The only honest art form is laughter, comedy. You can't fake it... try to fake three laughs in an hour - ha ha ha ha ha - they'll take you away, man. You can't.
Lenny BruceRead
All my humor is based on destruction and despair. If the whole world were tranquil, without disease and violence, I'd be standing in the bread line - right in back of J. Edgar Hoover.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Lenny Bruce suggests that his humor stems from the darker aspects of life, implying that without suffering, he would lack inspiration.
In this quote, Lenny Bruce reflects on the nature of his comedic style, which he believes is fundamentally rooted in themes of destruction and despair. He posits that his humor is a response to the chaotic and often painful realities of existence, and without such turmoil, he would have little to draw upon for his material, portraying a paradox where suffering fuels creativity. The mention of standing in the bread line behind a significant figure like J. Edgar Hoover adds a layer of irony, indicating that even in stability, he would feel out of place, thus underscoring the connection between comedy and hardship.
Themes
HumorDestructionDespairCreativityComedy
In practice
Example use cases
During a comedy show discussing the need for humor in dark times, this quote could highlight the role of adversity in inspiring laughter.
More from Lenny Bruce
All quotes →If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.
Lenny BruceRead
I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce.
Lenny BruceRead
I'll die young, but it's like kissing God.
Lenny BruceRead
In the Halls of Justice the only justice is in the halls.
Lenny BruceRead
Marijuana is rejected all over the world. Damned. In England heroin is alright for out-patents, but marijuana? They'll put your ass in jail. I wonder why that is? The only reason could be: To Serve the Devil - Pleasure! Pleasure, which is a dirty word in Christian culture.
Lenny BruceRead
Similar quotes
Philanthropist, n.: A rich (and usually bald) old gentleman who has trained himself to grin while his conscience is picking his pocket.
Ambrose BierceRead
Humor is everywhere in that there's irony in just about anything a human does.
Bill NyeRead
Perhaps I am just a coward who loves to laugh at life better than I do cry with it. But when I do get to crying, boy, I can roll a mean tear.
Zora Neale HurstonRead
ARMOR, n. The kind of clothing worn by a man whose tailor is a blacksmith.
Ambrose BierceRead
Oh, he did his best to make their short lives miserable, because that was his job, but nothing he could think up was half as bad as the stuff they thought up themselves.
Terry PratchettRead
The test of a real comedian is whether you laugh at him before he opens his mouth.
George Jean NathanRead