--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Comedy to the Senate? Well, there…" description: "\"Comedy to the Senate? Well, there certainly hasn't been a satirist or a political satirist who's done that. So, that really was uncharted territory dur..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/al-franken-1407_arcs_comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainl_1509703.png" --- # Comedy to the Senate? Well, there certainly hasn't been a… ![“Comedy to the Senate? Well, there certainly hasn't been a satirist or a political satirist who's done that. So, that really was uncharted territory during the campaign. But I think it's a good thing. Some people thought that it was an odd career arc, but to me it made absolute sense.” quote by Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/al-franken-1407_arcs_comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainl_1509703.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/al-franken-1407_arcs_comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainl_1509703.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/al-franken-1407_arcs_comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainl_1509703.png) > “Comedy to the Senate? Well, there certainly hasn't been a satirist or a political satirist who's done that. So, that really was uncharted territory during the campaign. But I think it's a good thing. Some people thought that it was an odd career arc, but to me it made absolute sense.” [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Notes that political satire in formal settings is rare, but sees value in breaking norms for political commentary. **In simple terms:** Satire in politics is unusual but valuable. Key Takeaway Use humor to critique politics. Themes politics humor innovation Mood hopeful thoughtful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - campaigns - legislative hearings - media interviews Key Concepts satire media public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can satire influence policy? - What risks do satirists face? A Different Perspective Satire may be dismissed as frivolous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Satirist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satirist/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) [Territory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/territory/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Uncharted territory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncharted-territory/) ## Related quotes > [I've always thought that Lewis Carroll himself had a certain comedy tinge to him. He was a guy who was a satirist. He really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/i-ve-always-thought-that-lewis-carroll-himself-had-a-certain-comedy/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [A political satirist's job is to draw blood. I'm not so much interested in politics as I am in overthrowing the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-sahl/a-political-satirist-s-job-is-to-draw-blood-i-m-not-so-much/) [Mort Sahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-sahl/) > [I'm not really a political satirist. I don't kid myself. I'm more interested in doing the mannerisms and the personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-little/i-m-not-really-a-political-satirist-i-don-t-kid-myself-i-m-more/) [Rich Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-little/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) > [While love is common, true love is rare, and I believe that few people are fortunate enough to experience it. The roads of regular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-buss/while-love-is-common-true-love-is-rare-and-i-believe-that-few-people/) [David Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-buss/) > [“Your journey through life and self-discovery is much like the start of a new day. As you grow, develop, and reinvent yourself, the tendrils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-narofsky/your-journey-through-life-and-self-discovery-is-much-like-the-start/) [Thomas Narofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-narofsky/) > [I've tried to stay true, in my own fashion, to the ideas of The Sex Pistols, even while I was working with bands like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-temple/i-ve-tried-to-stay-true-in-my-own-fashion-to-the-ideas-of-the-sex/) [Julien Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-temple/) > [I'm always drawn to writing things that feel like uncharted territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wade/i-m-always-drawn-to-writing-things-that-feel-like-uncharted-territory/) [Laura Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wade/) > [I don’t like the idea of dragging you into something that could get messy fast. If you need one more reason, I love you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-dragging-you-into-something-that-could-get/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [“Uncharted territory,” I said. “The parts on the maps of our lives that we don’t understand. In cartographer’s language they call these places sleeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-barzak/uncharted-territory-i-said-the-parts-on-the-maps-of-our-lives-that-we/) [Christopher Barzak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-barzak/) > [“At its heart, Gothic Fiction is the introvert's "Hero's Journey" where heroes and heroines must navigate the uncharted territory of the mind in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barrymore-tebbs/at-its-heart-gothic-fiction-is-the-introvert-s-hero-s-journey-where/) Barrymore Tebbs > [Feelings take you into uncharted territory from time to time it's true, but you almost always benefit from the journey one way or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/feelings-take-you-into-uncharted-territory-from-time-to-time-it-s/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [“Oh, we’re well past you being just a date, my beauty.” He leaned in, his lips at my ear. “When we fucked in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raine-miller/oh-we-re-well-past-you-being-just-a-date-my-beauty-he-leaned-in-his/) [Raine Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raine-miller/) > [“Don’t Reinvent the Wheel You may feel like you’re discovering new, uncharted territory as you build your business. However, business is not new. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liesha-petrovich/don-t-reinvent-the-wheel-you-may-feel-like-you-re-discovering-new/) [Liesha Petrovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liesha-petrovich/) > [“Nothing that can deterrent for a determined.A tenacious person flys against all on odds, sails in a rough sea, and travels in uncharted territory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ebinezar-gnanasekaran/nothing-that-can-deterrent-for-a-determined-a-tenacious-person-flys/) Ebinezar Gnanasekaran ## More by Al Franken > [I want to reclaim 'liberal.' I'm a liberal, and I think most Americans are liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-want-to-reclaim-liberal-i-m-a-liberal-and-i-think-most-americans/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“The Democratic Senator’s Serenity Prayer God Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Legislate The Courage to Legislate the Things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-democratic-senator-s-serenity-prayer-god-grant-me-the-serenity-to/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm for Israel's right to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-for-israel-s-right-to-exist/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Antitrust law isn't about protecting competing businesses from each other, it's about protecting competition itself on behalf of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/antitrust-law-isn-t-about-protecting-competing-businesses-from-each/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Putin has had many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/putin-has-had-many-positive-experiences-working-with-western/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm crushed by the