--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, I liken it to - when you write…" description: "\"You know, I liken it to - when you write a joke for somebody else, it's like you - you know, like the Wile E. Coyote dynamite plunger, where he pushes ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/neal-brennan-4937_distance_you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a_965409.jpg" --- # You know, I liken it to - when you write a joke for… ![“You know, I liken it to - when you write a joke for somebody else, it's like you - you know, like the Wile E. Coyote dynamite plunger, where he pushes the plunger down and then you see the fuse go then there's an explosion in the distance? That's like writing a joke for somebody. When you tell the…” quote by Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/neal-brennan-4937_distance_you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a_965409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/neal-brennan-4937_distance_you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a_965409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/neal-brennan-4937_distance_you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a_965409.jpg) > “You know, I liken it to - when you write a joke for somebody else, it's like you - you know, like the Wile E. Coyote dynamite plunger, where he pushes the plunger down and then you see the fuse go then there's an explosion in the distance? That's like writing a joke for somebody. When you tell the joke, you're in the explosion.” [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing jokes for others feels like setting a delayed explosion—your humor creates impact beyond your control. **In simple terms:** Jokes act like hidden bombs that explode later. Key Takeaway Accept that humor can affect others unexpectedly. Themes creativity humor collaboration Mood playful reflective Type observational anecdotal When to use this quote - stand‑up performance - writing workshops - team brainstorming - marketing pitches Key Concepts Comedy psychology impact Questions to Reflect On - How does your humor influence others without your intent? - Do you enjoy the surprise of the reaction? A Different Perspective The audience may misinterpret or reject the joke. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I really like comedy. There's always a choice, when you're writing: you can either go for the joke or you can go for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/i-really-like-comedy-there-s-always-a-choice-when-you-re-writing-you/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [I could write a joke song really easily, but I think something that might be true for my generation is that there's a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-could-write-a-joke-song-really-easily-but-i-think-something-that/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I never really feel like just standing there and telling jokes. I want to move around. In fact, it's hard for me to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-d-elia/i-never-really-feel-like-just-standing-there-and-telling-jokes-i-want/) [Chris D'Elia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-d-elia/) > [I can't write a joke. I could never write. I do a lot of stories and I call them stories, but they're just comedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/i-can-t-write-a-joke-i-could-never-write-i-do-a-lot-of-stories-and-i/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [The awkward momment when you tell a joke and no one laughs lol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mochy/the-awkward-momment-when-you-tell-a-joke-and-no-one-laughs-lol/) MoCHY > [I'm always looking at new ways to tell a joke so that it doesn't get stale while working on new jokes every night or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-m-always-looking-at-new-ways-to-tell-a-joke-so-that-it-doesn-t-get/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [I never could tell a joke. I just started talking to the audience, and when the drunks would yell, "Hey, when do the broads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-never-could-tell-a-joke-i-just-started-talking-to-the-audience-and/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [A lot of the comedians don't even tell the joke. Like only three tell the joke, the rest of them dissect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/a-lot-of-the-comedians-don-t-even-tell-the-joke-like-only-three-tell/) [Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/) > [A comic strip has a rhythm and a pattern, and you got to get in and out quick. So you set up a joke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/a-comic-strip-has-a-rhythm-and-a-pattern-and-you-got-to-get-in-and/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I've been writing joke songs since I was a kid and it served me well at S.N.L. I can write those in my sleep.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-rudolph/i-ve-been-writing-joke-songs-since-i-was-a-kid-and-it-served-me-well/) [Maya Rudolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-rudolph/) > [The difference when I'm writing a story versus writing a joke is that writing a joke is so much more about the structure and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/the-difference-when-i-m-writing-a-story-versus-writing-a-joke-is-that/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [There's no real formula for doing it, it's either just living life and writing down a joke you think of in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/there-s-no-real-formula-for-doing-it-it-s-either-just-living-life-and/) [Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/) > [I like writing a joke, and I like when a joke works, and I like other comics who tell jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/i-like-writing-a-joke-and-i-like-when-a-joke-works-and-i-like-other/) [Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/) > [I'm a joke comic. I tell jokes. I like writing a joke, and I like when a joke works, and I like other comics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/i-m-a-joke-comic-i-tell-jokes-i-like-writing-a-joke-and-i-like-when-a/) [Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/) ## More by Neal Brennan > [If the word police want to come and get me, they can come and get me. If someone wants to blog about me, fine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/if-the-word-police-want-to-come-and-get-me-they-can-come-and-get-me/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I can always tell the demographic that will probably recognize me - white dudes, sort of skater-y hip hop white dudes, and working class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-can-always-tell-the-demographic-that-will-probably-recognize-me/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I think it's naïve to think white people aren't singing along directly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-think-it-s-na-ve-to-think-white-people-aren-t-singing-along-directly/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I think I've seen every 'Bill Maher' episode.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-think-i-ve-seen-every-bill-maher-episode/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [The biggest problem in America is most people believe poor people are poor because they are lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/the-biggest-problem-in-america-is-most-people-believe-poor-people-are/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I don't think people understand what comedy is supposed to do. We will observe things, we will make fun of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-don-t-think-people-understand-what-comedy-is-supposed-to-do-we-will/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [Models never say, "I'm hot." They say, "Look at these clothes." Whereas, with comedy, you have to say, "I'm hot."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/models-never-say-i-m-hot-they-say-look-at-these-clothes-whereas-with/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [ \[Robert Smigel\] is one of the greatest comedy writers in the last 50 years. "TV Funhouse" and Triumph and all those sketches.He's really unique,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/robert-smigel-is-one-of-the-greatest-comedy-writers-in-the-last-50/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I generally don't read articles about myself/'Chappelle's Show,' nor do I read reviews. It's basically playing Russian Roulette. They're not all gonna be positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-generally-don-t-read-articles-about-myself-chappelle-s-show-nor-do/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I'm not the easiest dude to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-m-not-the-easiest-dude-to-work-with/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [My entryway into hip-hop was - my biggest introduction was obviously like, you know, the Def Jam, Run D.M.C., Beastie Boys, like, that conglomerate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/my-entryway-into-hip-hop-was-my-biggest-introduction-was-obviously/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [You can say whatever you want, but there's going to be consequences to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/you-can-say-whatever-you-want-but-there-s-going-to-be-consequences-to/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [When you're in a friend circle, you all kind of talk the same way. And it's hard to do on-the-fly radio edits of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/when-you-re-in-a-friend-circle-you-all-kind-of-talk-the-same-way-and/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I needed to be more self-determining, and the most self-determining thing you can do in comedy is stand-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-needed-to-be-more-self-determining-and-the-most-self-determining/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I'm obsessive, I'm a control freak, I get snappy with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-m-obsessive-i-m-a-control-freak-i-get-snappy-with-people/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) [Explore all 104 Neal Brennan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) ## 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": "You know, I liken it to - when you write a joke for somebody else, it's like you - you know, like the Wile E. Coyote dynamite plunger, where he pushes the plunger down and then you see the fuse go then there's an explosion in the distance? That's like writing a joke for somebody. When you tell the joke, you're in the explosion.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Brennan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a-joke-for-somebody-else-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a-joke-for-somebody-else-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/neal-brennan-4937_distance_you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a_965409.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/neal-brennan-4937_distance_you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a_965409.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/neal-brennan-4937_distance_you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a_965409.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know, I liken it to - when you write a joke for somebody else, it's like you - you know, like the Wile…” — Neal Brennan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Neal Brennan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You know, I liken it to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a-joke-for-somebody-else-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/you-know-i-liken-it-to-when-you-write-a-joke-for-somebody-else-it-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```