Comedy is the slave of time. What seemed funny then is…
“Comedy is the slave of time. What seemed funny then is unlikely to seem funny now, just as what strikes us as funny now would not have seemed funny then.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Humor changes with cultural context; jokes that once worked may no longer be funny and vice versa.
In simple terms: Comedy ages with society.
Adapt humor to current norms.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- stand‑up routines
- advertising
- political satire
- media reviews
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you judge if a joke is appropriate today?
What was once funny may still offend; humor can be misread across generations.