Paul Provenza
When I was a young comic just starting out, I was very cautious, as I didn't want to alienate people. George Carlin's bravery became a benchmark. I became perfectly fine with alienating some people in the audience. That just comes with the territory.
George Carlin maintained that anything and everything is funny given the right context. This context also includes your own history with a given group. What I can get away with and where I can go is not a problem with my audience because they know me.
Comedy is inherently subversive because it turns the normal reality on its head. The art form is all about these questions and contradictions. In comedy, we're dealing with language that we all understand, but words can have a dozen other things around them that alter or affect meaning.
Social media allows comics to bypass the gatekeepers and connect directly with people who will want to come see them.
Career is a mindset. The wrong mindset. Career is linear. Especially when you are trapped in the TV or film world. The next thing you do has always got to be bigger, or it is perceived as a failure.
We look at the ancient Greeks with their gods on a mountain top throwing lightning bolts and say, 'Those ancient Greeks. They were so silly. So primitive and naive. Not like our religions. We have burning bushes talking to people and guys walking on water. We're ...sophisticated.'Collection: Silly
If I had the flag that Betsy Ross worked so hard on, I wouldn't destroy it. I'd put it up on EBay because it's gotta be worth some serious coin. And that is the American way.Collection: Ebay
How many impressionist painters painted the same damned thing? How many actors have played the same part in renditions of a play or dancers do the same dances.Collection: Play
Some performers are brilliant comedians, some are genius musicians, and some just make you happy to be alive. THE BOBS are all of that - and then some.Collection: Comedian
We didn't choose the joke because it's filthy! We chose it because of the structure!Collection: Structure
Children in a third world country. That's how we spread democracy.Collection: Country
I actually had to leave the country for infractions to fall off my record.Collection: Country
There is no democrats or republicans, right or left, red state or blue state. We are all one. And we are all unified against Mexicans.Collection: Blue
I know jazz is completely un-American. But the reason why America doesn't like it is because it's not funny. We [americans] have made jazz funny.Collection: America
I actually go to church. I know it's hard for you to believe. It's only because you know that Jesus on the cross? I love his smooth hairless body.Collection: Jesus
As a comedian, I'm like one of those on-the-scene reporters. I will actually go and try to find disasters so I can write jokes as the disasters unfold.Collection: Writing