--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today's comedian has a cross to bear that…" description: "\"Today's comedian has a cross to bear that he built himself. A comedian of the older generation did an act and he told the audience, This is my act. Tod..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/lenny-bruce-4320_assuming_today-s-comedian-has-a-cross-to-bear-tha_2983041.jpg" --- # Today's comedian has a cross to bear that he built… ![“Today's comedian has a cross to bear that he built himself. A comedian of the older generation did an act and he told the audience, This is my act. Today's comic is not doing an act. The audience assumes he's telling the truth. What is truth today may be a damn lie next week.” quote by Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/lenny-bruce-4320_assuming_today-s-comedian-has-a-cross-to-bear-tha_2983041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/lenny-bruce-4320_assuming_today-s-comedian-has-a-cross-to-bear-tha_2983041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/lenny-bruce-4320_assuming_today-s-comedian-has-a-cross-to-bear-tha_2983041.jpg) > “Today's comedian has a cross to bear that he built himself. A comedian of the older generation did an act and he told the audience, This is my act. Today's comic is not doing an act. The audience assumes he's telling the truth. What is truth today may be a damn lie next week.” [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedians today present themselves as genuine, but truth is fluid and can become false quickly **In simple terms:** Comedy blurs truth and lie, making authenticity uncertain Key Takeaway Question the authenticity of public personas Themes authenticity truth comedy media perception Mood cynical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - media interviews - political speeches - social media posts Key Concepts philosophy of truth performance art social critique Questions to Reflect On - What defines authenticity in performance? - How does audience expectation shape truth? A Different Perspective Truth can be manipulated for effect ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Comic Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-doing-776869/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Crosses to bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses-to-bear/) [Damn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damn/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Next week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-week/) [Older generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-generation/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Telling truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-truth/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Today Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today-comedian-4648919/) [Today Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today-comic-4648920/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [When you're a comic doing a special, it's like you're directing your first movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segura/when-you-re-a-comic-doing-a-special-it-s-like-you-re-directing-your/) [Tom Segura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segura/) > [I just try to keep myself a traditionalist. I liked being an underground comic doing my thing. I want to maintain that. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/i-just-try-to-keep-myself-a-traditionalist-i-liked-being-an/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [Hellboy was entirely the comic I wish someone much more talented than I was doing, because I would have been a huge fan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mignola/hellboy-was-entirely-the-comic-i-wish-someone-much-more-talented-than/) [Mike Mignola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mignola/) > [People used to think I was just a shouty comic but I was doing stuff about Sartre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/people-used-to-think-i-was-just-a-shouty-comic-but-i-was-doing-stuff/) [Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/) > [I tell the stories in front of audiences and wait for something to happen. It's similar to a standup comic doing his schtick for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-munsch/i-tell-the-stories-in-front-of-audiences-and-wait-for-something-to/) [Robert Munsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-munsch/) > [Years have passed since I have set foot in a comedy club. If the comic is doing badly it's painful, and if the comic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/years-have-passed-since-i-have-set-foot-in-a-comedy-club-if-the-comic/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [I don't see myself as a stand-up comic doing cynical, mean-spirited or disrespectful stuff. I'm very aware that I don't like to disrespect people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-ullman/i-don-t-see-myself-as-a-stand-up-comic-doing-cynical-mean-spirited-or/) [Tracey Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-ullman/) > [Time is, in fact, a cross to bear, it passes on inexorably and remorselessly, destroying everything in its wake, save art and works of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-in-fact-a-cross-to-bear-it-passes-on-inexorably-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Amy \[Schumer\] and I each have our cross to bear when it comes to tattoos. Amy and I are funny when we fight. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/amy-schumer-and-i-each-have-our-cross-to-bear-when-it-comes-to/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Psychologically, we all have that cross to bear when we do shady things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmi-simpson/psychologically-we-all-have-that-cross-to-bear-when-we-do-shady-things/) [Jimmi Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmi-simpson/) > [Nobody's life is a bed of roses. We all have crosses to bear, and we all just do our best. I would never claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/nobody-s-life-is-a-bed-of-roses-we-all-have-crosses-to-bear-and-we/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [I was never a big fashion person, and so I'm sure I wore whatever. I was growing, and so I just wore whatever clothes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-vaughn/i-was-never-a-big-fashion-person-and-so-i-m-sure-i-wore-whatever-i/) [Vince Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-vaughn/) > [Each woman is made to feel it is her own cross to bear if she can't be the perfect clone of the male superman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/each-woman-is-made-to-feel-it-is-her-own-cross-to-bear-if-she-can-t/) [Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/) > [I'm a fine artist working in a commercial arena, so that's my cross to bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-m-a-fine-artist-working-in-a-commercial-arena-so-that-s-my-cross-to/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Sometimes being different is not going to be the most popular thing. But you have to be confident in you and what you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delisha-milton-jones/sometimes-being-different-is-not-going-to-be-the-most-popular-thing/) [DeLisha Milton-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delisha-milton-jones/) ## More by Lenny Bruce > [Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/satire-is-tragedy-plus-time-you-give-it-enough-time-the-public-the/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I am influenced by every second of my waking hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-am-influenced-by-every-second-of-my-waking-hour/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Never trust a preacher with more than two suits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/never-trust-a-preacher-with-more-than-two-suits/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I would be with a bunch of Kennedy fans watching the debate, and their comment would be, 'He's really slaughtering Nixon.' Then we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-would-be-with-a-bunch-of-kennedy-fans-watching-the-debate-and-their/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If you're from New York and you're Catholic, you're still Jewish. If you're from Butte Montana and you're Jewish, you're still goyisch. The Air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-re-from-new-york-and-you-re-catholic-you-re-still-jewish-if/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I think it's about time we gave up religion and got back to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-think-it-s-about-time-we-gave-up-religion-and-got-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Alright, let's admit it, we Jews killed Christ - but it was only for three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/alright-let-s-admit-it-we-jews-killed-christ-but-it-was-only-for/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Dig: I'm Jewish. Count Basie's Jewish. Ray Charles is Jewish. Eddie Cantor's goyish. B'nai B'rith is goyish; Hadassah, Jewish. If you live in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/dig-i-m-jewish-count-basie-s-jewish-ray-charles-is-jewish-eddie/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: What I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-won-t-say-ours-was-a-tough-school-but-we-had-our-own-coroner-we/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“If you can't say "Fuck" you can't say, "Fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-can-t-say-fuck-you-can-t-say-fuck-the-government/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Take away the right to say ‘fuck’ and you take away the right to say ‘fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/take-away-the-right-to-say-fuck-and-you-take-away-the-right-to-say/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [The role of a comedian is to make the audience laugh, at a minimum of once every fifteen seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/the-role-of-a-comedian-is-to-make-the-audience-laugh-at-a-minimum-of/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If I get busted in New York, the freest city in the world, that will be the end of my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-i-get-busted-in-new-york-the-freest-city-in-the-world-that-will-be/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/liberals-can-understand-everything-but-people-who-don-t-understand/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) [Explore all 112 Lenny Bruce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) [James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/) > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Today's comedian has a cross to bear that he built himself. A comedian of the older generation did an act and he told the audience, This is my act. Today's comic is not doing an act. The audience assumes he's telling the truth. 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