--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like seeing what the comedian thinks is…" description: "\"I like seeing what the comedian thinks is funny, not just what they think I'll think is funny.\" — Anthony Jeselnik" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/anthony-jeselnik-1838_comedian_i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-i_1869731.png" --- # I like seeing what the comedian thinks is funny, not just… ![“I like seeing what the comedian thinks is funny, not just what they think I'll think is funny.” quote by Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/anthony-jeselnik-1838_comedian_i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-i_1869731.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/anthony-jeselnik-1838_comedian_i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-i_1869731.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/anthony-jeselnik-1838_comedian_i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-i_1869731.png) > “I like seeing what the comedian thinks is funny, not just what they think I'll think is funny.” [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He values authentic humor over audience expectations, seeking genuine surprise. **In simple terms:** Prefers genuine jokes over expected ones. Key Takeaway Seek authentic humor. Themes authenticity humor audience expectations Mood playful provocative Type observational comedian When to use this quote - stand-up performance - writing jokes - testing material Key Concepts comedy psychology Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize honesty over popularity? - How does surprise affect laughter? A Different Perspective May alienate some listeners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I'm standing behind a wall of jokes. You don't know about my personal life, my girlfriends, or what I do when I'm not on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-m-standing-behind-a-wall-of-jokes-you-don-t-know-about-my-personal/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [When you're on a staff, it's not your job to write what you think is funny. It's your job to write what the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-lawrence/when-you-re-on-a-staff-it-s-not-your-job-to-write-what-you-think-is/) [Billy Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-lawrence/) > [Every comedian thinks deeply about life, even if their eventual output is apparently shallow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rosenthal/every-comedian-thinks-deeply-about-life-even-if-their-eventual-output/) [Tom Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rosenthal/) > [For aspiring comedians? Don't listen to me. Just go on stage and do what you think is funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/for-aspiring-comedians-don-t-listen-to-me-just-go-on-stage-and-do/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [I had a moment where I was onstage once... As a comedian, you just think, 'Be funny as possible all the time - like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-cummings/i-had-a-moment-where-i-was-onstage-once-as-a-comedian-you-just-think/) [Whitney Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-cummings/) > [“So this is the “smug idiot thinks he’s funny” face, Kami observed. Not to be confused with other “smug idiot” variants. And everyone told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/so-this-is-the-smug-idiot-thinks-he-s-funny-face-kami-observed-not-to/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [I used to stutter really badly. Everybody thinks it's funny. And it's not funny. It's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-used-to-stutter-really-badly-everybody-thinks-it-s-funny-and-it-s/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Mr. McCabe thinks that I am not serious but only funny, because Mr. McCabe thinks that funny is the opposite of serious. Funny is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/mr-mccabe-thinks-that-i-am-not-serious-but-only-funny-because-mr/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [There is a part of me that really just thinks it would be so funny to see the 'Veep' characters in 'Game of Thrones.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-simons/there-is-a-part-of-me-that-really-just-thinks-it-would-be-so-funny-to/) [Timothy Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-simons/) > [I've been called funny. I assume my wife thinks I'm funny. But generally, if you bumped into me and said hello, I would say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-ve-been-called-funny-i-assume-my-wife-thinks-i-m-funny-but/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Deja Vu: When God thinks something is so funny he has to rewind it to show it to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/deja-vu-when-god-thinks-something-is-so-funny-he-has-to-rewind-it-to/) Enhance Dreams > [To me, the best comedians are the ones that take everyday, normal, boring stuff that no one thinks is funny, and they make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-griffin/to-me-the-best-comedians-are-the-ones-that-take-everyday-normal/) [Blake Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-griffin/) > [And when you're on your own there is that terrifying possibility that you may be the only person on the planet who thinks it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-norden/and-when-you-re-on-your-own-there-is-that-terrifying-possibility-that/) [Denis Norden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-norden/) > [I do think that the audience thinks it's funny when you break, but if you do it all the time, it loses something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-bayer/i-do-think-that-the-audience-thinks-it-s-funny-when-you-break-but-if/) [Vanessa Bayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-bayer/) > [No comedian's wife thinks he's funny. The first few years of the marriage, maybe. I was funny as hell the first couple of years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-smothers/no-comedian-s-wife-thinks-he-s-funny-the-first-few-years-of-the/) [Tom Smothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-smothers/) ## More by Anthony Jeselnik > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I want people to just be paying attention even if they're not necessarily laughing at something, or if it takes them a while to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-want-people-to-just-be-paying-attention-even-if-they-re-not/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I have a twelve year old sex doll. Brand new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-a-twelve-year-old-sex-doll-brand-new/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Perhaps I'm being too optimistic, but I think this country is finally ready for a black serial killer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/perhaps-i-m-being-too-optimistic-but-i-think-this-country-is-finally/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Father's Day makes me wish I could talk to my Dad just one more time, instead of all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/father-s-day-makes-me-wish-i-could-talk-to-my-dad-just-one-more-time/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [About a year after I moved to Los Angeles, I decided I wanted to be a joke writer for a late night talk show.