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
I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce.
Interpretation
Lenny Bruce distinguishes himself from mere comedians by asserting his unique identity and approach to comedy.
In this quote, Lenny Bruce emphasizes his individuality and authenticity in the world of comedy, suggesting that his work transcends traditional comedic boundaries. He identifies not merely as a comedian, but as an artist with a distinct voice, indicating that his influence and style are uniquely his own, which reflects a deeper understanding of the role of a performer and the impact of their identity on their art.
In practice
In a comedy club setting to assert the importance of personal style in performance.
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.
If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.
I'll die young, but it's like kissing God.
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.
In the Halls of Justice the only justice is in the halls.
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.
My first words, as I was being born [...] I looked up at my mother and said, 'that's the last time I'm going up one of those.
Sometimes I'm real cool, but sometimes I could be a real asshole. I think everyone is like that.
There's something very authentic about humor, when you think about it. Anybody can pretend to be serious. But you can't pretend to be funny.
The young comedians always ask me, 'What's the secret for staying around?' I tell them, 'There is no secret - just stay around. Longevity is the most important thing.'
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
There's a hell of a distance between wisecracking and wit. Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words.
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