Comedy Quote by Susan Sontag
““The joke is this impersonal possession. It doesn’t have anyone’s signature. It was given to me—but you didn’t make it up; it was in my custody, and I chose to pass it on, keep it going. It isn’t about any of us. It doesn’t describe you or me. It has a life of its own. It goes off—like a pop, like a laugh, a sneeze; like an orgasm; like a little explosion, an overflow. Its telling says, I am here.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: On Photography, Susan Sontag, 1977
The joke is an impersonal, shared experience that exists beyond any individual, a collective moment that continues as it is passed on.
In simple terms: A joke lives on its own, beyond the teller.
Key Takeaway
Recognize shared moments as independent of self.
Themes
humor
collectivity
transience
Mood
playful
reflective
Type
observational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- standup comedy
- social media memes
- oral storytelling
- cultural rituals
Key Concepts
shared experience
memetics
autonomy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does anonymity affect humor?
- Can a joke retain meaning without a creator?
A Different Perspective
It may lack personal relevance, limiting emotional impact.
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
