--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By TV standards - I'm not comparing it to…" description: "\"By TV standards - I'm not comparing it to manual labor by any means - by TV comedy standards, it is the hardest job I will ever, ever have. There is no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/billy-eichner-2900_actors_by-tv-standards-i-m-not-comparing-it-to_2983358.jpg" --- # By TV standards - I'm not comparing it to manual labor by… ![“By TV standards - I'm not comparing it to manual labor by any means - by TV comedy standards, it is the hardest job I will ever, ever have. There is nothing that could be harder. I mean, when you combine the amount of writing that has to be done - sharp writing - with the fact that you then take…” quote by Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/billy-eichner-2900_actors_by-tv-standards-i-m-not-comparing-it-to_2983358.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/billy-eichner-2900_actors_by-tv-standards-i-m-not-comparing-it-to_2983358.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/billy-eichner-2900_actors_by-tv-standards-i-m-not-comparing-it-to_2983358.jpg) > “By TV standards - I'm not comparing it to manual labor by any means - by TV comedy standards, it is the hardest job I will ever, ever have. There is nothing that could be harder. I mean, when you combine the amount of writing that has to be done - sharp writing - with the fact that you then take it to the street and improvise with both celebrities who have no idea what's going to happen and real people who are not actors or comedians who don't even know I'm about to talk to them... It's lightning in a bottle every time.” [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes TV comedy writing as extremely demanding, combining sharp scripting with live improvisation among celebrities and unsuspecting public, creating rare, electrifying moments. **In simple terms:** TV comedy writing is intensely hard and spontaneous. Key Takeaway Prepare meticulously, then improvise boldly. Themes hardship improvisation creativity Mood intense excited Type professional personal When to use this quote - television production - stand‑up - reality TV - creative pressure Key Concepts live performance scriptwriting celebrity interaction Questions to Reflect On - What strategies keep you sharp under pressure? - How do you balance script and spontaneity? A Different Perspective The chaos can lead to inconsistency or burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Bottles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottles/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-standards-4650261/) [Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder/) [Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest/) [Hardest job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest-job/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Improvise Celebrities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvise-celebrities-4650262/) [Job Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-harder-1068053/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning/) [Manual labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manual-labor/) [Manuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manuals/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [No idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-idea/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-people/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Tv Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tv-comedy-2005956/) [Tvs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tvs/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My parents certainly didn't understand TV comedy. They wouldn't turn on 'Married... With Children' and laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nahnatchka-khan/my-parents-certainly-didn-t-understand-tv-comedy-they-wouldn-t-turn/) [Nahnatchka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nahnatchka-khan/) > [Women are under-represented in TV comedy for a variety of reasons, the hackneyed 'fear that women aren't funny' being one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/women-are-under-represented-in-tv-comedy-for-a-variety-of-reasons-the/) [Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/) > [That's the easiest job you can have in TV comedy, being the guy who just delivers the funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdermitt/that-s-the-easiest-job-you-can-have-in-tv-comedy-being-the-guy-who/) [Josh McDermitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdermitt/) > [The No 1 priority in TV comedy today is 'don't frighten the horses,' and it's probably No 2 and 3 as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/the-no-1-priority-in-tv-comedy-today-is-don-t-frighten-the-horses-and/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [My TV comedy idols are the Charles brothers, who did 'Cheers;' Larry Gelbart, who did 'MASH;' and Larry David, who did 'Seinfeld.' When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schneider/my-tv-comedy-idols-are-the-charles-brothers-who-did-cheers-larry/) [Dan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schneider/) > [If you think women aren't able to cope on TV comedy panel shows, then have I got news for you: you're wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/if-you-think-women-aren-t-able-to-cope-on-tv-comedy-panel-shows-then/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [The hardest thing in my industry is longevity, getting your next job. It's hard to get the first job, but it's so much harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-faris/the-hardest-thing-in-my-industry-is-longevity-getting-your-next-job/) [Anna Faris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-faris/) > [“Don’t do this to them, he tells his corporate executives. They’re working 12 hours a day. They’re in the restaurant at 1:00 in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-charnas/don-t-do-this-to-them-he-tells-his-corporate-executives-they-re/) [Dan Charnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-charnas/) > [I make myself go harder every day because that one jealous person is studying to be me so I just make their job harder !