When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, 'Did you sleep good?' I said 'No, I made a few mistakes.'
Steven WrightRead
I'm standing behind a wall of jokes. You don't know about my personal life, my girlfriends, or what I do when I'm not on the road. There's this guy, this comedian, and this is how he thinks, but people really don't know anything about me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the divide between a comedian's public persona and their private life.
Steven Wright expresses that while he is known for his humor on stage, the audience often has no insight into his personal life or the complexities behind his jokes. This highlights the contrast between a performer's on-stage character and their true self, suggesting that laughter can sometimes mask deeper, unshared realities.
Themes
JokesPersonal LifeComedianHumorPublic Persona
In practice
Example use cases
In a comedy show, the performer might say this quote to remind the audience that the jokes are not a reflection of their private struggles.
More from Steven Wright
All quotes →Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time... I think I've forgotten this before.
Steven WrightRead
Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.
Steven WrightRead
When I was on TV in the '80s, I wasn't thinking, 'There's a 10-year-old kid watching this and in 15 years, he's gonna be doing stuff that was influenced by me.' I was trying to get my five minutes together. So now that those people are comedians and they're influenced by me - it's bizarre.
Steven WrightRead
I've been doing comedy longer than I haven't been doing comedy, as I was performing for three years before I even got on 'The Tonight Show.' There's truly nothing like it; it's intense and exhilarating, even though it looks so casual.
Steven WrightRead
I don't get up, get dressed, go out, and think, 'Okay, I gotta find eight jokes.'
Steven WrightRead
Similar quotes
I was foreign and Jewish, with a funny name, and was very small and hated sport, a real problem at an English prep school. So the way to get round it was to become the school joker, which I did quite effectively - I was always fooling around to make the people who would otherwise dump me in the loo laugh.
Alain De BottonRead
I saw a startling sight today, a politician with his hands in his own pockets.
Mark TwainRead
Don't shoot me, I'm just the piano player!
Elton JohnRead
If someone ever says you’re weird, say thank you.
Ellen DegeneresRead
Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.
David OgilvyRead
I am sorry to tell you that I am getting very extravagant and spending all my money: and what is worse for you, I have been spending yours too.
Jane AustenRead