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[snowbound]

This is true.  I personally couldn't carry off the jokey approach, but maybe someone else can. How you come across with different ways of handling things depends a lot on you and your personality. 

My old grad school did a great job of setting up practice interviews--followed by honest feedback on one's interview performance.  EVen if your school doesn't usually do that, maybe you could get one or two faculty members or friennds to set up a practice interview for you, given the problems you've faced.  Maybe you could do a couple of sessions, working through more than one way of handing the situation.