--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody says how hard comedy is, but…" description: "\"Everybody says how hard comedy is, but, when it comes time to honor things, whether it's on a weekly critical basis or whether it's award time, at that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/ivan-reitman-15779_awards_everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-wh_3034755.jpg" --- # Everybody says how hard comedy is, but, when it comes time… ![“Everybody says how hard comedy is, but, when it comes time to honor things, whether it's on a weekly critical basis or whether it's award time, at that time of the year, comedy is the poor, dumb child of dramatic work.” quote by Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/ivan-reitman-15779_awards_everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-wh_3034755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/ivan-reitman-15779_awards_everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-wh_3034755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/ivan-reitman-15779_awards_everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-wh_3034755.jpg) > “Everybody says how hard comedy is, but, when it comes time to honor things, whether it's on a weekly critical basis or whether it's award time, at that time of the year, comedy is the poor, dumb child of dramatic work.” [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy is seen as a lesser, less serious counterpart to drama, often undervalued. **In simple terms:** Comedy is considered the weaker sibling of drama. Key Takeaway Respect comedic craft equally. Themes art hierarchy perception Mood skeptical humorous Type artistic critical When to use this quote - film production - award shows - creative writing Key Concepts genre valuation creative Questions to Reflect On - Why is comedy dismissed? - How can comedy be elevated? A Different Perspective Comedy can convey deep truths despite being labeled "dumb". ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awards/) [Bases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bases/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-comes-256278/) [Comedy Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-poor-3550629/) [Critical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical/) [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Dumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-comedy-1353286/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Dumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-dumb-3691512/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Year Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-comedy-4973952/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Don't get me started on BBC salaries. We were never the big league. Situation comedy has always been the poor relation in the television…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jason/don-t-get-me-started-on-bbc-salaries-we-were-never-the-big-league/) [David Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jason/) > [The doctrine of thrift for the poor is dumb and cruel, like advising them to try and lift themselves by their bootstraps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-thomas/the-doctrine-of-thrift-for-the-poor-is-dumb-and-cruel-like-advising/) [Norman Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-thomas/) > [“No b\*\*\*\*\*\* ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb b\*\*\*\*\*\* die for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/no-b-ever-won-a-war-by-dying-for-his-country-he-won-it-by-making-the/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [“The poor dumb lug didn’t know what hit him. (It was a brick. I used a brick.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-burgundy/the-poor-dumb-lug-didn-t-know-what-hit-him-it-was-a-brick-i-used-a/) [Ron Burgundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-burgundy/) > [“Strike two. Add dumb as a box of rocks to the list of why I don't like these guys. I got to my feet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-katt/strike-two-add-dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks-to-the-list-of-why-i-don-t-like/) [Dinah Katt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-katt/) > [You can (be a middle-aged comic) if you work very hard at it, because comedy is really hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-denton/you-can-be-a-middle-aged-comic-if-you-work-very-hard-at-it-because/) [Andrew Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-denton/) > [It's an unknown quantity. It's actually almost a cliché to say it, how hard comedy is. What's that famous quote? "Dying is easy, comedy's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/it-s-an-unknown-quantity-it-s-actually-almost-a-clich-to-say-it-how/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [It is really hard to do comedy; it takes a lot of energy and focus. It's rather like music: It's a lot of hitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/it-is-really-hard-to-do-comedy-it-takes-a-lot-of-energy-and-focus-it/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [I think that in any role you have, whether TV or film, it's hard to do comedy and drama within one story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-thorne/i-think-that-in-any-role-you-have-whether-tv-or-film-it-s-hard-to-do/) [Callie Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-thorne/) > [I think comedy has a range, with multiple peaks in different areas. It's like trying to compare Beethoven and the Beatles. Sometimes I hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/i-think-comedy-has-a-range-with-multiple-peaks-in-different-areas-it/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [What kills comedy is an absence of hard comedy commissions, traditional let's-make-every-line-funny comedy commissions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-demetriou/what-kills-comedy-is-an-absence-of-hard-comedy-commissions/) [Jamie Demetriou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-demetriou/) > [I think comedy is drama, often. It's hard to have comedy over a period of time - commercials are one thing, but over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-verbinski/i-think-comedy-is-drama-often-it-s-hard-to-have-comedy-over-a-period/) [Gore Verbinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-verbinski/) > [Hard comedy goes for the fences. It's also what you might call take-a-risk comedy because if you don't hit a home run, you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-crane/hard-comedy-goes-for-the-fences-it-s-also-what-you-might-call-take-a/) [Bob Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-crane/) > [It's hard in comedy. Everyone's like, 'Oh, I don't want to be pretty! I want to be funny.' It's such a trope, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-fineman/it-s-hard-in-comedy-everyone-s-like-oh-i-don-t-want-to-be-pretty-i/) [Chloe Fineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-fineman/) > [Hard comedy goes for the jocular. Hard comedy is basic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-crane/hard-comedy-goes-for-the-jocular-hard-comedy-is-basic/) [Bob Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-crane/) ## More by Ivan Reitman > [I remember when first, Stripes, and then Animal House came out - which I was really proud of, even though it was kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-remember-when-first-stripes-and-then-animal-house-came-out-which-i/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [It's sort of the most important thing for acting, is to listen to the person you're dealing with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/it-s-sort-of-the-most-important-thing-for-acting-is-to-listen-to-the/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [Much of romantic relationships today have to do when the people are not in the same room. Whether it’s texting or emailing or