--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Usually the beginning of a story that…" description: "\"Usually the beginning of a story that people hear a lot. For example, \"My girlfriend is upset about her new haircut\" or \"My dad keeps losing his car ke..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/anthony-jeselnik-1838_car_usually-the-beginning-of-a-story-that-pe_1426092.png" --- # Usually the beginning of a story that people hear a lot… ![“Usually the beginning of a story that people hear a lot. For example, "My girlfriend is upset about her new haircut" or "My dad keeps losing his car keys." And then I just think of different ways the story could end. "My girlfriend is upset about her new haircut. I don't understand why she's…” quote by Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/anthony-jeselnik-1838_car_usually-the-beginning-of-a-story-that-pe_1426092.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/anthony-jeselnik-1838_car_usually-the-beginning-of-a-story-that-pe_1426092.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/anthony-jeselnik-1838_car_usually-the-beginning-of-a-story-that-pe_1426092.png) > “Usually the beginning of a story that people hear a lot. For example, "My girlfriend is upset about her new haircut" or "My dad keeps losing his car keys." And then I just think of different ways the story could end. "My girlfriend is upset about her new haircut. I don't understand why she's crying. I'm the one who has to get a new girlfriend." Then I try it out on stage. I don't do a lot of re-writing. My jokes either work or they don't. The trick is just to write a ton of jokes.” [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 builds jokes by starting with familiar setups and then subverting expectations with dark twists, relying on volume and shock value. **In simple terms:** He writes many jokes, using common situations and shocking endings. Key Takeaway Write many jokes, embrace surprise. Themes comedy dark humor creative process Mood edful provocative Type humorous inspirational When to use this quote - stand-up performance - writing sessions - open mic nights - creative brainstorming Key Concepts subversion shock value audience reaction Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance shock with relatability? - What limits does dark humor have? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating audience if jokes are too offensive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Car keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car-keys/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Girlfriend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girlfriend/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [New girlfriend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-girlfriend/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My girlfriend is upset about her new haircut. I don't understand why she's crying. I'm the one who has to get a new girlfriend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/my-girlfriend-is-upset-about-her-new-haircut-i-don-t-understand-why/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [If you're going to document your own journey, the jokes work better in the first person, just like the stories do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/if-you-re-going-to-document-your-own-journey-the-jokes-work-better-in/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [“How do jokes work? The beginning of each good one challenges you to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/how-do-jokes-work-the-beginning-of-each-good-one-challenges-you-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I heard that people were really interested in the new haircut, which I think is so funny. Great haircut, I really like it. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-moss/i-heard-that-people-were-really-interested-in-the-new-haircut-which-i/) [Elisabeth Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-moss/) > [This Is m new hair cut...lolz what ya'll think!?!!:D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel/this-is-m-new-hair-cut-lolz-what-ya-ll-think-d/) [Rachel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel/) > [The State trained us to make other people's terrible jokes work, which is the other part of the game when you're here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/the-state-trained-us-to-make-other-people-s-terrible-jokes-work-which/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [Knowing what jokes will work is second nature; you just feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-fowler/knowing-what-jokes-will-work-is-second-nature-you-just-feel-it/) [Jermaine Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-fowler/) > [At the end of the day people should remember that we are just trying to make people laugh. Some jokes work and some don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/at-the-end-of-the-day-people-should-remember-that-we-are-just-trying/) [Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/) > [Suppose the world were only one of God's jokes, would you work any the less to make it a good joke instead of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/suppose-the-world-were-only-one-of-god-s-jokes-would-you-work-any-the/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I always have a new haircut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-ann-fraser-pryce/i-always-have-a-new-haircut/) [Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-ann-fraser-pryce/) > [North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un reportedly has had 15 of his top officials executed. 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