Robert Orben: Humor

“Humor is a marvelous communications tool, as Reagan has demonstrated so well. He has weathered many a storm that others might not have. With Reagan, people just say, 'There he goes again.' A sense of humor allows a president to back off a little from the tensions of the moment and take a calmer view of things.”

Robert Orben

Phil Gailey (June 12, 1988) "Presidential politics should be more of a laughing matter", St. Petersburg Times, p. 5D.

People , Communication , Sense , Weather

“President Ford used humor a great deal.”

Robert Orben

Gail Russell Chaddock (January 3, 2007) "Congress tries Ford's way - The late president's emphasis on compromise is recalled as the 110th Congress is set to convene", Christian Science Monitor, p. 1.

“I remember when humor was gentle pokes. I used to call it 'arm around the shoulder' humor. Now they go for the jugular and they take no prisoners. It's mean, mean stuff.”

Robert Orben

Steve Lowery (October 23, 1993) "What's So Funny? Humor Comes Under Harsh Glare of Political Correctness", Press-Telegram, p. C1.

“A young person today has a nanosecond attention span, so whatever you do in a humor has to be short. Younger people do not wait for anything that takes time to develop. We're going totally to one-liners. Telling a joke is risk taking. Younger people are more insecure and not willing to put themselves on the line, so a quick one-liner is much safer.”

Robert Orben

Warren St. John, The New York Times (May 28, 2005) "Wit's end: The death of the joke - Old-style wisecracks are passe in an age of decreasing attention spans, political correctness and the Internet", The Orlando Sentinel, p. E1.

People , Time , Waiting , Personality

“Humor starts like a wildfire, but then continues on, smoldering, smoldering for years.”

Robert Orben

Elizabeth Kastor (May 6, 1987) "The Jokers Take Heart - Pundits Ponder The Implications", The Washington Post, p. B1.

“It's mandatory in this day and age to be considered to have a sense of humor and to demonstrate it. You're not paying me for a joke, You're paying me for the right joke.”

Robert Orben

Gail Russell Chaddock (December 9, 2005) "Backstory: Serious business of jokes in politics", Christian Science Monitor, p. 20.

Age , Sense

“Humor is the most honest of emotions. Applause for a speech can be insincere, but with humor, if the audience doesn't like it there's no faking it.”

Robert Orben

Leslie Berger (January 28, 1982) "A Little Night Humor", The Washington Post, C1.

“Nowadays, you cannot be a very Effective political figure without Having a demonstrable sense of humor. People take to it.”

Robert Orben

Claudia Buck (May 26, 1986) "Humorless Election Year Is Nothing To Laugh At", Sacramento Bee, p. A1.

People , Sense

“Anybody with a good sense of humor is one-up on their competition. We respond to somebody who has the ability to make us laugh. It's a bonding influence.”

Robert Orben

Kevin Merida (February 15, 1988) "A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to The White House - The one-laugh-one-vote theory has candidates cracking wise", The Dallas Morning News, p. 1C.

Sense

“Humor gives presidents the chance to be seen as warm, relaxed persons. Humor reaches out and puts its arm around the listener and says, 'I am one of you, I understand,' and implicitly it promises, 'I will do something about your problems.”

Robert Orben

William Lowther (September 21, 1986) "Americans laugh at their presidents -- not with them", The Toronto Star, p. B3.

Understanding , Problem , Chance , Personality

“It always seems to someone outside the business that it is very difficult to write for a comedy show because it must be done quickly. Actually, it is much easier to write this humor than to do a joke or a show from scratch, because the audience knows the plot. Just mention what is going on and then deliver the punch line.”

Robert Orben

Lauren Keeport (February 3, 1998) "Scandal feeds maelstrom of Clinton jokes - 'Monicagate' a windfall for TV wits", The Washington Times, p. A2.

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