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Words of Wisdom — May 22, 2015

The Best Jokes Are Tinged With Danger, Because the Truth is Dangerous

Words of wisdom from Kurt Vonnegut: “The telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.”

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The best comedy is subversive and the best jokes are tinged with danger. Such was the comic philosophy of the great Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007), author of books such as Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Mother Night. The following Vonnegut quotation from McSweeney’s illustrates the master satirist’s thoughts on the art of telling jokes:

“The telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.”

Interviewed by J. Rentilly, “The Best Jokes Are Dangerous,” McSweeney’s (September 2002) via Wikiquote

For more on comedy, check out the following video featuring former editor of The OnionJoe Randazzo:

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