John Updike Quotes

I've always been very upfront about the way I write, and I've always used the tools humorists use, such as exaggeration.

I am a comedian and you guys know whatever I say, I don't mean any of it.

I love comedy, because I like making fun of things even though they are dramatic.

That's sort of what I wanted to make fun of a little bit with Don Jon. And I think oftentimes, if you're going to talk about a sort of substantial topic like this, the best way to do it is with a sense of humor.

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

Everything can be satirized.

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

You can pretend to be serious; but you can't pretend to be witty.

I can't not write funny. It's literally the only way I know how to do it.

Humor is the truth; wit is an exaggeration of the truth.

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

You have to be careful what you say in front of comedy writers because they will absolutely make fun of it in the next episode.

In a satire, you need foolishness.

I guess my sense of humour leans more towards irony and tongue-in-cheek performance.

I don't think people understand what comedy is supposed to do. We will observe things, we will make fun of things.

As a comedian, I think we all look for those areas where the truth diverts from what people are saying. That's why politics is such a rich area for us, because politicians make promises, and they don't keep them, and when we point out the difference, we get the laugh.

You should tell the truth as often as you can, but in such a way as people don't believe you or think that you're being funny.

Taking the humour out of Dickens, it's not Dickens any more.

In comedy, something may be more absurd, but you have to believe just as much as you do when you're doing drama.

You can be funny and say what you mean; these ideas are not mutually exclusive. Some of the best jokes came from people who meant it. See: Pryor, Bruce, Carlin, etc.

Comedy is created when someone is trying very earnestly to do what he feels is the right thing to do at that moment.

Satirists gain the applause of others through fear, not through love.

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

Satire is what closes on Saturday night.

No subject is unsuitable for comedy.