John Dryden Quotes

Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous.

In the best farce today we start with some absurd premise as to character or situation, but if the premises be once granted we move logically enough to the ending.

You can parody almost anything.

Everything can be satirized.

Comedy is unusual people in real situations; farce is real people in unusual situations.

Humor is a powerful tool, and some of these politicians are so far out and easy to lampoon. They just provide such delicious opportunity.

We never dealt with satire or suggestive material. Although some of our films were broad parodies or burlesques of popular dramatic themes, there was no conscious attempt at being either sarcastic or offensive.

Is not parody the eternal lot of man?

For such is the fate of parody: it must never fear exaggerating. If it strikes home, it will only prefigure something that others will then do without a smile--and without a blush--in steadfast virile seriousness.

There is parody, when you make fun of people who are smarter than you; satire, when you make fun of people who are richer than you; and burlesque, when you make fun of both while taking your clothes off.

Comedy aims at representing men as worse, Tragedy as better than in actual life.

It is the business of a comic poet to paint the vices and follies of human kind.

Smart writers never understand why their satires on our town are never successful. What they refuse to accept is that you can't satirize a satire.

No subject is unsuitable for comedy.

Satire is a lesson, parody is a game.

With anything you put out there, you're going to offend somebody, but most people get that it's a joke, that I'm playing a character, and that I'm actually making fun of what I'm saying by saying it.

When I write, I create really absurd situations which become false because I am after the joke.

I didn't necessarily set out to think of a show to make fun of reality shows.

Like I said, all comedy is based on exaggeration, big or small, whatever you can get away with.

I eventually saw the satirical nature of caricaturing individuals.

Farce is tragedy played at a thousand revolutions per minute.

Madness isn't altogether a bad thing in comedy.

I've been around long enough now that people who don't get into the outrageousness, the over-the-top stuff, they know not to buy my books anymore.

'Pootie Tang' may be raw and slovenly - hey, it often is raw and slovenly - but it succeeds as a laugh getter because of the spot-on satirical notes. You might say that the movie walks it like it talks it; I'm not sure what Pootie would say.

In a satire, you need foolishness.