The best advice I was probably given and the best advice I could give someone who is trying to get into the comedy field is to take advantage of every opportunity you have to work to hone your skills.
Bob NewhartRead
But I really believe that if you have the ability, there is an obligation to make people laugh
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humor can be a tool for improving others' lives, and those who can should use it to bring joy.
In this quote, Bob Newhart emphasizes the duty of those with the talent for humor to share it with others. He suggests that laughter has the power to uplift people, and therefore, it is a responsibility for those who possess the ability to create joy through comedy to do so, contributing positively to society.
Themes
LaughterObligationHumorAbilityMake People Laugh
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a comedy club, to emphasize the importance of laughter as a community builder.
More from Bob Newhart
All quotes βI've always said people say on a dramatic show, 'I was crying. It was so emotional when he went and grabbed that little girl from a burning building and handed her over to her mother.' In comedy, the best thing you can say is, 'I think it's funny.'
Bob NewhartRead
Jack Benny was, without a doubt, the bravest comedian I have ever seen work. He wasn't afraid of silence. He would take as long as it took to tell the story.
Bob NewhartRead
I've been told to speed up my delivery when I perform. But if I lose the stammer, I'm just another slightly amusing accountant.
Bob NewhartRead
I certainly don't delude myself that there aren't certainly more important things to do in life than make people laugh, but I can't imagine anything that would bring me more joy.
Bob NewhartRead
I found the most difficult thing when you became successful - when I had the record album, it won Album of the Year - that you were cut off from the source of your material. Your material was everyday people, and you were kind of cut off from that, and you had to work at it.
Bob NewhartRead
Similar quotes
Well, you don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind. You don't pull on the mask of old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Jim.
Jim CroceRead
I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?
Clint EastwoodRead
She was, in fact, quite a pleasant looking girl, even if her bosom had clearly been intended for a girl two feet taller; but she was not Her. The Egregious Professor of Grammar and Usage would have corrected this to "she was not she," which would have caused the Professor of Logic to spit out his drink.
Terry PratchettRead
Is the chemical aftertaste the reason why people eat hot dogs, or is it some kind of bonus?
Neil GaimanRead
Grandma told me Mama was once caught by the Principal for writing in the front of her book, "In Case of Fire, Throw This in First." I have never had so much respect for Mama as the day I heard this.
Erma BombeckRead
Performing comedy in San Francisco to begin with is pretty wild. You've got to - you've got the human game preserve to play off of. And it's a lot of great characters everywhere. You work off that, and then you play the rooms, and eventually you get to a point where you're playing a club that is a comedy club, with other comics.
Robin WilliamsRead