Facebooking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/much-of-romantic-relationships-today-have-to-do-when-the-people-are/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [My sense is, I think it's okay for directors to do movies that speak to other work in their career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/my-sense-is-i-think-it-s-okay-for-directors-to-do-movies-that-speak/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [We watch movies about all sorts of things that we don't know anything about, but we do get caught up in the human drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/we-watch-movies-about-all-sorts-of-things-that-we-don-t-know-anything/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [We got some devastating reviews on Animal House at the start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/we-got-some-devastating-reviews-on-animal-house-at-the-start/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I don't think there will be another Ghostbusters. I think we're all too old to do it. I think we've done it a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-don-t-think-there-will-be-another-ghostbusters-i-think-we-re-all/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [The hardest thing for everyone, for the writer, for the director and certainly for the actors, is not to panic when they're doing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/the-hardest-thing-for-everyone-for-the-writer-for-the-director-and/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I don't think my sense of humor has changed at all; I was born with this, for better or for worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-don-t-think-my-sense-of-humor-has-changed-at-all-i-was-born-with/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [Movies either work or they don't work and they're either funny or they're not and we work very hard. To achieve that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/movies-either-work-or-they-don-t-work-and-they-re-either-funny-or/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I'd always been a science fiction enthusiast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-d-always-been-a-science-fiction-enthusiast/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [My first student film was Orientation, which was basically the set-up for Animal House. There are a couple of scenes that we later borrowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/my-first-student-film-was-orientation-which-was-basically-the-set-up/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I believe that improvisation is really just a directorial tool. It's a writing tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-believe-that-improvisation-is-really-just-a-directorial-tool-it-s-a/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I never like to do parodies. I never do. It's just not my style of comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-never-like-to-do-parodies-i-never-do-it-s-just-not-my-style-of/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I'm not sure I agree with the thesis, because I think that even though something grotesque or gross has been part of film since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-m-not-sure-i-agree-with-the-thesis-because-i-think-that-even-though/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) [Explore all 42 Ivan Reitman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) ## More Awards quotes > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [I love awards, especially if I get them. It's up to the courage of the filmmakers to make art in cinema, not just business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gazzara/i-love-awards-especially-if-i-get-them-it-s-up-to-the-courage-of-the/) [Ben Gazzara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gazzara/) > [I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-not-a-great-believer-in-awards-of-course-the-fact-that-i-ve-never/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“Stop spending money to be nominated for worthless awards with no substance and no worth to your career. If you have to spend money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-weisman/stop-spending-money-to-be-nominated-for-worthless-awards-with-no/) [Loren Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-weisman/) > [I'm process-orientated. Awards, by their nature, are results-orientated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-jenkins/i-m-process-orientated-awards-by-their-nature-are-results-orientated/) [Barry Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-jenkins/) > [I can't imagine anyone thinking, 'Oh good, it's awards season!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-can-t-imagine-anyone-thinking-oh-good-it-s-awards-season/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [It feels fantastic, I never thought I would get anything, I've won awards and things but I never thought I would get an OBE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marsh/it-feels-fantastic-i-never-thought-i-would-get-anything-i-ve-won/) [Jean Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marsh/) > [Well, I met Sandy Bullock at an awards thing a couple years ago, and she said to me, “If I were gay, you’d be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/well-i-met-sandy-bullock-at-an-awards-thing-a-couple-years-ago-and/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [Thi is the malady onf the humans, that they can hold on to that which is fleeting and of little consequence and call it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/thi-is-the-malady-onf-the-humans-that-they-can-hold-on-to-that-which/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [I remember when I first won the Academy Award and how much I loved it. I just wish there was an award around that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-woodward/i-remember-when-i-first-won-the-academy-award-and-how-much-i-loved-it/) [Joanne Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-woodward/) > [The three of us just try put our heads down and stay creative. The awards truly are just cake. 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We worship our work, we worship our clients and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailender-singh/i-don-t-care-about-awards-and-public-image-we-know-the-business-of/) [Shailender Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailender-singh/) [Browse all 1,232 Awards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awards/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody says how hard comedy is, but, when it comes time to honor things, whether it's on a weekly critical basis or whether it's award time, at that time of the year, comedy is the poor, dumb child of dramatic work.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ivan Reitman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-when-it-comes-time-to-honor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awards" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-when-it-comes-time-to-honor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/ivan-reitman-15779_awards_everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-wh_3034755.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/ivan-reitman-15779_awards_everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-wh_3034755.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/ivan-reitman-15779_awards_everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-wh_3034755.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everybody says how hard comedy is, but, when it comes time to honor things, whether it's on a weekly…” — Ivan Reitman", "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": "Ivan Reitman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everybody says how hard comedy is,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-when-it-comes-time-to-honor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/everybody-says-how-hard-comedy-is-but-when-it-comes-time-to-honor/#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 } } ] } ```