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chynna-douglass/i-make-myself-go-harder-every-day-because-that-one-jealous-person-is/) [Chynna Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chynna-douglass/) > [We are in a position where we always have to change more players than we really want to and that brings a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-allardyce/we-are-in-a-position-where-we-always-have-to-change-more-players-than/) [Sam Allardyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-allardyce/) > [I always had a lot of responsibilities. I just didn't take them. I just decided to take care of my responsibilities, live up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-always-had-a-lot-of-responsibilities-i-just-didn-t-take-them-i-just/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [“I think the general’s job is harder than the painter’s; canvas doesn’t fight back, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/django-wexler/i-think-the-general-s-job-is-harder-than-the-painter-s-canvas-doesn-t/) [Django Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/django-wexler/) > [Covid makes the job harder. But it is what it is and we have to get on with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-page/covid-makes-the-job-harder-but-it-is-what-it-is-and-we-have-to-get-on/) [Rob Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-page/) > [I think that one of the things that we have to recognize is that the longer somebody doesn't have a job, the harder it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hassett/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-that-we-have-to-recognize-is-that-the/) [Kevin Hassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hassett/) > [Being an actress is in many ways my dream job, though it is harder than I thought it would be!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayden-panettiere/being-an-actress-is-in-many-ways-my-dream-job-though-it-is-harder/) [Hayden Panettiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayden-panettiere/) ## More by Billy Eichner > [I think 'Billy on the Street' is a big show, but why do a show if you won't make it original and unique and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-think-billy-on-the-street-is-a-big-show-but-why-do-a-show-if-you/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [ We're really fleshing out the whole world of the show \[Difficult People\]. It's more of an ensemble now, whereas last season we were very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/we-re-really-fleshing-out-the-whole-world-of-the-show-difficult/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [It's one thing to be struggling and not really making money in your early 20s and figuring out your life. Early 30s, you start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/it-s-one-thing-to-be-struggling-and-not-really-making-money-in-your/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [You can't be a great comedian without having self-awareness about others or your own faults. You need a strong sense of self and view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/you-can-t-be-a-great-comedian-without-having-self-awareness-about/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [I came back to New York after college like any number of struggling performers, and you just find that niche where you can have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-came-back-to-new-york-after-college-like-any-number-of-struggling/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [I thought I was going to be like Kevin Spacey in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-thought-i-was-going-to-be-like-kevin-spacey-in-college/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [I have a medical condition, all right. It's called caring too much, and it's incurable. Also, I have eczema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-have-a-medical-condition-all-right-it-s-called-caring-too-much-and/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [You have to have a sense of humor about all of it - the Emmys and politics and everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/you-have-to-have-a-sense-of-humor-about-all-of-it-the-emmys-and/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [Ironically, my rabbi was a bar mitzvah Nazi. So I got bar mitzvahed. And though I didn't want to, the theme of my bar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/ironically-my-rabbi-was-a-bar-mitzvah-nazi-so-i-got-bar-mitzvahed-and/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > ['Billy On The Street' has no doubt always been about the people we talk to. That being said, it thrills me that the show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/billy-on-the-street-has-no-doubt-always-been-about-the-people-we-talk/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > ['Billy on the Street' is the hardest thing that I will ever do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/billy-on-the-street-is-the-hardest-thing-that-i-will-ever-do/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [It's been a very strange trajectory because I struggled for so many years. I mean, I was doing these videos, I was doing these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/it-s-been-a-very-strange-trajectory-because-i-struggled-for-so-many/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [ I think it \[ Difficult People\] is for people who don't feel that they have been properly represented on TV. I think it's painting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-think-it-difficult-people-is-for-people-who-don-t-feel-that-they/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [One thing that I love about 'Difficult People' is that Julie Klausner and our showrunner, Scott King, have written the lead character I play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/one-thing-that-i-love-about-difficult-people-is-that-julie-klausner/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [I was like a fat, sweaty kid growing up in Queens who just was plopped down in front of 'Entertainment Tonight' by my parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-was-like-a-fat-sweaty-kid-growing-up-in-queens-who-just-was-plopped/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) [Explore all 146 Billy Eichner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By TV standards - I'm not comparing it to manual labor by any means - by TV comedy standards, it is the hardest job I will ever, ever have. There is nothing that could be harder. I mean, when you combine the amount of writing that has to be done - sharp writing - with the fact that you then take it to the street and improvise with both celebrities who have no idea what's going to happen and real people who are not actors or comedians who don't even know I'm about to talk to them... 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