John Self expresses his comedic output in an incredibly Cicero way. Although Self is an admirable figure (his job, money, women, etc.) he plays himself down to be an "average Joe". In a witty way, he nitpicks at his every flaw (not to say he doesn't have many). Self looks disgusting, his mentality is completely warped, and the way he conducts his everyday life is easily satirized.

On page 123 and page 124, Self constantly refers to his "sore back" like it's a living being. Of course, his sore back is not in fact living, but by personifying it, he makes himself relatable to an array of people that may or may not have anything in common with his life or personality. One vital step to comedy is enabling one's reader/viewer to either relate with something they can make fun of themselves for, or something they can make fun of others for. Self both pokes fun at himself, and almost everybody surrounding, therefore creating a pleasurable comedic environment and atmosphere for his reader.