--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Comedy and horror are cousins; they're…" description: "\"Comedy and horror are cousins; they're related. They both come from storytellers who want to specifically affect the audience and elicit specific react..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/jason-reitman-6741_audience_comedy-and-horror-are-cousins-they-re-re_556386.png" --- # Comedy and horror are cousins; they're related. They both… ![“Comedy and horror are cousins; they're related. They both come from storytellers who want to specifically affect the audience and elicit specific reactions during the movie.” quote by Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/jason-reitman-6741_audience_comedy-and-horror-are-cousins-they-re-re_556386.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/jason-reitman-6741_audience_comedy-and-horror-are-cousins-they-re-re_556386.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/jason-reitman-6741_audience_comedy-and-horror-are-cousins-they-re-re_556386.png) > “Comedy and horror are cousins; they're related. They both come from storytellers who want to specifically affect the audience and elicit specific reactions during the movie.” [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-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 and horror share roots in manipulating audience emotions, using storytelling to provoke laughter or fear. **In simple terms:** Both genres aim to trigger strong reactions through story. Key Takeaway Use emotional contrast to engage viewers. Themes storytelling emotion genre theory audience impact Mood analytical creative Type observational theoretical When to use this quote - screenwriting - directing - film marketing - genre blending - audience testing Key Concepts psychology narrative structure catharsis Questions to Reflect On - What techniques keep both tones effective together? - How does audience expectation shape genre blending? A Different Perspective Humor can undermine horror tension if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affect Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affect-audience-1039567/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-horror-1283183/) [Cousin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cousin/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-cousins-4621519/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Reactions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reactions/) [Related](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/related/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [The worst thing you can do to a filmmaker is to walk out of his film and go, 'That was a nice movie.' But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-to-a-filmmaker-is-to-walk-out-of-his-film/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [I’ve always believed that the way you affect your audience is more important than how many of them are there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-ve-always-believed-that-the-way-you-affect-your-audience-is-more/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [There’s nothing more embarrassing than a person who tries to guess what the great American public would like, makes a compromise for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/there-s-nothing-more-embarrassing-than-a-person-who-tries-to-guess/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [In this type of cinema, whether working with actors or non-actors, as much as you do direct them, if you allow yourself to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/in-this-type-of-cinema-whether-working-with-actors-or-non-actors-as/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [When it's a moral grey zone, the audience has to think about what they feel and what they think is right or wrong. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/when-it-s-a-moral-grey-zone-the-audience-has-to-think-about-what-they/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [Even if an episode is self-contained, the preceding episodes always affect how the audience takes it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/even-if-an-episode-is-self-contained-the-preceding-episodes-always/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [At first, I was saying to my rep, 'I don't know if this is really my thing.' I get heart palpitations just watching basic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alycia-debnam-carey/at-first-i-was-saying-to-my-rep-i-don-t-know-if-this-is-really-my/) [Alycia Debnam-Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alycia-debnam-carey/) > [Like comedy, horror has an ability to provoke thought and further the conversation on real social issues in a very powerful way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/like-comedy-horror-has-an-ability-to-provoke-thought-and-further-the/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [I love the idea of comedy in horror. I think this should be allowed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/i-love-the-idea-of-comedy-in-horror-i-think-this-should-be-allowed/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) > [Films do have suspense and tensions and scares and jumps, and I like to write things that have both in them, comedy and horror,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/films-do-have-suspense-and-tensions-and-scares-and-jumps-and-i-like/) [Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/) > [Comedy and horror are both escapes, and entertainment is a beautiful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-aarons/comedy-and-horror-are-both-escapes-and-entertainment-is-a-beautiful/) [Bonnie Aarons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-aarons/) > [It's a hard thing, I think, to totally balance comedy and horror, and to do it in a way that is about the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hechinger/it-s-a-hard-thing-i-think-to-totally-balance-comedy-and-horror-and-to/) [Fred Hechinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hechinger/) > [The best comedy and horror feel like they take place in reality. You have a rule or two you are bending or heightening, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/the-best-comedy-and-horror-feel-like-they-take-place-in-reality-you/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [The stuff I write with Joe Lo Truglio tends to lean towards horror-comedy and horror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-marino/the-stuff-i-write-with-joe-lo-truglio-tends-to-lean-towards-horror/) [Ken Marino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-marino/) > [Nobody tried comedy in horror, and when I tried it ladies came to the theatre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghava-lawrence/nobody-tried-comedy-in-horror-and-when-i-tried-it-ladies-came-to-the/) [Raghava Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghava-lawrence/) ## More by Jason Reitman > [When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing ends and how to get the audience there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is-where-the-thing-ends-and-how/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [I think it's a mistake for young filmmakers to just buy digital equipment and shoot a feature. 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Every Saturday, six of us would go see the worst movie that came out each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-used-to-have-a-group-called-bad-movie-saturday-every-saturday-six/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [ “\[With comedy and wanting to make people laugh,\] when you're a child, all you want is ANY kind of laugh. You get them to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/with-comedy-and-wanting-to-make-people-laugh-when-you-re-a-child-all/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [From the onset of the 'Live-Read' series, we wanted to hit all the major writers and Woody Allen is simply one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/from-the-onset-of-the-live-read-series-we-wanted-to-hit-all-the-major/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [There certainly is no secret in that there are plenty of people who don't like plenty of my movies. Each one of my films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/there-certainly-is-no-secret-in-that-there-are-plenty-of-people-who/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Creating a wonderful drama is an art form, while comedy is just entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/creating-a-wonderful-drama-is-an-art-form-while-comedy-is-just/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Most people see a documentary about the meat industry and then they become a vegetarian for a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/most-people-see-a-documentary-about-the-meat-industry-and-then-they/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Discover how little you know about the people you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/discover-how-little-you-know-about-the-people-you-know/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [I'm a kind of private guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-m-a-kind-of-private-guy/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) [Explore all 98 Jason Reitman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! 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