Woody Allen turned 80 on December first, so The Laugh Button compiled a list of his top 80 quotes. There were two realizations I made from reading all of these quotes: 1) humor changes over time and 2) Woody Allen has made a ton of jokes about sex.
What I mean about humor changing is that these quotes might be seen as more “clever” than laugh out loud funny. At least that’s how I see them. Most of the quotes here are from Woody Allen movies, but a few are from his stand up. I have a few of his stand up records and I think they’re better told than read.
What I mean about lots of sex jokes is…well, just look at the article.
Here’s a quote I liked:
“I thought of that old joke: This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, ‘Doc, my brother’s crazy, he thinks he’s a chicken.’ And the doctor says, ‘Well why don’t you turn him in?’ and the guy says, ‘I would, but I need the eggs.’ Well, I guess that’s pretty much now how I feel about relationships. They’re totally irrational and crazy and absurd, but I guess we keep going through it because most of us need the eggs.” – from Annie Hall
stumelton.com 
Bill Maher explains my generation on comedy – classically.
Yes comedy always changes. Vaudeville was raunchy. Then made it to radio and TV and “cleaned up – George Burns, Abbot and Costello, and Fattie Arbuckle. Then ti got edgy again in the rebellious anti government policy 60’s and 70’s Lenny Bruce. Also during this time woody Allen and other clean philosophical comics made jokes that were edgy but reflective and believe it or not unspoken in US households which were trying to live up to ad sponsored propagandistic middle class stereotypical home. That barrier got busted by these comics and other forces – Carlin, Murphy, Pryor, …way too may to name. So now we have come full circle and a new clean era of joking is becoming vogue. Sarcasm is not vogue anymore and mild observations are in – nothing wrong with that it is generational, but counter, counter, counter revolutionary in comedy. when things get really bad again and people wake up to current ills, etc. RAW humor will come back in. Like all else it is cycles. Do what you think is funny find your audience and dont worry about the others. No one style ever completely dominates in any period. There is always a market for someone somewhere. I am thinking China which is why I am taking Coursera’s Mandarin in 20 days program. It;s shitty there. I’m guessing they are ready for my edgier style. :)
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