--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But with comedy it's a simple premise. If…" description: "\"But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. If it's not, they don't.\" — Steve Coogan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/steve-coogan-2910_comedy_but-with-comedy-it-s-a-simple-premise-if_497762.jpg" --- # But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny… ![“But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. If it's not, they don't.” quote by Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/steve-coogan-2910_comedy_but-with-comedy-it-s-a-simple-premise-if_497762.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/steve-coogan-2910_comedy_but-with-comedy-it-s-a-simple-premise-if_497762.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/steve-coogan-2910_comedy_but-with-comedy-it-s-a-simple-premise-if_497762.jpg) > “But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. If it's not, they don't.” [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy succeeds when it’s funny; if not, it fails. **In simple terms:** Comedy works only if it’s funny. Key Takeaway Make it funny. Themes humor creativity audience Mood lighthearted pragmatic Type advice observational When to use this quote - stand‑up - scriptwriting - advertising Key Concepts entertainment writing Questions to Reflect On - How to test humor before release? - What makes a joke universally funny? A Different Perspective Humor is subjective; not all jokes land. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-people/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [If you are a great dramatic actor then you often don't know if people are enjoying your stuff at all because they are sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/if-you-are-a-great-dramatic-actor-then-you-often-don-t-know-if-people-2/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/life-does-not-cease-to-be-funny-when-people-die-any-more-than-it/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I think there's something funny about people who laugh in the face of convention or surprise us morally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/i-think-there-s-something-funny-about-people-who-laugh-in-the-face-of/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) > [I think the reason I became funny was because if I made people laugh, they would let me keep talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-think-the-reason-i-became-funny-was-because-if-i-made-people-laugh/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [“It’s a simple premise: follow the leads that arise from contact with the work itself, and your technical, emotional and intellectual pathway becomes clear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/it-s-a-simple-premise-follow-the-leads-that-arise-from-contact-with/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-pride-is-based-on-a-very-simple-premise-summed-up-in-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Every good story starts with a simple premise. This one begins with the notion of survival. The determination to live is both instinctive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taona-dumisani-chiveneko/every-good-story-starts-with-a-simple-premise-this-one-begins-with/) [Taona Dumisani Chiveneko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taona-dumisani-chiveneko/) > [Canada was built around a very simple premise. A promise that you can work hard and succeed and build a future for yourselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/canada-was-built-around-a-very-simple-premise-a-promise-that-you-can/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [The defense policy of the United States is based on a simple premise: The United States does not start fights. We will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-defense-policy-of-the-united-states-is-based-on-a-simple-premise/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Even the most complicated stories start with a very simple premise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-allsburg/even-the-most-complicated-stories-start-with-a-very-simple-premise/) [Chris Van Allsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-allsburg/) > [Good writing works from a simple premise: your experience is not yours alone, but in some sense a metaphor for everyone's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/good-writing-works-from-a-simple-premise-your-experience-is-not-yours/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [The funniest people I know were, not necessarily troubled, but had a harder time in school or were shy or picked on or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-olson/the-funniest-people-i-know-were-not-necessarily-troubled-but-had-a/) [Kaitlin Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-olson/) > ['When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. When you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/when-you-slip-on-a-banana-peel-people-laugh-at-you-when-you-tell/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [You can tell how smart people are by what they laugh at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-can-tell-how-smart-people-are-by-what-they-laugh-at/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [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/) ## More by Steve Coogan > [As soon as I see period costume, I turn off. It's like hearing drama on Radio 4.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/as-soon-as-i-see-period-costume-i-turn-off-it-s-like-hearing-drama-on/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [A woman wearing a revealing dress will always be sexier than a naked woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/a-woman-wearing-a-revealing-dress-will-always-be-sexier-than-a-naked/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I like to do movies that provoke rather than reinforce conservative values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-like-to-do-movies-that-provoke-rather-than-reinforce-conservative/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I'm gonna hump ya. Like Deputy Dog... Would hump ya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-m-gonna-hump-ya-like-deputy-dog-would-hump-ya/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [What terrifies me is that I might somehow endorse that view so people think they don't have to read books anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/what-terrifies-me-is-that-i-might-somehow-endorse-that-view-so-people/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I am lucky to be in a profession that is not age dependent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-am-lucky-to-be-in-a-profession-that-is-not-age-dependent/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I think there's as much profundity and wisdom in Shakespeare, more so in fact, than those in the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-think-there-s-as-much-profundity-and-wisdom-in-shakespeare-more-so/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I don't apologize for my behavior anymore. Whatever I do or don't do shouldn't matter. Moral certainty is dangerous. Moral certainty is what makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-don-t-apologize-for-my-behavior-anymore-whatever-i-do-or-don-t-do/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [A womb with a view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/a-womb-with-a-view/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I'm really encouraged by Pope Francis, because I think his attitude is totally laudable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-m-really-encouraged-by-pope-francis-because-i-think-his-attitude-is/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [Knowing about comedy has helped me with the drama. To see people laugh, it's like there are moments of catharsis in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/knowing-about-comedy-has-helped-me-with-the-drama-to-see-people-laugh/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I happen to have a public profile. Ditto newspaper editors. It's a result of what I do, not an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-happen-to-have-a-public-profile-ditto-newspaper-editors-it-s-a/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [The fundamentalists are insistent that they know best. It's a dictatorial attitude towards personal morality, which is a modern creation that came about in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/the-fundamentalists-are-insistent-that-they-know-best-it-s-a/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I use improvisation as a writing tool to help produce material that goes into a script, but a well-crafted script shouldn't sound scripted, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/i-use-improvisation-as-a-writing-tool-to-help-produce-material-that/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [If the person who can effectively sanction ill-conceived wars can play the electric guitar, which is a symbol of rebellion, then that whole worldview…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/if-the-person-who-can-effectively-sanction-ill-conceived-wars-can/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) [Explore all 145 Steve Coogan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) ## 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": "But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. 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