--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the great things with comedy is…" description: "\"One of the great things with comedy is that there's no such thing as a mediocre comedy; it's either uproarious or crap. That's the problem.\" — Michael ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35e/michael-caine-1152_comedy_one-of-the-great-things-with-comedy-is-t_2104501.jpg" --- # One of the great things with comedy is that there's no… ![“One of the great things with comedy is that there's no such thing as a mediocre comedy; it's either uproarious or crap. That's the problem.” quote by Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35e/michael-caine-1152_comedy_one-of-the-great-things-with-comedy-is-t_2104501.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35e/michael-caine-1152_comedy_one-of-the-great-things-with-comedy-is-t_2104501.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35e/michael-caine-1152_comedy_one-of-the-great-things-with-comedy-is-t_2104501.jpg) > “One of the great things with comedy is that there's no such thing as a mediocre comedy; it's either uproarious or crap. That's the problem.” [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy is binary; it either succeeds spectacularly or fails completely, leaving no middle ground. **In simple terms:** Comedy is either great or terrible. Key Takeaway Accept that not every joke will land; aim for excellence. Themes humor art quality risk audience Mood reflective critical analytical Type observation evaluation insight When to use this quote - stand‑up performance - scriptwriting - film comedy - live improv - TV sitcoms Key Concepts binary evaluation creative risk subjective taste Questions to Reflect On - Do you prefer bold jokes or subtle wit? - How do you handle a joke that falls flat? A Different Perspective Some audiences may find humor in subtlety, blurring the binary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [Quinn Cummings is a master story-teller and her book is nothing short of delightful. Her insights into topics like celebrity, parenting, and cats with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-lancaster/quinn-cummings-is-a-master-story-teller-and-her-book-is-nothing-short/) [Jen Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-lancaster/) > [Comedy can be harder because if you aren't making the audience laugh, they're going to turn on you quicker. They'll go along with mediocre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/comedy-can-be-harder-because-if-you-aren-t-making-the-audience-laugh/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [I have an inability to enjoy things, but that's why we're in comedy. If we were happy, we wouldn't be funny, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/i-have-an-inability-to-enjoy-things-but-that-s-why-we-re-in-comedy-if/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [That's one of the things about comedy - I think it works best when it's contextualized, as opposed to kind of an island of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/that-s-one-of-the-things-about-comedy-i-think-it-works-best-when-it-s/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [Life is a mixing of all kind of things: comedy and tragedy going together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/life-is-a-mixing-of-all-kind-of-things-comedy-and-tragedy-going/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [You can say things in a comedy that you never can say in a drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-forsythe/you-can-say-things-in-a-comedy-that-you-never-can-say-in-a-drama/) [John Forsythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-forsythe/) > [I think one of the big things about comedy is the ability for the audience to identify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-king/i-think-one-of-the-big-things-about-comedy-is-the-ability-for-the/) [Alan King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-king/) > [A responsive crowd is great - they help you see new things in your comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/a-responsive-crowd-is-great-they-help-you-see-new-things-in-your/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [It's two totally different things. Comedy is more therapeutic. Acting is more of an escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/it-s-two-totally-different-things-comedy-is-more-therapeutic-acting/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [I never wanted to do just one thing. There's even other things in comedy that I want to do. For me, it's always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-robinson/i-never-wanted-to-do-just-one-thing-there-s-even-other-things-in/) [Craig Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-robinson/) > [It is a challenge. When you do things that are comedy, you're having to look at the funnier side of life. Often I find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bernsen/it-is-a-challenge-when-you-do-things-that-are-comedy-you-re-having-to/) [Corbin Bernsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bernsen/) > [Doing a format parody is one of my favorite things to do in comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-conover/doing-a-format-parody-is-one-of-my-favorite-things-to-do-in-comedy/) [Adam Conover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-conover/) > [One of the things that comedy has given me over the years is a really good ability to laugh at myself and to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-faris/one-of-the-things-that-comedy-has-given-me-over-the-years-is-a-really/) [Anna Faris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-faris/) > [Sometimes it's difficult to laugh at certain things but comedy can help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/sometimes-it-s-difficult-to-laugh-at-certain-things-but-comedy-can/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [I'm a perfectionist and I love this comedy thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-redd/i-m-a-perfectionist-and-i-love-this-comedy-thing/) [Chris Redd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-redd/) ## More by Michael Caine > [That to me is what my idea of film acting should be. There shouldn't be any acting. You should just be watching a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/that-to-me-is-what-my-idea-of-film-acting-should-be-there-shouldn-t/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [Theater acting is an operation with a scalpel, movie acting is an operation with a laser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/theater-acting-is-an-operation-with-a-scalpel-movie-acting-is-an/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [If you're a leading actor you don't work with another actor. You work with a lady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/if-you-re-a-leading-actor-you-don-t-work-with-another-actor-you-work/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [“Be a duck, remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/be-a-duck-remain-calm-on-the-surface-and-paddle-like-hell-underneath/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I try to make everyone around me feel comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-try-to-make-everyone-around-me-feel-comfortable/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [You can see all sorts of things in film acting if you know where to look and what to look for. One thing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/you-can-see-all-sorts-of-things-in-film-acting-if-you-know-where-to/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I was a repertory actor, which meant that I did a play every week. I was a different character every week; for a year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-was-a-repertory-actor-which-meant-that-i-did-a-play-every-week-i/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [You start pretending to have fun, you might have a little by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/you-start-pretending-to-have-fun-you-might-have-a-little-by-accident/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [If you held a pistol at my head, I couldn't tell you who they're going to vote for Best Actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/if-you-held-a-pistol-at-my-head-i-couldn-t-tell-you-who-they-re-going/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I wear a baseball cap all the time, which I would never normally wear, and I walk very fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-wear-a-baseball-cap-all-the-time-which-i-would-never-normally-wear/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I've always loved reprehensible people because they're so much more interesting to play on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-ve-always-loved-reprehensible-people-because-they-re-so-much-more/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I want to stick around with the big boys. I don't want to be in the old folks home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-want-to-stick-around-with-the-big-boys-i-don-t-want-to-be-in-the/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I've been on movies where I literally couldn't hear what the other actor was saying. It's very awkward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-ve-been-on-movies-where-i-literally-couldn-t-hear-what-the-other/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [My father was a fish market porter. So I grew up on fish, because he used to steal one a day, I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/my-father-was-a-fish-market-porter-so-i-grew-up-on-fish-because-he/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [The trouble with women? Elbows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/the-trouble-with-women-elbows/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) [Explore all 282 Michael Caine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) ## 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": "One of the great things with comedy is that there's no such thing as a mediocre comedy; it's either uproarious or crap. 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