--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One question about a joke is, how well is…" description: "\"One question about a joke is, how well is the strangeness of the situation resolved? At 'The New Yorker', we retain a lot of incongruity, tapping the p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/robert-mankoff-12259_about_one-question-about-a-joke-is-how-well-is_2843322.png" --- # One question about a joke is, how well is the strangeness… ![“One question about a joke is, how well is the strangeness of the situation resolved? At 'The New Yorker', we retain a lot of incongruity, tapping the playful part of the mind - Monty Python-type stuff. We also try to use humor as a vehicle for communicating ideas. Not editorial comment, but…” quote by Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/robert-mankoff-12259_about_one-question-about-a-joke-is-how-well-is_2843322.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/robert-mankoff-12259_about_one-question-about-a-joke-is-how-well-is_2843322.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/robert-mankoff-12259_about_one-question-about-a-joke-is-how-well-is_2843322.png) > “One question about a joke is, how well is the strangeness of the situation resolved? At 'The New Yorker', we retain a lot of incongruity, tapping the playful part of the mind - Monty Python-type stuff. We also try to use humor as a vehicle for communicating ideas. Not editorial comment, but observation.” [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor works by keeping incongruity while also delivering insight, balancing playfulness with purpose. **In simple terms:** Jokes keep surprise and convey ideas. Key Takeaway Use humor to highlight ideas without losing wit. Themes humor insight creativity Mood playful thoughtful Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - satirical articles - advertising - teaching - political cartoons Key Concepts incongruity communication playful cognition Questions to Reflect On - How can you keep humor effective while delivering a message? - When does humor become distraction? A Different Perspective Too much seriousness can mute the joke’s impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [New yorker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-yorker/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Playful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playful/) [Strangeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangeness/) ## Related quotes > ['The New Yorker' didn't invent the magazine cartoon, but it did really establish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-new-yorker-didn-t-invent-the-magazine-cartoon-but-it-did-really/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The most offensive thing that ever occurred in 'The New Yorker' would be, like, the mildest thing at a Chris Rock concert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-most-offensive-thing-that-ever-occurred-in-the-new-yorker-would/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [Figuring out a way to use humor to deal with important issues I think is very important. Laughter is a great diffuser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colton-dunn/figuring-out-a-way-to-use-humor-to-deal-with-important-issues-i-think/) [Colton Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colton-dunn/) > [I think shows that are completely dramatic are a lie. People use humor to cope. That is how we deal with things. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/i-think-shows-that-are-completely-dramatic-are-a-lie-people-use-humor/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [ Comedy is a great tool. We \[comics\] are trying to find ways to use humor to enlighten people without preaching to them. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/comedy-is-a-great-tool-we-comics-are-trying-to-find-ways-to-use-humor/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I tend not to use the humor which would only apply to Koreans, or which would only affect the Koreans, as much as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-chan-wook/i-tend-not-to-use-the-humor-which-would-only-apply-to-koreans-or/) [Park Chan-wook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-chan-wook/) > [I think it's a brilliant tool to have, not only to have a sense of humor, but to be able to use humor to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delroy-lindo/i-think-it-s-a-brilliant-tool-to-have-not-only-to-have-a-sense-of/) [Delroy Lindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delroy-lindo/) > [I use humor to educate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-westheimer/i-use-humor-to-educate/) [Ruth Westheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-westheimer/) > [You spend so much of your life crafting this stuff that you want to laugh in the room. I don't want to sit there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/you-spend-so-much-of-your-life-crafting-this-stuff-that-you-want-to/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [My experience growing up in London and growing up in a working class background is that when people are down and out, that's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/my-experience-growing-up-in-london-and-growing-up-in-a-working-class/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [Sometimes, I use humor because I believe in revealing truth in a way that other forms cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/sometimes-i-use-humor-because-i-believe-in-revealing-truth-in-a-way/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Depending on where my self-confidence was, growing up, I would use humor either to bring people closer, or to keep them away from certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/depending-on-where-my-self-confidence-was-growing-up-i-would-use/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [“Lessons for Leaders Humor is one of the most effective leadership tools. The ability to use humor skillfully has served American presidents with political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-n-t-perkins/lessons-for-leaders-humor-is-one-of-the-most-effective-leadership/) Dennis N. T. Perkins > [I use humor as a way to digest anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-giertz/i-use-humor-as-a-way-to-digest-anything/) [Simone Giertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-giertz/) > [“Use humor as aggressively as chemo. Laugh until your hair falls out. There is nothing that can’t be played for a laugh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/use-humor-as-aggressively-as-chemo-laugh-until-your-hair-falls-out/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) ## More by Robert Mankoff > [I will pick a raft of cartoons. And then later, it'll come time to run this cartoon. And I'll look at it, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-will-pick-a-raft-of-cartoons-and-then-later-it-ll-come-time-to-run/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [Humor of all types is notoriously subjective. That's true not only between different people but even within an individual at different times. This subjectivity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/humor-of-all-types-is-notoriously-subjective-that-s-true-not-only/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > ['The New Yorker' didn't invent the magazine cartoon, but it did really establish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-new-yorker-didn-t-invent-the-magazine-cartoon-but-it-did-really/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I have been married three times and it just keeps better and better, but I'm going to stop here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-have-been-married-three-times-and-it-just-keeps-better-and-better/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The line between humor and bad taste is your audience, in which some people will find everything offensive, and some people will find nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-line-between-humor-and-bad-taste-is-your-audience-in-which-some/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The generations that were exposed to sitcom have the people actually saying the line, saying the joke, whereas sort of before that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-generations-that-were-exposed-to-sitcom-have-the-people-actually/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [When you look back at the older cartoons, they're very much more observational cartoons. And the cartoon, the people in the cartoons are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/when-you-look-back-at-the-older-cartoons-they-re-very-much-more/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [There's usually nothing in a guy's joke in which we have to understand what's going on in someone else's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/there-s-usually-nothing-in-a-guy-s-joke-in-which-we-have-to/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I'm pretty adept with computers and Photoshop for my blog, and I found my style with a conversational voice and an image-ready column.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-m-pretty-adept-with-computers-and-photoshop-for-my-blog-and-i-found/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [Cartoons are like fruit flies. Biologists use fruit flies because their large chromosomes and short life cycle make them ideal for studying hereditary changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/cartoons-are-like-fruit-flies-biologists-use-fruit-flies-because/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I know everybody wants humor to be subversive and speak truth to power. I don't think power's been listening, incidentally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-know-everybody-wants-humor-to-be-subversive-and-speak-truth-to/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I think what Jewish culture taught me and what the - and Jewish culture now is everyone's culture - is all these embarrassing things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-think-what-jewish-culture-taught-me-and-what-the-and-jewish-culture/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [People think you get one idea for a cartoon every week, and that's not the way it works. You usually get 10 or 15,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/people-think-you-get-one-idea-for-a-cartoon-every-week-and-that-s-not/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I'm making fun of myself and I think I'm making fun of all men in our desperate, desperate attempt to understand the people we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-m-making-fun-of-myself-and-i-think-i-m-making-fun-of-all-men-in-our/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The most popular cartoon of mine is a guy on the phone looking at his appointment book and saying "No, Thursday's out. How about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-most-popular-cartoon-of-mine-is-a-guy-on-the-phone-looking-at-his/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) [Explore all 55 Robert Mankoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [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 talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [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 learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One question about a joke is, how well is the strangeness of the situation resolved? At 'The New Yorker', we retain a lot of incongruity, tapping the playful part of the mind - Monty Python-type stuff. We also try to use humor as a vehicle for communicating ideas. 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