--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever you're talking about using humor…" description: "\"Whenever you're talking about using humor in politics or in a policy speech or in a serious moment, you're talking about using it as a tool to engage p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/jon-lovett-8245_communication_whenever-you-re-talking-about-using-humo_889888.jpg" --- # Whenever you're talking about using humor in politics or… ![“Whenever you're talking about using humor in politics or in a policy speech or in a serious moment, you're talking about using it as a tool to engage people. That's why putting a joke in a political speech is a luxury, and it is always a risk.” quote by Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/jon-lovett-8245_communication_whenever-you-re-talking-about-using-humo_889888.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/jon-lovett-8245_communication_whenever-you-re-talking-about-using-humo_889888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/jon-lovett-8245_communication_whenever-you-re-talking-about-using-humo_889888.jpg) > “Whenever you're talking about using humor in politics or in a policy speech or in a serious moment, you're talking about using it as a tool to engage people. That's why putting a joke in a political speech is a luxury, and it is always a risk.” [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor in politics can engage audiences but is risky; it should be used sparingly and wisely. **In simple terms:** Jokes can engage but are risky. Key Takeaway Use humor strategically, not excessively. Themes politics communication humor Mood cautious analytical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - campaign speeches - debates - public addresses - media appearances Key Concepts rhetoric risk management Questions to Reflect On - When is humor appropriate? - How can you gauge audience reaction? A Different Perspective Humor may backfire if misaligned with audience expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Humor Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor-politics-1137198/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Joke Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke-political-1137199/) [Luxury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luxury/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-speech/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Putting Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putting-joke-1137201/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Using Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using-humor-1137200/) ## Related quotes > [“Ann CoulterAnn Coulter > Quotes Ann Coulter quotes (showing 1-30 of 210) “Guns are our friends because in a country without guns, I'm what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/ann-coulterann-coulter-quotes-ann-coulter-quotes-showing-1-30-of-210/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [There's plenty of room for humor in politics, God knows, but it's a serious business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/there-s-plenty-of-room-for-humor-in-politics-god-knows-but-it-s-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Why can't we give the American people a break and separate humor from politics?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-crenshaw/why-can-t-we-give-the-american-people-a-break-and-separate-humor-from/) [Dan Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-crenshaw/) > [ There's always a source for humor \[in politics\]. If it's inappropriate to write about, if there's nothing funny about it, then it's not funny.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-trillin/there-s-always-a-source-for-humor-in-politics-if-it-s-inappropriate/) [Calvin Trillin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-trillin/) > [Mixing humor and politics is something that works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/mixing-humor-and-politics-is-something-that-works/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [In high school, you re either a bully, a jock or a nerd, and I somehow tried to jump between camps by using humor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/in-high-school-you-re-either-a-bully-a-jock-or-a-nerd-and-i-somehow/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [ \[Using humor to explore serious issues\] disarms people. It's a way in. It's gentle, but at the same time it's subversive, and I like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-loomer/using-humor-to-explore-serious-issues-disarms-people-it-s-a-way-in-it/) [Lisa Loomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-loomer/) > [I like telling stories with a sense of humor. But humor can also distance you from the subject you're writing about. I'm interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-lekman/i-like-telling-stories-with-a-sense-of-humor-but-humor-can-also/) [Jens Lekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-lekman/) > [Using humor as a wedge into different kinds of stories is my go-to. I think anything I do would have some sort of streak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nahnatchka-khan/using-humor-as-a-wedge-into-different-kinds-of-stories-is-my-go-to-i/) [Nahnatchka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nahnatchka-khan/) > [For me, it's important to elevate the hypocrisy with humor. Then you really are using the humor to elevate the problem, saying this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/for-me-it-s-important-to-elevate-the-hypocrisy-with-humor-then-you/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) > [We kind of have a cranky side of ourselves, so when people get upset about what we're doing, we kind of feel that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-kind-of-have-a-cranky-side-of-ourselves-so-when-people-get-upset/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [I've always liked using humor, but what I had to with 'Chewing Gum' was take out a lot of darkness so it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/i-ve-always-liked-using-humor-but-what-i-had-to-with-chewing-gum-was/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [One camp accepts the Court's limits on contributions but urges the reinstatement of spending caps - even if this requires a constitutional amendment subjecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-camp-accepts-the-court-s-limits-on-contributions-but-urges-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The solution to voters potentially being misled by a judicial candidate's political speech is more speech - not government censorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amul-thapar/the-solution-to-voters-potentially-being-misled-by-a-judicial/) [Amul Thapar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amul-thapar/) > [I'm really proud of this Supreme Court and the way they've been dealing with the issue of First Amendment political speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-m-really-proud-of-this-supreme-court-and-the-way-they-ve-been/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) ## More by Jon Lovett > [Most of my time at the White House, I wrote very unfunny speeches, but every year, I would work on the correspondents' dinner, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/most-of-my-time-at-the-white-house-i-wrote-very-unfunny-speeches-but/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [When in doubt, mock the powerful, not the powerless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-in-doubt-mock-the-powerful-not-the-powerless/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [I worked on one speech about the financial system that caused the Dow to drop, like, 200 points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/i-worked-on-one-speech-about-the-financial-system-that-caused-the-dow/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There is that definition of leadership that says, 'Leadership is convincing people to do things that they otherwise wouldn't have done because you've made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-is-that-definition-of-leadership-that-says-leadership-is/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > ['Veep' is a great satire of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/veep-is-a-great-satire-of-democracy/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [Part of my job as a presidential speechwriter (along with great writers like Jon Favreau and David Axelrod) was finding that sliver where 'presidential'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/part-of-my-job-as-a-presidential-speechwriter-along-with-great/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [If there is one way that I would sum up what the 2016 election was on cable news, it was world-class journalists interviewing morons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/if-there-is-one-way-that-i-would-sum-up-what-the-2016-election-was-on/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There are a lot of heartbroken, anxious people that thought better of their country. We're heartbroken by how far Trump has gotten to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-are-a-lot-of-heartbroken-anxious-people-that-thought-better-of/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > ['1600 Penn' was a hit. It's 2018. Anything you want can be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/1600-penn-was-a-hit-it-s-2018-anything-you-want-can-be-true/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [More and more people support equality for their gay friends and neighbors, and that is not because the 'Duck Dynasty' guy almost lost his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/more-and-more-people-support-equality-for-their-gay-friends-and/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [We need people to point out groupthink - We need people to point out stale, old, dumb thinking - and we sometimes need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/we-need-people-to-point-out-groupthink-we-need-people-to-point-out/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There's only so much mistrust we can take before things get much worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-s-only-so-much-mistrust-we-can-take-before-things-get-much-worse/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [When I was a kid, all I knew about Michael Jackson was that he was crazy. He had a monkey named Bubbles and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-i-was-a-kid-all-i-knew-about-michael-jackson-was-that-he-was/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [The First Amendment's protections have always put a great deal of responsibility in our hands: not only to respect the power of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/the-first-amendment-s-protections-have-always-put-a-great-deal-of/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [Trump is a raptor testing the fences, and he found weaknesses to escape and try things that would work, every single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/trump-is-a-raptor-testing-the-fences-and-he-found-weaknesses-to/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) [Explore all 82 Jon Lovett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [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/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) [Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever you're talking about using humor in politics or in a policy speech or in a serious moment, you're talking about using it as a tool to engage people. 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