"The only honest art form is laughter, comedy. You can't fake it... try to fake three laughs in an hour - ha ha ha ha ha - they'll take you away, man. You can't"
About this Quote
Lenny Bruce, a pioneering funnyman known for his candid and often questionable design, addresses the authenticity inherent in comedy and laughter in this quote. The statement "The only sincere art kind is laughter, comedy" underscores Bruce's belief that funny, unlike other art types, is fundamentally genuine due to the fact that it demands an instant and visceral response from its audience. When people laugh, it is a natural, unfiltered reaction that can not be quickly produced or persuaded, making comedy an art form rooted in fact.
Bruce contrasts laughter with other forms of expression which might permit pretense or artifice. For instance, one might convincingly feign appreciation for a painting or a piece of music, but fabricating laughter is substantially more challenging. He highlights this point through embellishment, stating, "try to phony 3 laughs in an hour - ha ha ha ha ha - they'll take you away, male". Here, Bruce humorously recommends that forced laughter is not just obvious but unreasonable to the point of being socially unacceptable, highlighting the impossibility of sustaining falsehood in comedy.
This idea highlights the vulnerability and genuineness that funny needs from both the comic and the audience. Successful comics should tap into shared experiences and facts, providing them in such a way that resonates. The audience's laughter is spontaneous; a reflection of their real satisfaction and connection to the product.
Furthermore, Bruce's words suggest a pureness in comedy that elevates it above other kinds of deceptiveness or adjustment typically discovered in entertainment and art. He implies an equalizing power in comedy: it either works, or it does not-- it can not conceal behind pretension. Funny, in its essence, links people on a common ground, stripped of pretenses, relying exclusively on shared human experience and the honest responses it stimulates.
In essence, Bruce's quote commemorates the genuine nature of funny as an art form, emphasizing its reliance on authentic human feeling, spontaneity, and connection. It underscores the concept that while lots of elements of life can be contrived, the joy and release of laughter stay refreshingly, irrevocably genuine.
More details
About the Author