"All these things that enter your head are assignments. You write them up and then throw them out there and if someone wants to do it, your assignment is done"
About this Quote
Martin Short smuggles a whole philosophy of comedy inside the breezy language of a to-do list. “All these things that enter your head are assignments” reframes inspiration as labor: not a mystical lightning bolt, but a steady stream of prompts you’re responsible for finishing. It’s a craftsperson’s mindset, and it quietly demythologizes the performer-as-genius narrative that tends to cling to actors and comics. The joke is in the bureaucratic metaphor: your brain isn’t a muse, it’s middle management.
The subtext is even more revealing. Short isn’t claiming ownership over ideas; he’s describing a kind of ethical detachment. You “write them up,” meaning you give the thought structure, timing, and voice - the real work - and then you “throw them out there.” After that, the audience decides. If “someone wants to do it,” the bit lands, the character sticks, the sketch becomes quotable, and your job is complete. The validation is external, but the responsibility is internal: you don’t wait to feel ready, you deliver.
Contextually, it tracks with Short’s career in ensemble-driven comedy (SCTV, sketch culture, late-night couches) where material is pitched, rewritten, traded, and stress-tested in public. The line also carries a subtle coping mechanism: treating ideas as “assignments” keeps you from clutching them too tightly. If an idea dies, it’s not a personal failing; it’s just a task that didn’t get picked up. That’s how you stay prolific without getting precious - and how you survive a business built on rejection, timing, and the fickleness of laughter.
The subtext is even more revealing. Short isn’t claiming ownership over ideas; he’s describing a kind of ethical detachment. You “write them up,” meaning you give the thought structure, timing, and voice - the real work - and then you “throw them out there.” After that, the audience decides. If “someone wants to do it,” the bit lands, the character sticks, the sketch becomes quotable, and your job is complete. The validation is external, but the responsibility is internal: you don’t wait to feel ready, you deliver.
Contextually, it tracks with Short’s career in ensemble-driven comedy (SCTV, sketch culture, late-night couches) where material is pitched, rewritten, traded, and stress-tested in public. The line also carries a subtle coping mechanism: treating ideas as “assignments” keeps you from clutching them too tightly. If an idea dies, it’s not a personal failing; it’s just a task that didn’t get picked up. That’s how you stay prolific without getting precious - and how you survive a business built on rejection, timing, and the fickleness of laughter.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
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