Humor in Adversity Quotes

The more serious the situation, the funnier the comedy can be. The greatest comedy plays against the greatest tragedy. Comedy is a red rubber ball and if you throw it against a soft, funny wall, it will not come back. But if you throw it against the hard wall of ultimate reality, it will bounce back and be very lively. Very, very few people understand this.

Humor was another of the soul's weapons in the fight for self-preservation.

The one thing that makes me laugh about the phrase 'the worst week of my life' is that nobody actually uses that phrase when something really bad happens.

James started to laugh. His chin hurt where she'd smacked him twice, his foot throbbed where she'd stepped on it, and his entire body felt as if he'd swum through a rosebush, which wasn't as far off the truth as it sounded. Yet still he started to laugh.

I've had a very laughable career and what has seen me through is my sense of humor.

All jokes aside, it's a very difficult job playing the straight man. Jason is potentially the most brilliant straight man that ever was because he's also really funny while doing it, which is even harder. I've always seen myself playing characters who are flawed. We use comedy in our lives to obscure the drama.

It's quite frightening; the business of trying to be funny is very hairy. In comedy, the potential for humiliation is huge. Trying to be funny and failing is about the most embarrassing thing you can do.

If you can't laugh at yourself, life is going to seem a whole lot longer than you'd like.

There is a relationship between humor and fear. Think of all the gags you ever heard that have to do with dismemberment, or something that's horrible in one way or another, even if it's just horrible in the sense that somebody's being embarrassed. What do kids laugh at? Kids laugh if your fly's down. That's hilarious. But for the kid whose fly is down, it's a horrible situation.

He who jokes in the executioners face can be destroyed, but never defeated.

Good comedy helps people know they're not alone. Great comedy provides an answer.

Humor is one of the most serious tools we have for dealing with impossible situations.

Trust Emmett to find the joke in the destruction of my life.

Comedy distances pain, but leaves signs of it everywhere.

Somehow, I landed The Walking Dead and it's great because it stretches and works different muscles for me, and it really lets me stretch myself as a performer. Now, I'm really excited to flex my comedy muscle. Hopefully, I'll get some opportunities to do that.

True story - When 'Candyman' first came out, my daughter and I were Christmas shopping, and people were harassing us. Finally my daughter puts down her shopping bag and said 'That's not Candyman! That's my dad!' I will never forget that, because that's when we really bonded.

We just lost our electricity. You want to tell me what’s so funny about that?” “It’s not exactly funny. It’s more of a good news/bad news situation.” “In that case, hit me with the good news first.” “They’re both sort of rolled up into one.” “Stop stalling.” “All right. Now don’t get mad, but . . .” Smothered laughter drifted toward him. “Cal . . . I’m naked.

I kind of find humor in everything, even to the point where it's awkward - like, the worst scenarios are the funniest things ever.

At this point, I've really failed at a lot of things. It's nice to be able to say that, in a way. I've failed at music. I've failed at dance. And acting - there have been times when I went out and read lines to audition for acting parts. I believe that if anybody wrangled together those audition tapes, it would be pretty hysterically funny.

Laughter rises out of tragedy when you need it the most, and rewards you for your courage.

People can be extraordinarily resilient and show extraordinary grace and humour even in moments of tribulation. I've always found that it's much easier for people who are not terribly, badly off to lose hope and to be pessimistic. I suppose that when you are in a really serious situation, you have to be present, you have to think about it, there's not much scope for self-pity.

The first time the doctors put on my prosthetic legs they made me much taller than I'd ever been. I then remember the doctor saying 'we need to shorten this man' and we all were in hysterics.

Always be comic in a tragedy. What the deuce else can you do?

When I was a kid we'd go and visit my grandmother, and my dad is one of eight so they'd all be sitting there updating everyone on the good things but also on the fact that so and so had cancer or had lost their job, and people would make jokes.

My mum passing away wasn't funny, but that funeral and what I went through, the things that happened, looking back at it, there were funny moments. You have to be strong enough to look back at it, to sit and assess the situation.