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/about-a-year-after-i-moved-to-los-angeles-i-decided-i-wanted-to-be-a/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I'm fascinated by offensive subject matter. Always have been. It is very natural to me, as any teach I've ever had growing up could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-m-fascinated-by-offensive-subject-matter-always-have-been-it-is/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I got into comedy because I wanted to get into writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-got-into-comedy-because-i-wanted-to-get-into-writing/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I actually never acted on "Deadwood." I have meetings all the time where people look at my IMDb page and see that I played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-actually-never-acted-on-deadwood-i-have-meetings-all-the-time-where/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I was a weird kid because I liked to be alone, but I craved attention. It was important for me to be cool, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-was-a-weird-kid-because-i-liked-to-be-alone-but-i-craved-attention/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I know her in the biblical senseand when I say that, I mean I don't believe a word she says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-know-her-in-the-biblical-senseand-when-i-say-that-i-mean-i-don-t/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I love Pittsburgh. Most of my family still lives there and I try to get back a couple of times a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-love-pittsburgh-most-of-my-family-still-lives-there-and-i-try-to/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I think brilliant stuff comes out of working with limitations. One liners are very limiting, but that's what drew me to them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-think-brilliant-stuff-comes-out-of-working-with-limitations-one/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I love anyone who surprises me and makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-love-anyone-who-surprises-me-and-makes-me-laugh/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) [Explore all 204 Anthony Jeselnik quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) ## More Comedian quotes > [I would say most comedians have a very cynical worldview of the way the world can work. It's almost like if you didn't, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/i-would-say-most-comedians-have-a-very-cynical-worldview-of-the-way/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [I like to turn up my collar when I'm leaving the theatre and feel like I'm some heroic comedian figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-skinner/i-like-to-turn-up-my-collar-when-i-m-leaving-the-theatre-and-feel/) [Frank Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-skinner/) > [The only difference between a comedian and someone else? We need to make people laugh more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-davies/the-only-difference-between-a-comedian-and-someone-else-we-need-to/) [Greg Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-davies/) > [When a soldier of the night's watch dies they say, "And now his watch is over." That's what they say when a comedian dies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-williams/when-a-soldier-of-the-night-s-watch-dies-they-say-and-now-his-watch/) [Brad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-williams/) > [My mom is two people to me. She's my mom number one, and then she's this lady most comedians know as being a legendary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauly-shore/my-mom-is-two-people-to-me-she-s-my-mom-number-one-and-then-she-s/) [Pauly Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauly-shore/) > [If I had a choice, I would rather watch a comedian not involve themselves in politics at all but be hilarious than someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-richardson/if-i-had-a-choice-i-would-rather-watch-a-comedian-not-involve/) [Jon Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-richardson/) > [I wouldn't mind gigging around the same era as Jesus, after he gives his speech about the meek and how blessed they are and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-wouldn-t-mind-gigging-around-the-same-era-as-jesus-after-he-gives/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [If someone doesn't like a comedian that's fine; a lot of people probably don't like my standup, and that's fine. But I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/if-someone-doesn-t-like-a-comedian-that-s-fine-a-lot-of-people/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [It's very rare that an older comedian sort of slips into an old-school clunker. You know, you don't hear too much of that anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-ross/it-s-very-rare-that-an-older-comedian-sort-of-slips-into-an-old/) [Jeff Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-ross/) > [I was a kid, and I would watch standup comics do the 'Tonight Show,' and if Johnny Carson liked you, he'd wave you over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-koy/i-was-a-kid-and-i-would-watch-standup-comics-do-the-tonight-show-and/) [Jo Koy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-koy/) > [Gary Greenberg is a thoughtful comedian and a cranky philosopher and a humble pest of a reporter, equal parts Woody Allen, Kierkegaard, and Columbo.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-lewis-kraus/gary-greenberg-is-a-thoughtful-comedian-and-a-cranky-philosopher-and/) [Gideon Lewis-Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-lewis-kraus/) > [For me, comedians are like the epitome for everything great, and they terrify me. I just want to be them. I want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-maslany/for-me-comedians-are-like-the-epitome-for-everything-great-and-they/) [Tatiana Maslany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-maslany/) > [No matter what town we went to, if there was a comedian playing, I'd go watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltrip/no-matter-what-town-we-went-to-if-there-was-a-comedian-playing-i-d-go/) [Michael Waltrip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltrip/) > [I'm a comedian who happens to be Latino. What's the difference? The difference is, my special will air on Comedy Central, not Telemundo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-iglesias/i-m-a-comedian-who-happens-to-be-latino-what-s-the-difference-the/) [Gabriel Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-iglesias/) [Browse all 1,775 Comedian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I like seeing what the comedian thinks is funny, not just what they think I'll think is funny.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Jeselnik" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-is-funny-not-just-what-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-is-funny-not-just-what-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/anthony-jeselnik-1838_comedian_i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-i_1869731.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/anthony-jeselnik-1838_comedian_i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-i_1869731.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/anthony-jeselnik-1838_comedian_i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-i_1869731.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I like seeing what the comedian thinks is funny, not just what they think I'll think is funny.” — Anthony Jeselnik", "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": "Anthony Jeselnik", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I like seeing what the comedian...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-is-funny-not-just-what-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-like-seeing-what-the-comedian-thinks-is-funny-not-just-what-they/#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 } } ] } ```