Business Quote by Mel Smith
“It's a pragmatist's business, comedy. Start off with good intentions and references to the Pompidou Centre and you end up with boiled sweets and a pantomime cow.”
About This Quote
Source Film: The Young Ones, 1982
Comedy often starts with lofty ideas but can devolve into absurdity when execution falters.
In simple terms: Big ideas can become silly if not handled well.
Key Takeaway
Keep concepts grounded and clear.
Themes
comedy
execution
absurdity
Mood
playful
ironic
Type
satirical
observational
When to use this quote
- scriptwriting
- stage performance
- production meetings
Key Concepts
pragmatism
creative process
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you ensure a joke stays true to its original intent?
- What checks prevent ideas from becoming nonsensical?
A Different Perspective
If the premise is too vague, humor may miss its mark.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)