--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why would they have gone to the trouble…" description: "\"Why would they have gone to the trouble to hire the best comedy writers in the business to write funny material for us to play straight, if the childre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/burt-ward-27316_audience_why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble_3172470.png" --- # Why would they have gone to the trouble to hire the best… ![“Why would they have gone to the trouble to hire the best comedy writers in the business to write funny material for us to play straight, if the children in our audience were the only audience.” quote by Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/burt-ward-27316_audience_why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble_3172470.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/burt-ward-27316_audience_why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble_3172470.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/burt-ward-27316_audience_why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble_3172470.png) > “Why would they have gone to the trouble to hire the best comedy writers in the business to write funny material for us to play straight, if the children in our audience were the only audience.” [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions why top comedy writers are hired to create material that is delivered seriously, questioning the intended audience. **In simple terms:** It questions why serious delivery uses comedic writers. Key Takeaway Consider audience expectations when choosing tone. Themes comedy audience intent Mood confused inquisitive Type analytical critical When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - family entertainment - marketing pitches Key Concepts writing performance expectation Questions to Reflect On - Do you think tone should match the material? - How does audience perception affect humor? A Different Perspective Humor may be lost if not signaled. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Best comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-comedy/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Of all people, children are the ones that really understand when there's a truth there for them - an emotional truth. The characters really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brett/of-all-people-children-are-the-ones-that-really-understand-when-there/) [Jan Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brett/) > [Actually, writers have no business writing about their own works. They either wax conceited, saying things like: 'My brilliance is possibly most apparent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/actually-writers-have-no-business-writing-about-their-own-works-they/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [Good writers are in the business of leaving signposts saying, Tour my world, see and feel it through my eyes; I am your guide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-writers-are-in-the-business-of-leaving-signposts-saying-tour-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can make anything into a play for the simple reason that the human mind is one of the best writers in the business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/you-can-make-anything-into-a-play-for-the-simple-reason-that-the/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [ We have the best writers in the business \[on The Office\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/we-have-the-best-writers-in-the-business-on-the-office/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I'm a big believer in comedy writers. I've always defended the honor of all comedy writers. It's extremely difficult, but I've always felt that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/i-m-a-big-believer-in-comedy-writers-i-ve-always-defended-the-honor/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [At some point, and maybe it's a function of age, you've had enough of it. You start to slide in other directions. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/at-some-point-and-maybe-it-s-a-function-of-age-you-ve-had-enough-of/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [Ed Simmons and I became stars in the emerging medium of television. We were new and fresh, just like TV at the time, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lear/ed-simmons-and-i-became-stars-in-the-emerging-medium-of-television-we/) [Norman Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lear/) > [A lot of times, comedy writers will go for the gay joke, and I've been vocal about saying, 'Go for the smart joke.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arden/a-lot-of-times-comedy-writers-will-go-for-the-gay-joke-and-i-ve-been/) [Michael Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arden/) > [I've met a surprising number of comedy writers whose parents are scientists. Both have an antiauthoritarian slant - they're both skeptics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-silverman/i-ve-met-a-surprising-number-of-comedy-writers-whose-parents-are/) [Allison Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-silverman/) > [Women always think that I'm Chandler, so if I don't joke around for half an hour, they think that something's wrong. Then I explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/women-always-think-that-i-m-chandler-so-if-i-don-t-joke-around-for/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [People ask me if I have comedy writers, and I'm like, 'Are you kidding me?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-navarro/people-ask-me-if-i-have-comedy-writers-and-i-m-like-are-you-kidding-me/) [Ana Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-navarro/) > ['Monty Python' and 'The Simpsons' have ruined comedy for writers for the rest of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adsit/monty-python-and-the-simpsons-have-ruined-comedy-for-writers-for-the/) [Scott Adsit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adsit/) > [I always wanted to write, even before I realized that there was a comedy writers' world, or what that life was like. I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-always-wanted-to-write-even-before-i-realized-that-there-was-a/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [I was lucky that when Lorne Michaels came looking for women comedy writers, there werent too many in New York at the time. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-beatts/i-was-lucky-that-when-lorne-michaels-came-looking-for-women-comedy/) [Anne Beatts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-beatts/) ## More by Burt Ward > [I like to protect children. I mean, there's nothing wrong with having adult programming for mature adults that can selectively decide what they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/i-like-to-protect-children-i-mean-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-having/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [Maybe it was all those wild times that kept me young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/maybe-it-was-all-those-wild-times-that-kept-me-young/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [I make personal appearances around the country. I'm starting a book tour now, and I may be coming to Toronto with the Learning Annex,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/i-make-personal-appearances-around-the-country-i-m-starting-a-book/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [I have two children. I have a daughter 29, and a daughter four. They are 25 years apart, so you speak about generations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/i-have-two-children-i-have-a-daughter-29-and-a-daughter-four-they-are/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [49 and holding. Holding tight! Fighting that heinous age every step of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/49-and-holding-holding-tight-fighting-that-heinous-age-every-step-of/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [I'm hoping that I'll be able to find a distributor to come into Canada with it, because I think it is a wild and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/i-m-hoping-that-i-ll-be-able-to-find-a-distributor-to-come-into/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [In fact I have a full page warning, right in the front of the book, that no one under the age of eighteen should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/in-fact-i-have-a-full-page-warning-right-in-the-front-of-the-book/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [I don't see on television the kind of blood and guts and body parts blown apart that maybe you're referring to, but it certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/i-don-t-see-on-television-the-kind-of-blood-and-guts-and-body-parts/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [You know, it's a different world now, but to skip ahead and really answer your question, only in the last five years did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/you-know-it-s-a-different-world-now-but-to-skip-ahead-and-really/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [We found that just by the way we stood, affected women dramatically, and if you look at our show, you'll see that we always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/we-found-that-just-by-the-way-we-stood-affected-women-dramatically/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [My book is very wild. But you know during the period of BATMAN, that there were thousands of Batman and Robin costumes sold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/my-book-is-very-wild-but-you-know-during-the-period-of-batman-that/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [Even in Los Angeles, where we lived, when we would date somebody or go out with them, if we went out with somebody else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/even-in-los-angeles-where-we-lived-when-we-would-date-somebody-or-go/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [No kids should see that kind of violence where Batman is killing as many people as the bad guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/no-kids-should-see-that-kind-of-violence-where-batman-is-killing-as/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [Our characters were antiseptic but we weren't. And if you remember what we did on BATMAN, as the scripts were written very funny, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/our-characters-were-antiseptic-but-we-weren-t-and-if-you-remember/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) > [You know honestly, I enjoy working with everyone because remember, these were all real pros that had been around the business a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/you-know-honestly-i-enjoy-working-with-everyone-because-remember/) [Burt Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) [Explore all 20 Burt Ward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why would they have gone to the trouble to hire the best comedy writers in the business to write funny material for us to play straight, if the children in our audience were the only audience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Burt Ward" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble-to-hire-the-best-comedy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble-to-hire-the-best-comedy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/burt-ward-27316_audience_why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble_3172470.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/burt-ward-27316_audience_why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble_3172470.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/burt-ward-27316_audience_why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble_3172470.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why would they have gone to the trouble to hire the best comedy writers in the business to write funny…” — Burt Ward", "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": "Burt Ward", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-ward/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why would they have gone to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble-to-hire-the-best-comedy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-ward/why-would-they-have-gone-to-the-trouble-to-hire-the-best-comedy/#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 } } ] } ```