responsibility of writing a satirical book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-crushed-by-the-responsibility-of-writing-a-satirical-book/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“right wing’s most common techniques—including the deceptive use of statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/right-wing-s-most-common-techniques-including-the-deceptive-use-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I know I have an awful lot to learn from the people of Minnesota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-i-have-an-awful-lot-to-learn-from-the-people-of-minnesota/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Apple has long been a leading innovator of mobile technology; I myself own an iPhone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/apple-has-long-been-a-leading-innovator-of-mobile-technology-i-myself/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I am a Minnesotan, and not just because I root for the Vikings and the Twins. I like the Minnesota-nice sensibility. I like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-am-a-minnesotan-and-not-just-because-i-root-for-the-vikings-and-the/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [My dad didn't graduate from high school, ended up being a printing salesman, probably never made more than $8,000 a year. My mom sold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/my-dad-didn-t-graduate-from-high-school-ended-up-being-a-printing/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“As the polls began closing in the East, with states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia going for Barack Obama, it was quickly becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/as-the-polls-began-closing-in-the-east-with-states-like-new-hampshire/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Net neutrality isn't a government takeover of the Internet, as many of my Republican colleagues have alleged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/net-neutrality-isn-t-a-government-takeover-of-the-internet-as-many-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Demagoguery sells. And therefore, radio stations will put it on. But that doesn't mean that you can't do something else and also make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/demagoguery-sells-and-therefore-radio-stations-will-put-it-on-but/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) [Explore all 245 Al Franken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## More Arcs quotes > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [Through the music I hope to give it an arc that gives it a greater sense of a journey through the set rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotye/through-the-music-i-hope-to-give-it-an-arc-that-gives-it-a-greater/) [Gotye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotye/) > [Because we grew up surrounded by big dramatic story arcs in books and movies, we think our lives are supposed to be filled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/because-we-grew-up-surrounded-by-big-dramatic-story-arcs-in-books-and/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Joan of Arc should be played as a "pain in the ass" and how do I know she was a "pain in the ass"?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-clurman/joan-of-arc-should-be-played-as-a-pain-in-the-ass-and-how-do-i-know/) [Harold Clurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-clurman/) > [When in doubt, the rule of threes is a rule that plays well with all of storytelling. When describing a thing? No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [Sanchez looked at me and we locked eyes a second too long. There was nothing I could do about it. The signal went out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/sanchez-looked-at-me-and-we-locked-eyes-a-second-too-long-there-was/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [When we are young, we spend much time and pains in filling our note-books with all definitions of Religion, Love, Poetry, Politics, Art, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/when-we-are-young-we-spend-much-time-and-pains-in-filling-our-note/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I suppose that, for me at least, the biggest difference betweenThe Gunslinger Born and the next two story arcs (The Long Road Home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-furth/i-suppose-that-for-me-at-least-the-biggest-difference-betweenthe/) [Robin Furth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-furth/) > [We've got this arc of instability from North Africa to South Asia, and we have to pay close attention to it. And we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-ve-got-this-arc-of-instability-from-north-africa-to-south-asia-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one. . . . But from what I see I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/i-do-not-pretend-to-understand-the-moral-universe-the-arc-is-a-long/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [I think every woman character, every female character, has her own arc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katheryn-winnick/i-think-every-woman-character-every-female-character-has-her-own-arc/) [Katheryn Winnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katheryn-winnick/) > [I am committed now to one thing: lyric sequences. I want the intensity of lyric, but the scope and arc of narrative. so, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-orr/i-am-committed-now-to-one-thing-lyric-sequences-i-want-the-intensity/) [Gregory Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-orr/) > [We must move forward in the days ahead with audacious faith. The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-move-forward-in-the-days-ahead-with-audacious-faith-the-moral/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Most games follow a real railroad plot, no matter what you want, you're following their storyline to its unavoidable conclusion. I'd like to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/most-games-follow-a-real-railroad-plot-no-matter-what-you-want-you-re/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Arc, amplitude, and curvature sustain a similar relation to each other as time, motion, and velocity, or as volume, mass, and density.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-gauss/arc-amplitude-and-curvature-sustain-a-similar-relation-to-each-other/) [Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-friedrich-gauss/) Browse all 250 Arcs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Comedy to the Senate? Well, there certainly hasn't been a satirist or a political satirist who's done that. So, that really was uncharted territory during the campaign. But I think it's a good thing. Some people thought that it was an odd career arc, but to me it made absolute sense.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al Franken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainly-hasn-t-been-a-satirist-or-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arcs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainly-hasn-t-been-a-satirist-or-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/al-franken-1407_arcs_comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainl_1509703.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/al-franken-1407_arcs_comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainl_1509703.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/al-franken-1407_arcs_comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainl_1509703.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Comedy to the Senate? Well, there certainly hasn't been a satirist or a political satirist who's done that…” — Al Franken", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al Franken", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Comedy to the Senate? Well, there...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainly-hasn-t-been-a-satirist-or-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/comedy-to-the-senate-well-there-certainly-hasn-t-been-a-satirist-or-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```