Matt Groening Quotes

The most important thing in comedy - apart from empathy, which I think is important even if disguised - is surprise. I like surprising people with the fact that something's even a joke at all.

For me, if you distill comedy down, it is surprise and the unexpected. That has to be it on its most base level, in any form.

I don't like the phrase shock value. Surprise is essential in comedy, and if people are shocked by what I consider merely surprising, then that's their shock. But there is no joke without surprise.

Humor is based on surprise, and surprise is a milder way of saying shock. It's surprise that makes the joke.

The essence of humour is surprise; that is why you laugh when you see a joke in Punch.

The hardest thing in the world to do is to have someone in a seat in a theater laughing so hard that they're making weird sounds.

The secret to humor is surprise.

The funniest line in English is 'Get it?' When you say that, everyone chortles.

Humor has to surprise us; otherwise, it isn't funny. It's a death knell for a writer to be labeled a humorist because then it's not a surprise anymore.

Comedy is unique in the sense that laughter is a palpable noise that everyone makes.

My job is to bring the tickle. I know what's funny.

Comedy is surprises, so if you're intending to make somebody laugh and they don't laugh, that's funny.

I always like to watch comics and it's interesting that you can tell if someone's funny in 10 seconds.

Kind of the exhausting thing about doing pure comedy, or something that's broader, is you're kind of a slave to the laugh. If it's not funny, then there's not much point in doing it. The kind of ueber-objective is to make people laugh. You always have to have that in the back of your mind, 'Eh, I've got to figure out a way to make this funny.'

That's what I hate about a lot of comedies, when you're hitting a line or making it funny.

But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. If it's not, they don't.

Oh, I love stand-up.

My only rule about a joke is that it should be funny.

I'm very interested in any script that makes me laugh.

I really, really love stand-up.

The whole point of comedy, what's fun, is taking the stupid thought I had and working it into something that makes a bunch of people laugh.

Comedy, unlike drama, demands surprise. You can't quietly and thoughtfully enjoy a comedy.

I like being funny; I like laughing with people.

You never want to defend a joke. People get to choose whether or not to laugh and whether or not they think something is funny.

The idea of surprise is part of what makes something funny, or what gets a reaction. At least when I'm an audience member, after you hear a joke so many times it's not as funny because it loses its surprise or its twist. So I think funny has to do with surprise.