If there were a late-night comedy show completely run by comedy writers, without any interference from a host, producer, or network, that show would probably be called The Darkest and Most Impossibly Horrible Things You Can Imagine, Presented as Comedy. Every sketch would end with a gunshot or an infant’s stroller engulfed in flames, and the show would be canceled halfway through its opening titles. That’s because most comedy writers are so inured by humor that only the most shockingly toxic ideas can achieve the proper velocity to penetrate their indifference.
Conan writer Todd Levin on how jokes die, for GOOD Magazine “Just Like That but Funny” (via lonelysandwich)

If I went with 90% of the stuff I first come up with when writing something for my copywriting gig, I’d like to think it would come pretty close to this.

(via baitandswitch)

Notes

  1. justyoumethis reblogged this from sarahschneider
  2. sofetofe reblogged this from lonelysandwich
  3. ashelbytoremember reblogged this from huffpostcomedy
  4. absolutelydeluxe reblogged this from sarahschneider
  5. suitandsneakers reblogged this from sarahschneider
  6. sacc reblogged this from lonelysandwich and added:
    think I might be a comedy writer at hearth. Just without the jokes.
  7. theactionpotential reblogged this from lonelysandwich
  8. aesthetista reblogged this from atencio
  9. laughterkey reblogged this from ifc
  10. theftrain reblogged this from atencio
  11. hernamewaseponine reblogged this from sarahschneider
  12. matthateseveryone reblogged this from lonelysandwich
  13. benpopkenisjustkidding reblogged this from theunemployableparts
  14. pmore reblogged this from sarahschneider
  15. claireisanaspiringnovelist reblogged this from slightlypretentious
  16. purplediamondskies reblogged this from thebrightshapes
  17. famoustigers reblogged this from alisonagosti
  18. all-lights-on reblogged this from atencio and added:
    basis unpon which my humor is based.
  19. whiteboydanceparty reblogged this from sarahschneider
  20. chokeonyourburrito reblogged this from sarahschneider
  21. oocbear reblogged this from ifc
  22. rgyukeri reblogged this from lonelysandwich
  23. This was featured in #Prose
  24. daily-bliss reblogged this from slightlypretentious
  25. akratic reblogged this from lonelysandwich
  26. thedevilandthedeepblue reblogged this from slightlypretentious