--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's hard for a comic to be joking when…" description: "\"It's hard for a comic to be joking when your lines can't be funny.\" — Steven Michael Quezada" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/steven-michael-quezada-29016_comedy_it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when_3028622.png" --- # It's hard for a comic to be joking when your lines can't… ![“It's hard for a comic to be joking when your lines can't be funny.” quote by Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/steven-michael-quezada-29016_comedy_it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when_3028622.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/steven-michael-quezada-29016_comedy_it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when_3028622.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/steven-michael-quezada-29016_comedy_it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when_3028622.png) > “It's hard for a comic to be joking when your lines can't be funny.” [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy requires humor; when jokes fall flat, the performer struggles. **In simple terms:** Comedy fails without funny lines. Key Takeaway Focus on crafting genuinely funny material. Themes comedy performance authentic Mood humorous pragmatic Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - writing rooms - improv sessions - online sketches Key Concepts creative process audience reception Questions to Reflect On - How do you test a joke’s effectiveness? - What backup plans exist for a weak set? A Different Perspective Audience taste can be unpredictable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ## Related quotes > [People find it hard to be both comic and serious, though life manages it easily enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/people-find-it-hard-to-be-both-comic-and-serious-though-life-manages/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Comic book' has come to mean a specific genre, not a story form, in people's minds. So someone will call 'Die Hard' a 'comic-book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/comic-book-has-come-to-mean-a-specific-genre-not-a-story-form-in/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [I make people laugh hard; I'm a comic, that's just the way it is. 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Best decision I ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-m-joking-i-m-joking-best-decision-i-ever-made/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [When you see people say crazy things on our show, they mean this stuff,and that's easy to forget: They're not joking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/when-you-see-people-say-crazy-things-on-our-show-they-mean-this-stuff/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Well, in some ways I had sort of the opposite experience of other people that are sort of dreaming of being in a rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/well-in-some-ways-i-had-sort-of-the-opposite-experience-of-other/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) > [“I was joking about my clones to my family when my uncle Herman said, “Don’t do that. Don’t make fun of yourself and others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-was-joking-about-my-clones-to-my-family-when-my-uncle-herman-said/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“The things about which we most often jest are generally, on the contrary, the things that worry us but that we do not wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/the-things-about-which-we-most-often-jest-are-generally-on-the/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [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/) ## More by Steven Michael Quezada > [The good news about New Mexico is we bring a lot of movies, a lot of television series out here, so I'm hoping I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/the-good-news-about-new-mexico-is-we-bring-a-lot-of-movies-a-lot-of/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [You gotta understand, there weren't a whole lot of roles for Hispanics in the Eighties, so comedy was really the way I could really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/you-gotta-understand-there-weren-t-a-whole-lot-of-roles-for-hispanics/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [My concern for education in New Mexico has always been there. I'm one of those kids that struggled through school, and I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/my-concern-for-education-in-new-mexico-has-always-been-there-i-m-one/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [It's really tough to be a Mexican on 'Breaking Bad.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/it-s-really-tough-to-be-a-mexican-on-breaking-bad/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [I've been doing a late-night talk show out here in New Mexico now, 'The After After Party.' We're going to finalize a deal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/i-ve-been-doing-a-late-night-talk-show-out-here-in-new-mexico-now-the/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [Gomez is a by-the-book cop. 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Laying down on that sand is like laying on a block of ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/the-desert-is-cold-early-in-the-morning-laying-down-on-that-sand-is/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [I started writing my own plays, and I would sell out, but after everything was said and done, I'd break even. That's being successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/i-started-writing-my-own-plays-and-i-would-sell-out-but-after/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [I'm a big 'Breaking Bad' fan - if I'm not in the script, I like to experience the show with the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/i-m-a-big-breaking-bad-fan-if-i-m-not-in-the-script-i-like-to/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [No. I didn't look at the last few scripts. I didn't want to read them because I'm a 'Breaking Bad' fan. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/no-i-didn-t-look-at-the-last-few-scripts-i-didn-t-want-to-read-them/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [Albuquerque is my home. I want my kids and all of our children to be able to go to any public or charter school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/albuquerque-is-my-home-i-want-my-kids-and-all-of-our-children-to-be/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [If you are not following your dreams then you're not truly living, and if you are, you must completely believe in your journey!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/if-you-are-not-following-your-dreams-then-you-re-not-truly-living-and/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) [Explore all 18 Steven Michael Quezada quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) ## 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": "It's hard for a comic to be joking when your lines can't be funny.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Michael Quezada" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when-your-lines-can-t-be-funny/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when-your-lines-can-t-be-funny/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/steven-michael-quezada-29016_comedy_it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when_3028622.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/steven-michael-quezada-29016_comedy_it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when_3028622.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/steven-michael-quezada-29016_comedy_it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when_3028622.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's hard for a comic to be joking when your lines can't be funny.” — Steven Michael Quezada", "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": "Steven Michael Quezada", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's hard for a comic to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when-your-lines-can-t-be-funny/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/it-s-hard-for-a-comic-to-be-joking-when-your-lines-can-t-be-funny/#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 } } ] } ```