"Yeah, there were a few years in the early nineties where I really began to hate what was valued as funny and just sort of what was valued in stand-up, period"

Patton Oswalt's quote speaks to a time period in the early nineties when he felt that the values of stand-up comedy had actually shifted far from what he discovered amusing. He was likely describing the rise of alternative funny, which was characterized by its more absurdist and self-referential style. This shift far from conventional stand-up funny was likely a source of disappointment for Oswalt, who was more of a traditionalist in his technique to comedy. He likely felt that the values of stand-up funny had actually become too concentrated on shock worth and gimmicks, rather than on the craft of writing and performing. Oswalt's quote speaks to the value of remaining true to one's own worths and tastes, even when the popular viewpoint might be various.