--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was working with Barry Sonnenfeld…" description: "\"When I was working with Barry Sonnenfeld, I'd watch him set up a shot and talk to him about what he was seeing and what it was to shoot comedy. He told..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/cheryl-hines-16342_about_when-i-was-working-with-barry-sonnenfeld_2854083.jpg" --- # When I was working with Barry Sonnenfeld, I'd watch him… ![“When I was working with Barry Sonnenfeld, I'd watch him set up a shot and talk to him about what he was seeing and what it was to shoot comedy. He told me that a lot of times with comedy, it's not just about getting the joke, but getting a reaction to the joke. That's the laugh - it's somebody's…” quote by Cheryl Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/cheryl-hines-16342_about_when-i-was-working-with-barry-sonnenfeld_2854083.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/cheryl-hines-16342_about_when-i-was-working-with-barry-sonnenfeld_2854083.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae7/cheryl-hines-16342_about_when-i-was-working-with-barry-sonnenfeld_2854083.jpg) > “When I was working with Barry Sonnenfeld, I'd watch him set up a shot and talk to him about what he was seeing and what it was to shoot comedy. He told me that a lot of times with comedy, it's not just about getting the joke, but getting a reaction to the joke. That's the laugh - it's somebody's else's reaction to the joke.” [Cheryl Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-hines/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy success depends on audience reaction, not just the joke itself **In simple terms:** Laughter comes from how others react to humor Key Takeaway Focus on audience response Themes comedy performance audience reaction filmmaking Mood playful observational Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - stand‑up - film set - scriptwriting - directing Key Concepts Psychology of humor communication Questions to Reflect On - How can you test jokes for varied audiences? - What techniques improve genuine laughter? A Different Perspective Audience reaction can be unpredictable ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) ## Related quotes > [Part of my writing style can be attributed to my mother's impatience with comedy, because whenever I told her a story she would say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-marx/part-of-my-writing-style-can-be-attributed-to-my-mother-s-impatience/) [Patricia Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-marx/) > [If I could go back and talk to the me who was just starting to do comedy, I would have told myself to relax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-finnegan/if-i-could-go-back-and-talk-to-the-me-who-was-just-starting-to-do/) [Christian Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-finnegan/) > [I'd love to do a comedy. I always told myself that I don't have funny bones, and then I was working with Dervla Kirwan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-pulver/i-d-love-to-do-a-comedy-i-always-told-myself-that-i-don-t-have-funny/) [Lara Pulver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-pulver/) > [I decided that expressionism was a cheap way of getting a reaction - show anybody ripped apart, and you get sympathy. I was deliberately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pearlstein/i-decided-that-expressionism-was-a-cheap-way-of-getting-a-reaction/) [Philip Pearlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pearlstein/) > [“I'm addicted to the "reaction" What can I do or say to cause a positive or even a negative reaction? It's all about "that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gypsie-m-holley/i-m-addicted-to-the-reaction-what-can-i-do-or-say-to-cause-a-positive/) Gypsie M. Holley > [What matters is that I'm making a connection with people and getting a reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/what-matters-is-that-i-m-making-a-connection-with-people-and-getting/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [Sometimes art is just about getting a reaction, that's really the end-all be-all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/sometimes-art-is-just-about-getting-a-reaction-that-s-really-the-end/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [A stupid person laughs three times at a joke; once when everyone else is laughing, a second time when he actually gets the joke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-stupid-person-laughs-three-times-at-a-joke-once-when-everyone-else/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Have you considered the option of getting the joke? If not, try it now and redeem your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-naggum/have-you-considered-the-option-of-getting-the-joke-if-not-try-it-now/) [Erik Naggum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-naggum/) > [I always loved jokes. It's such a dumb, facile thing to say, but it's true. I remember being a kid and getting those joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-gondelman/i-always-loved-jokes-it-s-such-a-dumb-facile-thing-to-say-but-it-s/) [Josh Gondelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-gondelman/) > [“Advertising that makes fun of itself is so powerful because it implicitly congratulates both itself and the viewer (for making the joke and getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/advertising-that-makes-fun-of-itself-is-so-powerful-because-it/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [But men and women, getting along, it's a joke. We have completely different brains, it's a completely different thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-applegate/but-men-and-women-getting-along-it-s-a-joke-we-have-completely/) [Christina Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-applegate/) > [“And when I attempted to point this out he accused me of both not "getting the joke" and not being fun. He literally said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-kamau-bell/and-when-i-attempted-to-point-this-out-he-accused-me-of-both-not/) [W. Kamau Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-kamau-bell/) > [I've seen few things more depressing than the end-of-season Giants-Padres series in 2001 in which Barry Bonds hit his 68th homer of the year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-rodrick/i-ve-seen-few-things-more-depressing-than-the-end-of-season-giants/) [Stephen Rodrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-rodrick/) > [Barry is an incredible singer. He's even gotten better through the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-weil/barry-is-an-incredible-singer-he-s-even-gotten-better-through-the/) [Cynthia Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-weil/) ## More by Cheryl Hines > [Sometimes I don't want to stand around a room full of strangers, chitchatting about nothing, so I'll come late to a party - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-hines/sometimes-i-don-t-want-to-stand-around-a-room-full-of-strangers/) [Cheryl Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-hines/) > [Well, I am producing a show that's going to be on NBC this fall. 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As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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