Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield Quotes

A caricature is putting the face of a joke on the body of a truth.

Caricature is rough truth.

Comedians are obsessed with justice and the truth.

Ridicule is the best test of truth.

The wisest and the best of men, nay, the wisest and best of their actions, may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke.

It's a dangerous game that comedy plays. Sometimes it tells you the truth; sometimes it delays it.

Dear old al-Maarri was a great skeptic poet. He wrote a parody of the Koran, and his friends would tease him and say, "al-Maarri, but no one says your Koran." And he said, "Yes, but give me time. Give me time. If people recite it for twenty years it will become as popular as the other one."

Humor distorts nothing, and only false gods are laughed off their earthly pedestals.

Sometimes a witticism has no truth behind it.

The English can be a very critical, unforgiving people, but criticism can be good. And this is a country that loves comedy.

Satire is focused bitterness.

The difference between burlesque and the newspapers is that the former never pretended to be performing a public service by exposure.

There's always been this tradition of satirizing these rich groups of people.

Satire is a lesson, parody is a game.

Social satire has been around since people have been around.

It's easier to rip somebody to shreds while you're making them laugh.

Everything can be satirized.

It's all been satirized for your protection.

Satire is fascinating stuff. It's deadly serious, and when politics begin to break down, there is a drift towards satire, because it's the only thing that makes any sense.

By the very nature of satire or parody, you have to love and respect your target and respect it enough to understand every aspect of it, so you can more effectively make fun of it.

Everything needs to be lampooned. I believe that there's not any sacred ground.

The satirist shoots to kill while the humorist brings his prey back alive and eventually releases him again for another chance.

Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understanding.

Comedy has to be based on truth. You take the truth and you put a little curlicue at the end.

Comedy is a great weapon of attack. It's not a great weapon of support.