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Comedy Quotes

On laughter, dark times, and comedy as survival.

This collection treats comedy as something closer to coping than entertainment, with one entry stating plainly that its real purpose is to hide pain. See Comedian quotes for related themes.

It seems like when I first started, people got into comedy because they wanted to be good comedians.

Quotes by Wanda Sykes

Then you had people who wanted to get into comedy just to get a TV deal.

Quotes by Wanda Sykes

I watched a lot of comedy growing up.

Quotes by Wanda Sykes

Harpo Marx looks like a musical comedy.

Quotes by Walter Kerr

Comedy can be very deep sometimes.

Quotes by W. Kamau Bell

Going from drama to just straight-up comedy with Tommy Davidson and Jamie Foxx - what a blast.

Quotes by Vivica A. Fox

I've a belt that I have worn for every single stand-up comedy session since I was 19. I fear if I ever lose it, my career would crumble. That's my one OCD.

Quotes by Vir Das

Anybody with a sharp brain and a mic can become a comedian, but there's a need to move beyond it. The audience wants to witness the marriage of theatre, comedy and something more.

Quotes by Vir Das

In Bollywood, I think Boman Irani and Vinay Pathak are unbelievably good at comedy.

Quotes by Vir Das

Comedy comes from confusion.

Quotes by Vir Das

Stand-up comedy is a lot about amplifying emotions and situations; movie acting has a lot to do with mellowing things down and making them subtle. The transition was almost terrifying because of the magnitude of change.

Quotes by Vir Das

I want to do a comedy film.

Quotes by Vijay Krishna Acharya

In general, even when I'm not doing political comedy, I want to be clever and find the least confrontational way to say the most offensive things.

Quotes by Varun Grover

I don't think changing minds is possible with just comedy. It's too much to expect from your own art.

Quotes by Varun Grover

There’s a lot of ordinariness, and people tend to play to the same regressive tropes - sexism, patriarchy, unkindness to the oppressed. Comedy shouldn’t fall into these traps - by its very nature comedy is supposed to be edgy and...

Quotes by Varun Grover

I think both comedy and dissent are liberating, for the listener as well!

Quotes by Varun Grover

Comedy as dissent or any art form as dissent is going to be our last safety valve.

Quotes by Varun Grover

Being sick is the reason I went into comedy.

Quotes by Vanessa Bayer

My idol is Bea Arthur. I really tried to follow her example. She is one of my comedy 'she-roes.'

Quotes by Valerie Azlynn

Comedy writing is the hardest, and yet there's so much that's relatable in it.

Quotes by Valerie Faris

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the deeper reason behind comedy, according to these quotes?
A surprisingly emotional one. One quote puts it simply: "The real reason for comedy is to hide the pain." It suggests humor often works as a cover for something harder underneath.
Do these quotes connect comedy to dark or difficult topics?
Yes — one speaker explains, "Comedy arises out of necessity, because some things are so dark that you have to laugh about it." It's about using humor as a coping tool, not just entertainment.
Is there a quote about the history of stand-up comedy?
Yes — one speaker mentions pitching a show spanning generations of "five female stand-up comedians," naming a range "from Phyllis Diller to Amy Schumer." For more on the people behind the punchlines, see our Comedians quotes.
What kind of comedy does one speaker say they want to pursue?
Something old-fashioned and character-driven: "An old-codger comedy - that's what I want to do." It's a specific, playful vision for a comedic project. For more on comedic performers, browse our Comedian collection.
Where can I find more comedy content beyond quotes?
Our Comedic page has more in this same reflective tone, and if you enjoy wordplay in a different language tradition, our Shayari collection offers a fun alternative.

Others celebrate generations of women in stand-up, from earlier decades through to more recent comedians, and the idea that comedy grows out of necessity when things get dark enough. Browse Comedians and Comedic quotes for more.