--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're looking at the array of…" description: "\"If you're looking at the array of performers, there's just a lot of people that it's about getting closer to them. That's not really our focus. It's fu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/john-flansburgh-14315_ed-sullivan_if-you-re-looking-at-the-array-of-perfor_1056167.jpg" --- # If you're looking at the array of performers, there's just… ![“If you're looking at the array of performers, there's just a lot of people that it's about getting closer to them. That's not really our focus. It's funny, with the kids' stuff, we really sell ourselves as the MC, but it's much more like we're Ed Sullivan than we're like Sting. We're just the…” quote by John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/john-flansburgh-14315_ed-sullivan_if-you-re-looking-at-the-array-of-perfor_1056167.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/john-flansburgh-14315_ed-sullivan_if-you-re-looking-at-the-array-of-perfor_1056167.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/john-flansburgh-14315_ed-sullivan_if-you-re-looking-at-the-array-of-perfor_1056167.jpg) > “If you're looking at the array of performers, there's just a lot of people that it's about getting closer to them. That's not really our focus. It's funny, with the kids' stuff, we really sell ourselves as the MC, but it's much more like we're Ed Sullivan than we're like Sting. We're just the presenters. And that's an idea that we're very comfortable with.” [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The act of presenting is about connecting audiences, not showcasing performers; the role is akin to a host. **In simple terms:** Being a presenter means linking people, not being the star. Key Takeaway Focus on audience connection over fame. Themes presentation humility collaboration Mood reflective thoughtful Type analytical observational When to use this quote - concerts - television shows - online streaming events Key Concepts hosting media dynamics audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How does a presenter shape audience perception? - When does presenting become overbearing? A Different Perspective Relying on presenters can limit artistic authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Array Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/array-performers-2554022/) [Ed sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ed-sullivan/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Like Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-sting-344538/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Performers Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers-just-2554021/) [Presenters Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presenters-idea-2554023/) ## Related quotes > [Teachers are performers, just like I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/teachers-are-performers-just-like-i-am/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [I think most performers are just lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-watson/i-think-most-performers-are-just-lazy/) [Aaron Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-watson/) > [Nobody in wrestling really spoke to me as a human, but I was a huge admirer of guys like Sting, their body of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/nobody-in-wrestling-really-spoke-to-me-as-a-human-but-i-was-a-huge/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [I'm one of those performers who has done just about everything except juggle, and I'm working on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/i-m-one-of-those-performers-who-has-done-just-about-everything-except/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [I don't think Sting knows much of anything about the Vandals. But you know who Sting does like? Sting really likes Devo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/i-don-t-think-sting-knows-much-of-anything-about-the-vandals-but-you/) [Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/) > [It's funny, I think after you are a star like Sting and you no longer think you need any guidance or aid - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meshell-ndegeocello/it-s-funny-i-think-after-you-are-a-star-like-sting-and-you-no-longer/) [Meshell Ndegeocello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meshell-ndegeocello/) > [I remember tap-dancing and singing in front of the TV when I was a kid, telling my dad to stop watching Ed Sullivan or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-remember-tap-dancing-and-singing-in-front-of-the-tv-when-i-was-a/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [ After the Ed Sullivan Show, Feb. 9, 1964, at approx. 8:04pm \[laughs\], after that moment every album, every guitar, evey set of drums that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-thorogood/after-the-ed-sullivan-show-feb-9-1964-at-approx-8-04pm-laughs-after/) [George Thorogood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-thorogood/) > [ \[On turning down an invitation to appear for four minutes on the Ed Sullivan Show:\] Honey, it takes Moms four minutes just to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moms-mabley/on-turning-down-an-invitation-to-appear-for-four-minutes-on-the-ed/) [Moms Mabley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moms-mabley/) > [And I was booked once to go on 'Ed Sullivan' and I got bumped and ran out the back door crying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aretha-franklin/and-i-was-booked-once-to-go-on-ed-sullivan-and-i-got-bumped-and-ran/) [Aretha Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aretha-franklin/) > [The Dave Clark Five had more appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' than The Beatles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-shaffer/the-dave-clark-five-had-more-appearances-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-than/) [Paul Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-shaffer/) > [Everything that you'd see on The Ed Sullivan Show was at the Tannen's Magic. You'd think that if you could afford a trick like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/everything-that-you-d-see-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-was-at-the-tannen-s/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [I grew up in the 1950s and '60s, when it was almost a holiday when a black act would go on Ed Sullivan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/i-grew-up-in-the-1950s-and-60s-when-it-was-almost-a-holiday-when-a/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [I was the first to promote The Beatles in the States, and Ed Sullivan called me first about them before he ever booked them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-bernstein/i-was-the-first-to-promote-the-beatles-in-the-states-and-ed-sullivan/) [Sid Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-bernstein/) > [Ed Sullivan will be around as long as someone else has talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/ed-sullivan-will-be-around-as-long-as-someone-else-has-talent/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) ## More by John Flansburgh > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [It's hard to tell a shallow person that they should care more about the feelings of the awkward and the alienated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/it-s-hard-to-tell-a-shallow-person-that-they-should-care-more-about/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Every declarative statement that comes out of an interview with somebody is actually in response to a question. It's like this very real interpersonal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/every-declarative-statement-that-comes-out-of-an-interview-with/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [There have been times I wanted to cry on interview, but it hasn't been because that's what they're trying to conjure. No. