--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's this message to comedians in…" description: "\"There's this message to comedians in particular, that you shouldn't write it, and a television writer should write it. And that's a prevailing conventi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/jim-gaffigan-580_able_there-s-this-message-to-comedians-in-par_2696712.jpg" --- # There's this message to comedians in particular, that you… ![“There's this message to comedians in particular, that you shouldn't write it, and a television writer should write it. And that's a prevailing conventional wisdom that I think is really wrong. That's not to say that television writers aren't great, but I think that the belief that some comedy…” quote by Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/jim-gaffigan-580_able_there-s-this-message-to-comedians-in-par_2696712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/jim-gaffigan-580_able_there-s-this-message-to-comedians-in-par_2696712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/jim-gaffigan-580_able_there-s-this-message-to-comedians-in-par_2696712.jpg) > “There's this message to comedians in particular, that you shouldn't write it, and a television writer should write it. And that's a prevailing conventional wisdom that I think is really wrong. That's not to say that television writers aren't great, but I think that the belief that some comedy writer's going to be able to capture your voice is naive.” [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy writing is not exclusive to TV writers; diverse voices enrich humor. **In simple terms:** Anyone can write comedy. Key Takeaway Encourage varied writers. Themes creativity inclusion humor Mood inspirational playful Type advice motivational When to use this quote - stand‑up routines - online sketches - podcast scripts Key Concepts authorship media bias Questions to Reflect On - What barriers stop you from writing comedy? - How can you nurture your comedic voice? A Different Perspective TV writers may lack unique perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Conventional wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-wisdom/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Television's very much a writer's medium, as it probably should be, but if you're not the writer, then as the performer, you defer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/television-s-very-much-a-writer-s-medium-as-it-probably-should-be-but/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [When you're doing 22 shows on network television, the writers are going on vapors towards the end and, as an actor, you're just trashed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/when-you-re-doing-22-shows-on-network-television-the-writers-are/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [I have a great job writing for 'The Office,' but, really, all television writers do is dream of one day writing movies. I'll put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-have-a-great-job-writing-for-the-office-but-really-all-television/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Movies, particularly the big hit movies, are all just special effects. But on television, the writers are in control of the shows, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-cohen/movies-particularly-the-big-hit-movies-are-all-just-special-effects/) [Larry Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-cohen/) > [I have a theory that there has never been a bad movie written about television because the writers have all been victims of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-lipman/i-have-a-theory-that-there-has-never-been-a-bad-movie-written-about/) [Maureen Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-lipman/) > [“Maybe authors shouldn't write more than one or two books. Maybe you just keep writing the same book over and over anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-langer/maybe-authors-shouldn-t-write-more-than-one-or-two-books-maybe-you/) [Adam Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-langer/) > [I've had to really teach myself that when you're not feeling it, you shouldn't write anything down because you're going to end up coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/i-ve-had-to-really-teach-myself-that-when-you-re-not-feeling-it-you/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [I have a theory you shouldn't write a book unless you have something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-breitbart/i-have-a-theory-you-shouldn-t-write-a-book-unless-you-have-something/) [Andrew Breitbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-breitbart/) > [“If women don't like men staring at their chests, they shouldn't write on them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-brackin/if-women-don-t-like-men-staring-at-their-chests-they-shouldn-t-write/) [Ron Brackin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-brackin/) > [If I weren't the way I am, I shouldn't write my symphonies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-mahler/if-i-weren-t-the-way-i-am-i-shouldn-t-write-my-symphonies/) [Gustav Mahler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-mahler/) > [Nearly everybody is looking for something brave to do. I don't know why people shouldn't write poetry. That's brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/nearly-everybody-is-looking-for-something-brave-to-do-i-don-t-know/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [If I loved all the world as I do you, I shouldn't write books to it: I should only write letters to it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/if-i-loved-all-the-world-as-i-do-you-i-shouldn-t-write-books-to-it-i/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [I was a new writer and I was supposed to write all the time, wasn't I? I had not yet discovered that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crawford/i-was-a-new-writer-and-i-was-supposed-to-write-all-the-time-wasn-t-i/) [Stanley Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crawford/) > [One shouldn't write one's own epitaph. I hope people will remember me as one who did her best - and who wasn't an anachronism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/one-shouldn-t-write-one-s-own-epitaph-i-hope-people-will-remember-me/) [Margrethe II of Denmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/) > [I tell my students there is such a thing as 'writer's block,' and they should respect it. You shouldn't write through it. It's blocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-tell-my-students-there-is-such-a-thing-as-writer-s-block-and-they/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More by Jim Gaffigan > [“Cousins are like celebrities for little kids.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/cousins-are-like-celebrities-for-little-kids/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Stand-up comedy in the end, unlike the rest of the entertainment industry, is a meritocracy. There's a certain level of undeniability you can work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/stand-up-comedy-in-the-end-unlike-the-rest-of-the-entertainment/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I think growing up in Indiana prepares anyone for a life in comedy. I do feel like there is a certain kind of self-effacing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/i-think-growing-up-in-indiana-prepares-anyone-for-a-life-in-comedy-i/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Besides hot pockets keeps introducing new products every 10 minutes so I always have new stuff on the topic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/besides-hot-pockets-keeps-introducing-new-products-every-10-minutes/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“The song goes, “Morning has broken,” and I’m pretty sure my children broke it. 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It does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/babies-and-toddlers-are-mostly-what-i-ve-been-exposed-to-at-this/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Isn't it strange -- when you're single, all you see is couples, and when you're part of a couple, all you see are hookers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/isn-t-it-strange-when-you-re-single-all-you-see-is-couples-and-when/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I usually don't have a burger, a brat, and a steak but it is 4th of July. And I need the energy if I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/i-usually-don-t-have-a-burger-a-brat-and-a-steak-but-it-is-4th-of/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“If you complain about how you spend your Saturdays taking your kid to birthday parties, that means you are taking your kid to birthday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/if-you-complain-about-how-you-spend-your-saturdays-taking-your-kid-to/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Ever eat so much you feel sick? Isn't that the best?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/ever-eat-so-much-you-feel-sick-isn-t-that-the-best/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I believe that comedians do what they do, and then they get credit or criticism for doing it. There's nothing planned about this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/i-believe-that-comedians-do-what-they-do-and-then-they-get-credit-or/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“Being a parent is a selfless adventure. The worldview of “Take care of yourself first” is no longer logical to a sane person if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/being-a-parent-is-a-selfless-adventure-the-worldview-of-take-care-of/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“Occasionally, a dog will be presented as some training method for having a baby. "My girlfriend and I got a dog. We are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/occasionally-a-dog-will-be-presented-as-some-training-method-for/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Cookies at both of them. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [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/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. 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This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's this message to comedians in particular, that you shouldn't write it, and a television writer should write it. And that's a prevailing conventional wisdom that I think is really wrong. 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