---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Comedy is very controlling - you are…"
description: "\"Comedy is very controlling - you are making people laugh. It is there in the phrase 'making people laugh.' You feel completely in control when you hear..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/gilda-radner-11283_comedy_comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-makin_1124498.jpg"
---

#  Comedy is very controlling - you are making people laugh…

![“Comedy is very controlling - you are making people laugh. It is there in the phrase 'making people laugh.' You feel completely in control when you hear a wave of laughter coming back at you that you have caused.” quote by Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/gilda-radner-11283_comedy_comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-makin_1124498.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/gilda-radner-11283_comedy_comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-makin_1124498.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/gilda-radner-11283_comedy_comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-makin_1124498.jpg)

> “Comedy is very controlling - you are making people laugh. It is there in the phrase 'making people laugh.' You feel completely in control when you hear a wave of laughter coming back at you that you have caused.”

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

## About This Quote

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

Comedy gives the performer a sense of power through audience laughter.

**In simple terms:** Laughter makes the comic feel in control.

Key Takeaway

Use humor to influence and engage.

Themes

comedy control audience dynamics

Mood

playful insightful

Type

observational self‑aware

When to use this quote

- stand‑up shows
- team building workshops
- public speaking

Key Concepts

Psychology performance art

Questions to Reflect On

- When does humor become manipulation?
- How can you ensure humor is inclusive?

A Different Perspective

Relying on laughter may mask insecurity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Making people laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-people-laugh/)

## Related quotes

> [Comedy is very controlling - you are making people laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-making-people-laugh/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [I love making people laugh and feel good, and that's awesome and special for me to be able to do that, but there really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/i-love-making-people-laugh-and-feel-good-and-that-s-awesome-and/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [There's nothing wrong with making people laugh. We all need to laugh. Sometimes I get all these laughs inside of me, and there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rae/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-making-people-laugh-we-all-need-to-laugh/)

[Charlotte Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rae/)

> [When part of what you're trying to get at is the truth hidden under a taboo, or when you want to nail a hypocrisy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-solondz/when-part-of-what-you-re-trying-to-get-at-is-the-truth-hidden-under-a/)

[Todd Solondz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-solondz/)

> [Thank you people that are laughing with your hand away from your mouth. That joke is clearly not for everyone, but I enjoy watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tosh/thank-you-people-that-are-laughing-with-your-hand-away-from-your/)

[Daniel Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tosh/)

> [Why do we smile? Why do we laugh? Why do we feel alone? Why are we sad and confused? Why do we read poetry?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/why-do-we-smile-why-do-we-laugh-why-do-we-feel-alone-why-are-we-sad/)

[Benjamin Alire Saenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/)

> [The whole thing about working in front of the camera is to make people laugh when they're not supposed to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/the-whole-thing-about-working-in-front-of-the-camera-is-to-make/)

[Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/)

> [The funniest people I know were, not necessarily troubled, but had a harder time in school or were shy or picked on or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-olson/the-funniest-people-i-know-were-not-necessarily-troubled-but-had-a/)

[Kaitlin Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-olson/)

> [I like jokes and one-liners. I enjoy entertaining and making people laugh, being the funny man. But when I'm launched into unfamiliar environments I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-flint/i-like-jokes-and-one-liners-i-enjoy-entertaining-and-making-people/)

[Keith Flint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-flint/)

> [I have no shame when it comes to making people laugh. I don't care what I look like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-metz/i-have-no-shame-when-it-comes-to-making-people-laugh-i-don-t-care/)

[Chrissy Metz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-metz/)

> [About the best thing an actor can do when all is said and done is to make people laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-levine/about-the-best-thing-an-actor-can-do-when-all-is-said-and-done-is-to/)

Ted Levine

> [I've been at it since 1967, and I still love it. There is nothing quite like making people laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-lawrence/i-ve-been-at-it-since-1967-and-i-still-love-it-there-is-nothing-quite/)

[Vicki Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-lawrence/)

> [Once you learn how to make people laugh, then you get to choose exactly how you want to make them laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/once-you-learn-how-to-make-people-laugh-then-you-get-to-choose/)

[John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/)

> [I love making people laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-making-people-laugh/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

## More by Gilda Radner

> [There are those who open their hearts to others...who never think twice about giving of themselves. They are the wonderful warmhearted people who make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/there-are-those-who-open-their-hearts-to-others-who-never-think-twice/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [It's always something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/it-s-always-something/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [It's like my father always said to me, he said to me, he said, Roseanna Roseanadana, it's always something. If it isn't one thing--it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/it-s-like-my-father-always-said-to-me-he-said-to-me-he-said-roseanna/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [ \[Motherhood is\] the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It's huge and scary-it's an act of infinite optimism. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/motherhood-is-the-biggest-gamble-in-the-world-it-is-the-glorious-life/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/some-stories-don-t-have-a-clear-beginning-middle-and-end/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [Having cancer gave me membership in an elite club I'd rather not belong to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/having-cancer-gave-me-membership-in-an-elite-club-i-d-rather-not/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [It's such an act of optimism to get through a day and enjoy it and laugh and do all that without thinking about death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/it-s-such-an-act-of-optimism-to-get-through-a-day-and-enjoy-it-and/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [When the journalists asked Gene, 'Why didn't you marry the beautiful girl in 'The Woman in Red'?' he would always reply, 'I did!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/when-the-journalists-asked-gene-why-didn-t-you-marry-the-beautiful/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [I'd much rather be a woman than a man. Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they're the first to be rescued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/i-d-much-rather-be-a-woman-than-a-man-women-can-cry-they-can-wear/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [Humor is just truth, only faster!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/humor-is-just-truth-only-faster/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [I've learned what I can control is whether I am going to live a day in fear and depression and panic, or whether I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/i-ve-learned-what-i-can-control-is-whether-i-am-going-to-live-a-day/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [Fame changes a lot of things, but it can't change a light bulb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/fame-changes-a-lot-of-things-but-it-can-t-change-a-light-bulb/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [I would say that Lucy, 'I Love Lucy,' she was my idol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/i-would-say-that-lucy-i-love-lucy-she-was-my-idol/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [In our show we know, if we're not getting a response, you see it in our face... we either do something to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/in-our-show-we-know-if-we-re-not-getting-a-response-you-see-it-in-our/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [We were married in the south of France because Gene loved France. If he could have been born French, he would have been -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/we-were-married-in-the-south-of-france-because-gene-loved-france-if/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

[Explore all 60 Gilda Radner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

## More Comedy quotes

> ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/)

[Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/)

[Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/)

> [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/)

[Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/)

[Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/)

> [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/)

[Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/)

> [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/)

[Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/)

> [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/)

[Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/)

> [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

[Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Comedy is very controlling - you are making people laugh. It is there in the phrase 'making people laugh.' You feel completely in control when you hear a wave of laughter coming back at you that you have caused.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gilda Radner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-making-people-laugh-it-is-there-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comedy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-making-people-laugh-it-is-there-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/gilda-radner-11283_comedy_comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-makin_1124498.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/gilda-radner-11283_comedy_comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-makin_1124498.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/gilda-radner-11283_comedy_comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-makin_1124498.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Comedy is very controlling - you are making people laugh. It is there in the phrase 'making people laugh.'…” — Gilda Radner",
                "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": "Gilda Radner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Comedy is very controlling - you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-making-people-laugh-it-is-there-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/comedy-is-very-controlling-you-are-making-people-laugh-it-is-there-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
