthblawg, Healthcare, healthcare system transformation, humor, media, mighty casey media, niam yaraghi, participatory medicine, smart patients, social exhaust, Social media, Storytelling, technology, twitter

Comedy writer way-back machine: That ****ing tree

November 29, 2012 by Mighty Casey Leave a Comment

tree image

tree imageI spent 20+ years working for NBC at 30 Rock. When I started exploring stand-up comedy, the first bit I wrote was based on my experiences working in the building behind what has become “America’s Christmas Tree” – or, as I came to call it, “that fucking tree”.

Since the thing was lit last night, I know the hell my former colleagues are going through. Here’s the bit, in its entirety:

Who’s really jazzed about Christmas? Who’s excited beyond words at all the decorations and the hoopla?

Well, I know one thing about all of you. You don’t work in 30 Rock.

I do. That fucking tree.

Imagine that your commute, which normally means pinballing across at least one train platform and at least several crosstown blocks, now also includes hacking your way through a literal mob of tourists.

The mob grows by the minute. You’re trying desperately to get to your office. You can see the revolving doors across the plaza, but …

There’s the Stroller Army, who aim at your knees and ankles as they press their little angels closer to that fucking tree.

There’s the Double-Wides, who stand tall as they wave their arms, pointing … right into your eye … at that fucking tree.

You’ve got the tour group from Thailand, in scattered clumps around the skating rink, wai-ing that fucking tree.

So you make your best broken-field run across the heaving horde, focused on those doors and what’s beyond them – black coffee, toasted bagel, dry, and your work day – and you have to join in on a chorus of When the Saints Go Marching In, just to achieve the lobby.

I tell you, there’s nothing about that fucking tree that couldn’t be cured with a can of gas and a couple matches.

Filed Under: Find the funny, Storytelling Tagged With: casey quinlan, comedy, comedy writing, Storytelling

Want to add humor to your message? Hire a comedy writer. Really.

August 1, 2011 by Mighty Casey 8 Comments

mic with stand photo

mic with stand photoIt’s fascinating to watch something take hold in the zeitgeist (look it up). Particularly when it’s something that has been solidly planted in one’s own personal zeitgeist for … ever.

The hot topic in business social media right now is humor. As in “bring the funny to get attention and customers” – which is true, but is also a dangerous recommendation.

Riddle me this: if laughter is the best medicine, why aren’t more doctors telling great jokes? Other than Ken Jeong, and he’s not actually seeing patients any more.

Recommending that marketing teams use humor is like tossing your 16  year old the car keys and saying, “you’re old enough, go drive!” It might be true, but it’s very dangerous, and it’s likely to end in tears and big legal bills.  Just ask Aflac – their recent experience with business humor via their loose cannon of a spokes-duck pitchman, Gilbert Gottfried, did exactly that.

Here’s what you have to do to put humor to work for your corporate messaging strategy: hire a comedy writer. One who understands both comedy AND business. Who can work with you to identify what makes your target customer(s) laugh, who can help you build some organic and authentic comedy that will make your message penetrate and motivate your audience.

Full disclosure: I’m a writer. I’ve done stand-up for years. I haven’t pushed the comedy thing much in the business arena over the last couple of years because whenever I did, it was to the sound of … well, not silence exactly. It was more like speaking Urdu to a room full of Inuit: blank stares.

The key here is that combination of humor and business sense. You have to understand strategic brand messaging in order to stand it on its ear.

Using humor in social media requires a clear view of your audience, an understanding of what that audience reacts to, and some special-sauce experimentation – one of which sauce’s key ingredients is the willingness to look/act funny – to create funny-with-intent content.

Willing to take a small risk that could pay off large? Hire a comedy writer, let that writer work with your marketing team, your sales team, your ad agency, your PR firm. Shake well, stir frequently, keep the heat level and even. Then, when the sauce is blended just-so, pour it on. And don’t forget to measure the results – we are, after all, talking about your business. And you cannot improve anything that you do not measure.

That’s my story, and I’m stickin’  to it …

Filed Under: Business, Find the funny, PR, Social media, Storytelling Tagged With: Business, business humor, casey quinlan, comedy, comedy writing, humor, personal branding, PR, Social media, Storytelling

Last Pitch Standing: Comedy Writing Tips for Speakers

September 15, 2009 by Mighty Casey Leave a Comment

photo of microphone in focus with background of theater seats

I’ve been doing the short-form intro version of my “Last Pitch Standing” workshop pretty frequently of late.

Here are PDFs of the two handouts – they can get you started on opening your comedy writing chakras. If you’d like some personal coaching, you know who to call!

MightyCaseyMedia’s Comedy Writing Tips

Mighty Casey Media comedy worksheet

Make ’em laugh!

photo of microphone in focus with background of theater seats

Filed Under: Storytelling Tagged With: Business, comedy, comedy writing, presentation skills

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