Quotessence
Home / Books / Antkind

Antkind

Book by Charlie Kaufman · 3 quotes · Comedy, Dreams, Empathy

Filter quotes by topic

AllComedyDreamsEmpathyEntiretyHumorLossNovelizerRepulsiveWoody Allen

Antkind Quotes

“Comedy is a lie, too, of course. It’s a defense, an aggression. It is a thing created to separate, to say, “I am not like this.” It is Godlike in its judgment and, by definition, the antithesis of empathy. Comedy sits on its throne and states: You are ridiculous. You are pathetic. You are stupid. Your pain amuses me. Most important, I am not you. Even comedy directed at the self, the stand-ups, the Woody Allens of the world, is performed as an act of defense: I am in on the joke that is me, therefore the joke is not me.”

ComedyEmpathyWoody Allen
Book:Antkind
Create image

“Perhaps you are repulsed by me. Well, perhaps you are the one with the problem, not I. Perhaps you are the repulsive one. Perhaps you have never cared enough about anything in your life to weep at its loss. If that is the case, it is I who pity you. You will go through your brutish existence experiencing the small pleasures of taking things that are not yours, going places you are not welcome, sticking your elbow into the legally purchased space of another. Then you will die. Congratulations: That is your life. I hope you are happy with it. I hope you don’t regret, on your deathbed, that you never felt love, or joy, or loss. Yes, loss. There is a profound sweet melancholy in the experience of loss. It is the most delectable and pungent spice on the spice rack of life. Too bad you won’t taste it, buddy. I guess it doesn’t go with burgers and beer.”

HumorLossRepulsive
Book:Antkind
Create image

“Not much of note in my waking life. People get sick, or don’t. People die, or don’t. I watch TV, or don’t. Sometimes I smoke without remembering lighting up. I continue to go to a deranged hypnotist and try to recall a film by a deceased African-American gentleman. I sell collapsible clown shoes. I eat Slammy burgers. In my waking life, I am not a novelizer, nor will I be many other people as I will in the dreams. I am, while awake in fact, not even fully me. I believe if I had the courage to be completely me, I would be a somewhat more interesting person. I believe people would be drawn to me. I believe I would not be lonely. I cannot bear to believe that what I am while awake is the entirety of me.”

DreamsEntiretyNovelizer
Book:Antkind
Create image