"Yet there are some people - Steve Allen would dissect comedy forever; he's a really funny guy, but he would love talking about comedy. I'm doing it right now and you all seem bored"
About this Quote
In this quote by Bob Saget, he reviews the nature of funny and the tendency of some individuals to analyze it thoroughly. By referencing Steve Allen, a widely known comic, and television character, Saget highlights the concept that some people have a perpetual curiosity and fascination with understanding the mechanics of humor. Allen is represented as somebody who is unrelenting in dissecting funny, yet still manages to be truly funny. This creates a fascinating dichotomy; even though Allen engages deeply in analysis, his humor remains intact.
Saget uses his reflection as a segue into self-awareness. In stating, "I'm doing it right now and you all seem bored", he acknowledges that his audience may not share the very same interest for the analytical side of funny. This reveals an universal truth about humor-- it is typically appreciated in its final kind, not always when it's being deconstructed. The quote highlights that while funny can be a location of academic or intellectual exploration, its main purpose is to captivate, not to be endlessly scrutinized.
The humor in Saget's observation lies in the acknowledgment of a typically unspoken truth: engaging too deeply in the mechanics of comedy can sometimes eliminate the magic and spontaneity that make it pleasurable. By explaining that his audience appears bored, Saget indicates that the happiness of funny is diminished when its spontaneous nature is overshadowed by over-analysis.
Moreover, this quote talks to a more comprehensive commentary on how individuals engage with different interests. It reviews the propensity of lovers or professionals to dive deeply into their interests, often at the expenditure of losing their audience's interest. Saget's acknowledgment of this tendency pokes fun at both himself and the universal tendency to over-complicate what is naturally simple and amusing. Through this amusing self-awareness, he brings the focus back to the heart of funny: laughter and satisfaction.
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