---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even the worst comic is at least somewhat…"
description: "\"Even the worst comic is at least somewhat entertaining, if only in a pathological way, for five minutes.\" — Emo Philips"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/emo-philips-1788_comic_even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewha_3176676.png"
---

#  Even the worst comic is at least somewhat entertaining, if…

![“Even the worst comic is at least somewhat entertaining, if only in a pathological way, for five minutes.” quote by Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/emo-philips-1788_comic_even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewha_3176676.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/emo-philips-1788_comic_even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewha_3176676.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/emo-philips-1788_comic_even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewha_3176676.png)

> “Even the worst comic is at least somewhat entertaining, if only in a pathological way, for five minutes.”

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even low‑quality comedy can be amusing for a short time, though its value is limited and odd.

**In simple terms:** Bad jokes can still be funny briefly.

Key Takeaway

Enjoy humor, but seek substance.

Themes

humor entertainment quality paradox

Mood

lighthearted ironic

Type

observational comedic

When to use this quote

- late‑night TV
- social gatherings
- stress relief
- creative writing

Key Concepts

comedic timing pathological amusement subjective taste

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we laugh at bad jokes?
- What makes entertainment entertaining?

A Different Perspective

Reliance on novelty may mask lack of depth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/)

## Related quotes

> [Five Minute Marketing is entertaining and thought provoking marketing advice by a Canadian for Canadians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-poynter/five-minute-marketing-is-entertaining-and-thought-provoking-marketing/)

[Dan Poynter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-poynter/)

> [I've never just been able to be alone, and I'm obsessed with being alone and hearing my thoughts. I'm trying to take this alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-ve-never-just-been-able-to-be-alone-and-i-m-obsessed-with-being/)

[Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/)

> [In 2004 Professor Stephen Farnsworth, when I report saying that I got about five minutes on all the networks after Labor Day to election…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/in-2004-professor-stephen-farnsworth-when-i-report-saying-that-i-got/)

[Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/)

> [Singularity is the point at which "all the change in the last million years will be superseded by the change in the next five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/singularity-is-the-point-at-which-all-the-change-in-the-last-million/)

[Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/)

> [If you put me in 'South Park,' that audience is going to fall asleep in five minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/if-you-put-me-in-south-park-that-audience-is-going-to-fall-asleep-in/)

[Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/)

> [To remove product buildup from your hair, mix a tablespoon of vinegar in your hand with your favorite shampoo and rub through your hair.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-gibson/to-remove-product-buildup-from-your-hair-mix-a-tablespoon-of-vinegar/)

Ted Gibson

> [I didn't really want to be an actor when I was growing up - I wanted to be whatever I was reading about or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-sudeikis/i-didn-t-really-want-to-be-an-actor-when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to/)

[Jason Sudeikis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-sudeikis/)

> [The problem with movies and books is they make evil look glamorous, exciting, when it's no such thing. It's boring and it's depressing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/the-problem-with-movies-and-books-is-they-make-evil-look-glamorous/)

[Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/)

> [In five minutes the earth would be a desert, and you cling to books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/in-five-minutes-the-earth-would-be-a-desert-and-you-cling-to-books/)

[Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/)

> [My biggest fear is overreaching. I have been in situations where I felt swamped, and it's turned out really well; and I've had other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/my-biggest-fear-is-overreaching-i-have-been-in-situations-where-i/)

[Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/)

> [Women are all the bloody sameyou can't love for five minutes without wanting it abolished in brats and house bloody wifery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/women-are-all-the-bloody-sameyou-can-t-love-for-five-minutes-without/)

[Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/)

> [A Sufi mystic who had always remained happy was asked… For seventy years people had watched him, he had never been found sad. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/a-sufi-mystic-who-had-always-remained-happy-was-asked-for-seventy/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [Like I said, a sketch is one joke. They shouldn't really be more than a minute, two minutes. There are some shows where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/like-i-said-a-sketch-is-one-joke-they-shouldn-t-really-be-more-than-a/)

[Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/)

> [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/)

[Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/)

