--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're trying to make something funny…" description: "\"If you're trying to make something funny, and it doesn't feel like you're always getting something, it doesn't have quite a lot of joy.\" — Ty Burrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/ty-burrell-13085_comedy_if-you-re-trying-to-make-something-funny_2856315.png" --- # If you're trying to make something funny, and it doesn't… ![“If you're trying to make something funny, and it doesn't feel like you're always getting something, it doesn't have quite a lot of joy.” quote by Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/ty-burrell-13085_comedy_if-you-re-trying-to-make-something-funny_2856315.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/ty-burrell-13085_comedy_if-you-re-trying-to-make-something-funny_2856315.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/ty-burrell-13085_comedy_if-you-re-trying-to-make-something-funny_2856315.png) > “If you're trying to make something funny, and it doesn't feel like you're always getting something, it doesn't have quite a lot of joy.” [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) ## 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 genuine joy; without it, humor feels forced and lacks authenticity **In simple terms:** Joy is essential for authentic humor Key Takeaway Seek genuine amusement in creative work Themes creativity humor authenticity joy performance Mood lighthearted insightful Type creative personal When to use this quote - stand-up - writing - improvisation - scripted comedy Key Concepts emotional resonance audience connection creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you cultivate joy in your work? - What signs indicate humor is becoming inauthentic? A Different Perspective Forced humor can alienate audiences and diminish impact ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) ## Related quotes > [If you use tact you can say anything, then make it funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/if-you-use-tact-you-can-say-anything-then-make-it-funny/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [With comedy, the jokes will come out, and people will see them coming. Changes in daily life or current events can change the consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/with-comedy-the-jokes-will-come-out-and-people-will-see-them-coming/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [“‎Just because you're funny doesn't mean you get to be cruel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/just-because-you-re-funny-doesn-t-mean-you-get-to-be-cruel/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [I've had countless reviews sort that have made me cry. It's funny, it doesn't ever get better either; you can't turn your ears off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/i-ve-had-countless-reviews-sort-that-have-made-me-cry-it-s-funny-it/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [IT'S funny. It doesn't work the other way round !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-madeley/it-s-funny-it-doesn-t-work-the-other-way-round/) [Richard Madeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-madeley/) > [When I say something funny in a newspaper and I meant it to be funny, it doesn't read that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buble/when-i-say-something-funny-in-a-newspaper-and-i-meant-it-to-be-funny/) [Michael Buble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buble/) > [Usually, if I think something is really funny, it doesn't get any reaction whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/usually-if-i-think-something-is-really-funny-it-doesn-t-get-any/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I've experienced plenty of times when something I think is funny doesn't do very well. And there are times when something I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/i-ve-experienced-plenty-of-times-when-something-i-think-is-funny/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [Anyone who is funny and doesn't take herself to seriously is attractive to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-horan/anyone-who-is-funny-and-doesn-t-take-herself-to-seriously-is-2/) [Niall Horan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-horan/) > [Not being funny doesn't make you a bad person. Not having a sense of humor does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/not-being-funny-doesn-t-make-you-a-bad-person-not-having-a-sense-of/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [Anyone who is funny and doesn't take herself to seriously is attractive to me. -Niall Horan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-direction/anyone-who-is-funny-and-doesn-t-take-herself-to-seriously-is/) [One Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-direction/) > [What's funny is funny. It doesn't matter what expense it's at. There are people who don't like that and I understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-del-rio/what-s-funny-is-funny-it-doesn-t-matter-what-expense-it-s-at-there/) [Bianca Del Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-del-rio/) > [“It bears repeating a third time: Not being funny doesn't make you a bad person. Not having a sense of humour does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/it-bears-repeating-a-third-time-not-being-funny-doesn-t-make-you-a/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [The thing I try to get across to the writers - and I do a lot of writing, too - is that when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/the-thing-i-try-to-get-across-to-the-writers-and-i-do-a-lot-of/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Let's make some funny pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tex-avery/let-s-make-some-funny-pictures/) Tex Avery ## More by Ty Burrell > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [My favourite game is wiffle ball, a fake version of baseball with a plastic ball and bat that's really for kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/my-favourite-game-is-wiffle-ball-a-fake-version-of-baseball-with-a/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I'm not handy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/i-m-not-handy/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [And I watch 'Saturday Night Live' religiously, I have since I was a little boy. I watch it basically like one of my favorite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/and-i-watch-saturday-night-live-religiously-i-have-since-i-was-a/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [The world can make an actor feel overly important. What I do isn't hard work. It's not ditch digging - which I have done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-world-can-make-an-actor-feel-overly-important-what-i-do-isn-t/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I'm prone to hyperbole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/i-m-prone-to-hyperbole/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [A lot of modern comedies are difficult to watch too, because they're so ironic and so detached and so quote-unquote clever. 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Literally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/my-younger-brother-and-i-have-been-writing-together-mainly-for-fun/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [It's kind of a crazy thing with kid actors because a lot of them get hired without people really knowing if they're good or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/it-s-kind-of-a-crazy-thing-with-kid-actors-because-a-lot-of-them-get/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I don't believe, in a show like ours, that you really want to see character growth. That's just my opinion. Maybe to a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/i-don-t-believe-in-a-show-like-ours-that-you-really-want-to-see/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I think there are pluses and minuses to being simpleminded. The minus is not having any sort of vision for the future. 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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. 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