Emulate Quote by Anthony Jeselnik
“I loved Stephen Wright, and I loved Mitch Hedberg, but they seemed like geniuses you could never emulate. You'd just be ripping them off.”
About This Quote
Source Stand-up Comedy: Live Performance, 2015
Admiring unique comedic styles can feel unattainable, leading to fear of imitation rather than inspiration.
In simple terms: Copying geniuses feels impossible.
Key Takeaway
Find your own voice.
Themes
creativity
comedy
identity
Mood
reflective
determined
Type
inspirational
cautionary
When to use this quote
- writing jokes
- performing stand‑up
- studying humor
- developing material
Key Concepts
originality
influence
imitation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you honor influences without copying?
- What makes your perspective distinct?
A Different Perspective
Even great comedians started by mimicking before finding originality.
![“I'm a big fan of [Frank] Sinatra, he was the best at what he did. The last thing I do is model my career after him, though, because we do different things. He was a great singer and a great actor ... It never crossed my mind to emulate his career, because we have different interests.” quote by Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cb9/harry-connick-jr-3461_actors_i-m-a-big-fan-of-frank-sinatra-he-was-th_12425.jpg)
![“It seemed so wimpy at first when I started to play [guitar]. So I started playing loud with lots of effects just to try to mimic the dynamic [of the drums]. Drums seemed a lot more expressive. [I was] Trying to emulate the feeling of playing the drums on the guitar - I guess that's why I played it…” quote by J Mascis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2f0/j-mascis-27113_drums_it-seemed-so-wimpy-at-first-when-i-start_73329.jpg)
