--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did a comedy with Al Franken about his…" description: "\"I did a comedy with Al Franken about his character Stuart Smalley, which was really about alcoholism and addiction and codependency. It had some painfu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/harold-ramis-4057_addiction_i-did-a-comedy-with-al-franken-about-his_1341236.png" --- # I did a comedy with Al Franken about his character Stuart… ![“I did a comedy with Al Franken about his character Stuart Smalley, which was really about alcoholism and addiction and codependency. It had some painful stuff in it. When we showed it to focus groups, some of them actually said, "If I want to see a dysfunctional family, I'll stay home."” quote by Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/harold-ramis-4057_addiction_i-did-a-comedy-with-al-franken-about-his_1341236.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/harold-ramis-4057_addiction_i-did-a-comedy-with-al-franken-about-his_1341236.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/harold-ramis-4057_addiction_i-did-a-comedy-with-al-franken-about-his_1341236.png) > “I did a comedy with Al Franken about his character Stuart Smalley, which was really about alcoholism and addiction and codependency. It had some painful stuff in it. When we showed it to focus groups, some of them actually said, "If I want to see a dysfunctional family, I'll stay home."” [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A comedy about addiction and codependency can alienate viewers if they seek light entertainment. **In simple terms:** Serious topics in comedy may deter some audiences. Key Takeaway Balance humor with sensitivity. Themes comedy addiction codependency audience reaction Mood reflective serious Type social commentary cautionary When to use this quote - film - screenwriting - focus group testing Key Concepts social issues film criticism group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Should comedians prioritize audience comfort over truth? - How can serious themes be integrated without alienating viewers? A Different Perspective Some may avoid movies that confront uncomfortable truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Alcoholism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Dysfunctional family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dysfunctional-family/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Stay Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-home/) ## Related quotes > [No one is more sensitive to the issue of overeating than the creator of Stuart Smalley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/no-one-is-more-sensitive-to-the-issue-of-overeating-than-the-creator/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [People are amazed that I do comedy. I always did comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/people-are-amazed-that-i-do-comedy-i-always-did-comedy/) [Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/) > [The first time I ever got up on a stage, I did a comedy poem. I don't know how I got there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-nicol/the-first-time-i-ever-got-up-on-a-stage-i-did-a-comedy-poem-i-don-t/) [Lesley Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-nicol/) > [When Richard Pryor did comedy, it was like he was having a conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/when-richard-pryor-did-comedy-it-was-like-he-was-having-a-conversation/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [When I first started doing my stand-up act, I played the banjo, did comedy, magic tricks, juggled, read poetry. I stuck it all in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/when-i-first-started-doing-my-stand-up-act-i-played-the-banjo-did/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I basically did comedy there for about a year, and then moved to New York. If I had it to do over again, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-barry/i-basically-did-comedy-there-for-about-a-year-and-then-moved-to-new/) [Todd Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-barry/) > [I did comedy shows and the only thing beating out my fights were my comedy shows. The entertainment I was providing was ridiculous. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-sapp/i-did-comedy-shows-and-the-only-thing-beating-out-my-fights-were-my/) [Bob Sapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-sapp/) > [My dad always said to me, 'You have got to work,' so I constantly worked and did comedy tours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-evans/my-dad-always-said-to-me-you-have-got-to-work-so-i-constantly-worked/) [Lee Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-evans/) > [Never in a million years did I get into comedy to make anyone upset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-sherman/never-in-a-million-years-did-i-get-into-comedy-to-make-anyone-upset/) [Sarah Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-sherman/) > [I wanted people to know that my grandmother was the reason why I did comedy in the first place. She pushed me to really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-fowler/i-wanted-people-to-know-that-my-grandmother-was-the-reason-why-i-did/) [Jermaine Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-fowler/) > [I feel I don't get credit enough for it, the pioneering I did in comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leguizamo/i-feel-i-don-t-get-credit-enough-for-it-the-pioneering-i-did-in-comedy/) [John Leguizamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leguizamo/) > [I did not go into comedy to escape anything. I went into comedy because I had parents who thought it was a reputable way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/i-did-not-go-into-comedy-to-escape-anything-i-went-into-comedy/) [Seth Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-meyers/) > [I only did the comedy thing because I just thought I could do it better than anyone else at the time. And I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-allen/i-only-did-the-comedy-thing-because-i-just-thought-i-could-do-it/) [Keith Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-allen/) > [In fact, I get angry when people laugh at me. I go to the airport and the ground hostess starts laughing at me when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/in-fact-i-get-angry-when-people-laugh-at-me-i-go-to-the-airport-and/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [I