--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the hard thing for young…" description: "\"I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the wide range of references.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/john-cleese-1768_audience_i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedia_174089.jpg" --- # I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the… ![“I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the wide range of references.” quote by John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/john-cleese-1768_audience_i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedia_174089.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/john-cleese-1768_audience_i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedia_174089.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/john-cleese-1768_audience_i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedia_174089.jpg) > “I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the wide range of references.” [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Young comedians struggle because many audience members lack the broad cultural knowledge needed to appreciate nuanced humor. **In simple terms:** Comedians need shared references to land jokes. Key Takeaway Build common ground before delivering complex jokes. Themes comedy culture communication Mood humorous analytical Type instructional entertaining When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - online memes - educational comedy - cross‑cultural events Key Concepts reference depth generational gaps Questions to Reflect On - How can you bridge reference gaps? - What topics are universally relatable? A Different Perspective Audiences may still miss jokes despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedians/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Hard things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-things/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [I did get good enough to get on HBO's Young Comedians Special, but I certainly wasn't the person who got launched off of HBO's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/i-did-get-good-enough-to-get-on-hbo-s-young-comedians-special-but-i/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [Most young comedians would be lying to say that they weren't huge Weird Al fans when they were kids. Weird Al is probably the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-moore/most-young-comedians-would-be-lying-to-say-that-they-weren-t-huge/) [Trevor Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-moore/) > [I started doing stand-up at the age of 20. This was back in 1976, around the time (coincidence?) that the first comedy clubs were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-started-doing-stand-up-at-the-age-of-20-this-was-back-in-1976/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I was a big fan of Rodney Dangerfield. He had this HBO Young Comedians Special and he'd always bring up new talent, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-iglesias/i-was-a-big-fan-of-rodney-dangerfield-he-had-this-hbo-young-comedians/) [Gabriel Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-iglesias/) > [The vast majority of young people I meet would benefit so much from a year off. You should just go waste a year in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-pichette/the-vast-majority-of-young-people-i-meet-would-benefit-so-much-from-a/) [Patrick Pichette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-pichette/) > [A majority of young people seem to develop mental arteriosclerosis forty years before they get the physical kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/a-majority-of-young-people-seem-to-develop-mental-arteriosclerosis-2/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The vast majority of young people in Britain are law-abiding citizens making important contributions to their communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-grayling/the-vast-majority-of-young-people-in-britain-are-law-abiding-citizens/) [Chris Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-grayling/) > [The biggest piece of advice that I give young comedians is: If it's your goal to get where I'm at, go do something else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/the-biggest-piece-of-advice-that-i-give-young-comedians-is-if-it-s/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [The young comedians always ask me, 'What's the secret for staying around?' I tell them, 'There is no secret - just stay around. Longevity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/the-young-comedians-always-ask-me-what-s-the-secret-for-staying/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Comedians have varying levels of training. It can range from classically trained actors (like Robin Williams) to people who took comedy classes to folks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-alexandro/comedians-have-varying-levels-of-training-it-can-range-from/) [Ted Alexandro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-alexandro/) > [“sometimes you don't look very hard for things you don't believe will or can happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dashner/sometimes-you-don-t-look-very-hard-for-things-you-don-t-believe-will/) [James Dashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dashner/) > [I think love is a really hard thing to define. I think it's multifaceted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-miller/i-think-love-is-a-really-hard-thing-to-define-i-think-it-s/) [Sienna Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-miller/) > [Always end a day with a positive thought. No matter how hard things were, tomorrow is a fresh opportunity to make it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/always-end-a-day-with-a-positive-thought-no-matter-how-hard-things/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I know that I'm going to have to work hard, keep working hard, and not because of this victory think, "I'm back." I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-clijsters/i-know-that-i-m-going-to-have-to-work-hard-keep-working-hard-and-not/) [Kim Clijsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-clijsters/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) ## More by John Cleese > [Too many people confuse being serious with being solemn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/too-many-people-confuse-being-serious-with-being-solemn/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. Because you know when you do the take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nerves-are-always-a-big-problem-for-me-which-is-why-i-loved-doing/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [years ago we would have been burned for this. Now what I am suggesting is that we've advanced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/years-ago-we-would-have-been-burned-for-this-now-what-i-am-suggesting/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I think that sometimes you do something that makes a small group of people laugh, which is all we were trying to do; we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-that-sometimes-you-do-something-that-makes-a-small-group-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [The very essence of playfulness is an openness to anything that may happen, the feeling that whatever happens, it's okay... you're either free to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/the-very-essence-of-playfulness-is-an-openness-to-anything-that-may/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/loving-your-neighbour-as-much-as-yourself-is-practically-bloody/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Creativity is not the possession of some special talent. It’s about the willingness to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/creativity-is-not-the-possession-of-some-special-talent-it-s-about/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [England is a fairly envious little country and it's embodied in the press. They don't like anyone being more distinguished than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/england-is-a-fairly-envious-little-country-and-it-s-embodied-in-the/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I used to desire many, many things, but now I have just one desire, and that's to get rid of all my other desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-used-to-desire-many-many-things-but-now-i-have-just-one-desire-and/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I wish you wusses would stop whining about your unhappiness. I'm really fed up with it. Pour yourself a scotch and pull yourself together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-wish-you-wusses-would-stop-whining-about-your-unhappiness-i-m/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [On movies, I like to involve the cast in the writing of the script. I like to have a rehearsal period, after which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/on-movies-i-like-to-involve-the-cast-in-the-writing-of-the-script-i/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I had a very, very difficult relationship with my mother, who was supremely self-centred. She was hilariously self-centred. She did not really take interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-had-a-very-very-difficult-relationship-with-my-mother-who-was/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nothing will stop you being creative more effectively as the fear of making a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nothing-will-stop-you-being-creative-more-effectively-as-the-fear-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker, who was such a warm, friendly and encouraging presence to have when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-was-very-sad-to-hear-of-the-death-of-ronnie-barker-who-was-such-a/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I think that I feel an indignation when I don't understand something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-that-i-feel-an-indignation-when-i-don-t-understand-something/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) [Explore all 209 John Cleese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) ## 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! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the wide range of references.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Cleese" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedians-is-that-the-majority-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedians-is-that-the-majority-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/john-cleese-1768_audience_i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedia_174089.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/john-cleese-1768_audience_i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedia_174089.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/john-cleese-1768_audience_i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedia_174089.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out…” — John Cleese", "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": "John Cleese", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the hard thing for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedians-is-that-the-majority-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedians-is-that-the-majority-of/#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 } } ] } ```