## More by Emo Philips

> [Once I was in a restaurant and I dropped my fork on the floor, and they gave me a new fork. So I pushed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/once-i-was-in-a-restaurant-and-i-dropped-my-fork-on-the-floor-and/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [I give money to Unicef because I like the 'bang for your buck' aspect. Here's $10, go and save 1,000 kids from blindness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-give-money-to-unicef-because-i-like-the-bang-for-your-buck-aspect/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [Libertarians believe consenting adults have the right to do whatever they choose, except band together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/libertarians-believe-consenting-adults-have-the-right-to-do-whatever/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [I love England. In fact, they're getting to know me so well at Heathrow Immigration that this time I was able to completely bypass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-love-england-in-fact-they-re-getting-to-know-me-so-well-at-heathrow/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [He taught me never to smile, which helps me when I visit disaster sites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/he-taught-me-never-to-smile-which-helps-me-when-i-visit-disaster-sites/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [The way I understand it, the Russians are sort of a combination of evil and incompetence... sort of like the Post Office with tanks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/the-way-i-understand-it-the-russians-are-sort-of-a-combination-of/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-in-a-fight-one-time-with-a-really-big-guy-and-he-said-i-m-going/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [I don't know if I was put on this Earth for a purpose or not. But I'm fairly confident that I'll be taken off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-don-t-know-if-i-was-put-on-this-earth-for-a-purpose-or-not-but-i-m/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [I got a letter from the IRS. Apparently I owe them $800. So I sent them a letter back. I said, If you'll remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-a-letter-from-the-irs-apparently-i-owe-them-800-so-i-sent-them/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [If you're worth over $50m you should have to dress like that guy on the Monopoly box. The super-rich shouldn't get all the benefits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/if-you-re-worth-over-50m-you-should-have-to-dress-like-that-guy-on/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [Race is still somewhat of a taboo in comedy. But if you're a minority, then you can make fun of your own minority. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/race-is-still-somewhat-of-a-taboo-in-comedy-but-if-you-re-a-minority/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [I like to play chess with bald men in the park although it's hard to find 32 of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-like-to-play-chess-with-bald-men-in-the-park-although-it-s-hard-to/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee - that will do them in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/if-computers-get-too-powerful-we-can-organize-them-into-a-committee/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/you-don-t-appreciate-a-lot-of-stuff-in-school-until-you-get-older/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [Thinking up jokes is easy. The hard part is trying them out on stage, because you never know if they're funny until you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/thinking-up-jokes-is-easy-the-hard-part-is-trying-them-out-on-stage/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

[Explore all 208 Emo Philips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

## More Comic quotes

> [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/)

[Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/)

> [I always loved as a kid reading 'Spider-Man,' and the 'Fantastic Four' would show up... it was all about that larger universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-reed/i-always-loved-as-a-kid-reading-spider-man-and-the-fantastic-four/)

[Peyton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-reed/)

> [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/)

[Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/)

> [I identify with Superman. I am adopted, I am an only child, and I love the idea that he comes from another world, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/i-identify-with-superman-i-am-adopted-i-am-an-only-child-and-i-love/)

[Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/)

> [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/)

[Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/)

> [If you look at Marvel Comics, there are very few Marvel characters I would like to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-ennis/if-you-look-at-marvel-comics-there-are-very-few-marvel-characters-i/)

[Garth Ennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-ennis/)

> [The big problem for comic art is you don't want to overwork it. If a drawing is overworked it isn't funny. It's the spontaneity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-sorel/the-big-problem-for-comic-art-is-you-don-t-want-to-overwork-it-if-a/)

[Edward Sorel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-sorel/)

> [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/)

[Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/)

> [I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-ve-certainly-seen-a-lot-of-my-cartoonist-friends-embrace-little/)

[Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/)

> [Batman doesn't have any superpowers. He's not superhuman. He's not super. So therefore he can't be a superhero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-silvey/batman-doesn-t-have-any-superpowers-he-s-not-superhuman-he-s-not/)

[Craig Silvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-silvey/)

> [When I was writing 'Black Panther,' on one level, I was angry because DC would never let me write 'Batman,' so I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/when-i-was-writing-black-panther-on-one-level-i-was-angry-because-dc/)

[Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/)

> [I was really into the first 'Spider-Man' films with Tobey Maguire, so it's pretty cool how it all came full circle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-batalon/i-was-really-into-the-first-spider-man-films-with-tobey-maguire-so-it/)

[Jacob Batalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-batalon/)

> [Most men are secretly still mad at their mothers for throwing away their comic books. They would be valuable now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/most-men-are-secretly-still-mad-at-their-mothers-for-throwing-away/)

[Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/)

> [I'll only diet for a Marvel movie. I will give up bacon and waffles to be Storm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-ll-only-diet-for-a-marvel-movie-i-will-give-up-bacon-and-waffles-to/)

[Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/)

> [You've seen the first issue and what happened in the last page. Some pretty awful stuff. I don't know why I seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/you-ve-seen-the-first-issue-and-what-happened-in-the-last-page-some/)

[Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/)

[Browse all 5,841 Comic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Even the worst comic is at least somewhat entertaining, if only in a pathological way, for five minutes.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Emo Philips"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewhat-entertaining-if-only-in-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comic"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewhat-entertaining-if-only-in-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/emo-philips-1788_comic_even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewha_3176676.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/emo-philips-1788_comic_even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewha_3176676.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/emo-philips-1788_comic_even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewha_3176676.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Even the worst comic is at least somewhat entertaining, if only in a pathological way, for five minutes.” — Emo Philips",
                "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": "Emo Philips",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Even the worst comic is at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewhat-entertaining-if-only-in-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/even-the-worst-comic-is-at-least-somewhat-entertaining-if-only-in-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