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/there-have-been-times-i-wanted-to-cry-on-interview-but-it-hasn-t-been/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I feel like musicians have such a precarious place in the political discourse, because musicians are, sort of just by nature, people-pleasers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-musicians-have-such-a-precarious-place-in-the-political/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I think the biggest wrestling match-up I have is how to respond to the word "quirky." Or the alternate, "nerdy." Both are essentially benign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-think-the-biggest-wrestling-match-up-i-have-is-how-to-respond-to/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [The simplest app on your smartphone requires 40 peoples' purest imagination. The challenges with people on environment, we just have to open some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/the-simplest-app-on-your-smartphone-requires-40-peoples-purest/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Sometimes you have to wonder if there isn't an ejector seat built into having a popular-music career. We were lucky when we started. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/sometimes-you-have-to-wonder-if-there-isn-t-an-ejector-seat-built/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Sometimes people will ask a real "Why are you beating your wife?" question where there's some assumption built into it, and all you're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/sometimes-people-will-ask-a-real-why-are-you-beating-your-wife/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Bill O'Reilly knew he could just filibuster and enjoy all the airtime that a full interview would give him, and then also grab the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/bill-o-reilly-knew-he-could-just-filibuster-and-enjoy-all-the-airtime/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I don't think bands should feel compelled to speak out unless they actually have something to say. I think that's a big mistake, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-don-t-think-bands-should-feel-compelled-to-speak-out-unless-they/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Look, up in the sky! It's the sky!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/look-up-in-the-sky-it-s-the-sky/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [A lot of times I'll post things on Facebook, and the immediate response will be like, "Stick to the music!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/a-lot-of-times-i-ll-post-things-on-facebook-and-the-immediate/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [ In an interview John \[Linnell\] said, 'At a certain point you just get tired of the way the other person breathes,' and I took… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/in-an-interview-john-linnell-said-at-a-certain-point-you-just-get/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [There is a fact-based belief system available to you if you want to believe in facts. But this is the weirdest time. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/there-is-a-fact-based-belief-system-available-to-you-if-you-want-to/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) [Explore all 47 John Flansburgh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) ## More Ed sullivan quotes > [Ed Sullivan will be around as long as someone else has talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/ed-sullivan-will-be-around-as-long-as-someone-else-has-talent/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [I was the first to promote The Beatles in the States, and Ed Sullivan called me first about them before he ever booked them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-bernstein/i-was-the-first-to-promote-the-beatles-in-the-states-and-ed-sullivan/) [Sid Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-bernstein/) > [I grew up in the 1950s and '60s, when it was almost a holiday when a black act would go on Ed Sullivan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/i-grew-up-in-the-1950s-and-60s-when-it-was-almost-a-holiday-when-a/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [Everything that you'd see on The Ed Sullivan Show was at the Tannen's Magic. You'd think that if you could afford a trick like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/everything-that-you-d-see-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-was-at-the-tannen-s/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [The Dave Clark Five had more appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' than The Beatles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-shaffer/the-dave-clark-five-had-more-appearances-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-than/) [Paul Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-shaffer/) > [And I was booked once to go on 'Ed Sullivan' and I got bumped and ran out the back door crying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aretha-franklin/and-i-was-booked-once-to-go-on-ed-sullivan-and-i-got-bumped-and-ran/) [Aretha Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aretha-franklin/) > [ \[On turning down an invitation to appear for four minutes on the Ed Sullivan Show:\] Honey, it takes Moms four minutes just to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moms-mabley/on-turning-down-an-invitation-to-appear-for-four-minutes-on-the-ed/) [Moms Mabley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moms-mabley/) > [ After the Ed Sullivan Show, Feb. 9, 1964, at approx. 8:04pm \[laughs\], after that moment every album, every guitar, evey set of drums that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-thorogood/after-the-ed-sullivan-show-feb-9-1964-at-approx-8-04pm-laughs-after/) [George Thorogood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-thorogood/) > [I remember tap-dancing and singing in front of the TV when I was a kid, telling my dad to stop watching Ed Sullivan or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-remember-tap-dancing-and-singing-in-front-of-the-tv-when-i-was-a/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [ Most magic is a trick, an illusion. But \[when The Beatles played the Ed Sullivan Show\], this was real. Man oh man, was it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/most-magic-is-a-trick-an-illusion-but-when-the-beatles-played-the-ed/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [More than any other drummer, Ringo Starr changed my life. The impact and memory of that band on Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weinberg/more-than-any-other-drummer-ringo-starr-changed-my-life-the-impact/) [Max Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weinberg/) > [I don't think Ed Sullivan had anything to do with Carib Song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunham/i-don-t-think-ed-sullivan-had-anything-to-do-with-carib-song/) [Katherine Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunham/) > [Ed Sullivan brought me to TV first in 1952, then Garry Moore's program gave me a lot of confidence and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-king/ed-sullivan-brought-me-to-tv-first-in-1952-then-garry-moore-s-program/) [Alan King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-king/) > [There was one television in the living room, and we all sat around on Sundays and watched Ed Sullivan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tambor/there-was-one-television-in-the-living-room-and-we-all-sat-around-on/) [Jeffrey Tambor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tambor/) > [When the Beatles were on 'Ed Sullivan,' life went from black and white to color like in 'The Wizard of Oz' - and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lukather/when-the-beatles-were-on-ed-sullivan-life-went-from-black-and-white/) [Steve Lukather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lukather/) [Browse all 37 Ed sullivan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ed-sullivan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're looking at the array of performers, there's just a lot of people that it's about getting closer to them. 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