love doing comedy. I did comedy for seven years on 'The King of Queens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ferrigno/i-love-doing-comedy-i-did-comedy-for-seven-years-on-the-king-of-queens/) [Lou Ferrigno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ferrigno/) ## More by Harold Ramis > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I've always thought that comedy was just another dramatic expression. I try to measure the amount of truth in a work rather than just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-ve-always-thought-that-comedy-was-just-another-dramatic-expression/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [You can perceive life as tragic, or you can laugh at the tragedy of it and that turns it into comedy. It doesn't change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/you-can-perceive-life-as-tragic-or-you-can-laugh-at-the-tragedy-of-it/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I'm terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-m-terrified-beyond-the-capacity-for-rational-thought/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [You can't not have feelings about country clubs, whichever side you're on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/you-can-t-not-have-feelings-about-country-clubs-whichever-side-you-re/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [That's one of the great things about DVD: In addition to reaching people who didn't catch the movie in theaters, you get to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/that-s-one-of-the-great-things-about-dvd-in-addition-to-reaching/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [It doesn't take any longer to improvise 10 takes than it takes to shoot 10 takes of the same thing. It turns out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/it-doesn-t-take-any-longer-to-improvise-10-takes-than-it-takes-to/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage, I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfulness-and-the-reward-of/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I've never taken a script to the stage or to principal photography and said, "This is perfect. This is as good as it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-ve-never-taken-a-script-to-the-stage-or-to-principal-photography/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I realized that my righteous indignation was a form of entertainment for me. I loved getting pissed off at injustice. I didn't do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-realized-that-my-righteous-indignation-was-a-form-of-entertainment/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [My characters aren't losers. They're rebels. They win by their refusal to play by everyone else's rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/my-characters-aren-t-losers-they-re-rebels-they-win-by-their-refusal/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I made a handshake agreement with my best friend in college, Michael Shamberg, who is now a movie producer. We used to write shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-made-a-handshake-agreement-with-my-best-friend-in-college-michael/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [The trick with sequels is, you have to give people what they liked before, yet be innovative enough so they don't feel like they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/the-trick-with-sequels-is-you-have-to-give-people-what-they-liked/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [Life doesn't care about your vision. You just gotta roll with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/life-doesn-t-care-about-your-vision-you-just-gotta-roll-with-it/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I look for the meaning in what's funny, and I look for what's funny about things that are meaningful to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-look-for-the-meaning-in-what-s-funny-and-i-look-for-what-s-funny/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) [Explore all 117 Harold Ramis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) ## More Addiction quotes > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) Robbin Crosby > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/) [Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/) > [I had an addiction to artificial points of success. Like being able to run for this or run for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-an-addiction-to-artificial-points-of-success-like-being-able-to/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [“Oil. The great addiction of the civilized world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/oil-the-great-addiction-of-the-civilized-world/) [Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/) > [“They say when you fall in love in love with someone that person becomes like a drug,an addiction you don't want to live without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-when-you-fall-in-love-in-love-with-someone-that-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Addictions - Run to Jesus instead of running to your addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/addictions-run-to-jesus-instead-of-running-to-your-addiction/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [Religious work is one of the best ways to keep from facing your reality if you are Christian, if you are using it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-miller/religious-work-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-keep-from-facing-your/) [Keith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-miller/) > [Cold sweats, hallucinations I wanna speed to stop. The hell I'm going through The addiction's taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/cold-sweats-hallucinations-i-wanna-speed-to-stop-the-hell-i-m-going/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [As addictions go, reading is among the cleanest, easiest to feed, happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/as-addictions-go-reading-is-among-the-cleanest-easiest-to-feed/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 2,134 Addiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did a comedy with Al Franken about his character Stuart Smalley, which was really about alcoholism and addiction and codependency. 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