When I coach others about how to be funny, I teach saver lines. 
Basically, these are jokes that you tell after a joke goes bad to “save” the situation.
Johnny Carson was the king of savers. I just found this video….check out the master.
If you are a comedian or speaker and are looking for presentation and humor tips, this is a guy to learn from. Looking for more tips? Try BradMart.
I just watched this again….he IS the saver king!