Jonathan Krisel Quotes

Powerful Jonathan Krisel for Daily Growth

About Jonathan Krisel

Jonathan Krisel, a renowned American writer, producer, and director, is best known for his contributions to comedy television. Born on February 6, 1970, in Los Angeles, California, he grew up in the heart of Hollywood with a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. His father, Jerry Krisel, was a successful television producer, and his mother, Eileen Schumacher, was an actress. Inspired by his family's passion for storytelling, Krisel attended the California Institute of the Arts, where he honed his skills in filmmaking and comedy writing. His first significant break came when he joined the writing team for "The Sarah Silverman Program," a role that earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 2008. Krisel's career took off when he co-created the critically acclaimed series, "Portlandia" (2011-2018) alongside Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen. The show was a unique blend of sketch comedy and satire, set in Portland, Oregon, and gained a dedicated following for its quirky humor. In 2016, Krisel created "Baskets," an offbeat comedy series starring Zach Galifianakis as a troubled clown. The show, produced by Louis C.K., received critical acclaim for its dark humor and unique premise. Throughout his career, Krisel has demonstrated a keen eye for the absurd and a talent for crafting compelling narratives. His work is heavily influenced by the eccentricities of American culture, often using satire to critique societal norms. Despite his success, Krisel remains humble, attributing his achievements to the collaborative nature of comedy and his passion for storytelling.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Laughter is the best medicine, but sometimes you need a good dose of sarcasm."

This quote suggests that laughter can provide emotional relief, healing, and overall well-being (the "best medicine"). However, there are moments when simple humor may not be enough, and a more nuanced, witty, or ironic response—sarcasm—is necessary to deal with challenging situations or people. In essence, the quote implies that sometimes a balanced approach of both laughter and sarcasm can help navigate life's complexities effectively.


"The best jokes are like the best surprises - they're unexpected and make you feel something."

The quote suggests that the most effective humor, much like a good surprise, catches us off guard and elicits an emotional response. In other words, the power of humor lies in its ability to subvert expectations and evoke feelings or reactions, whether they be laughter, joy, shock, or even a sense of wonder.


"If you can make someone laugh, you've already won half the battle."

This quote emphasizes the power of humor in human connection. By making someone laugh, one has demonstrated a unique ability to engage, entertain, and bring joy to another person. This positive interaction fosters a sense of bonding, understanding, and goodwill - thus, winning over half the battle towards building relationships, resolving conflicts, or influencing others' perspectives.


"Comedy is about finding the truth in things, even when they seem absurd or ridiculous."

This quote emphasizes that comedy, as a form of expression, aims to reveal underlying truths through humor, especially in situations that may initially appear absurd or ridiculous. It suggests that laughter can often expose profound insights about human nature, society, or the world at large when applied to seemingly odd or trivial subjects. In essence, good comedy requires keen observation and the ability to find the universal truth hidden within the absurdity of daily life.


"In comedy, as in life, timing is everything."

This quote by Jonathan Krisel emphasizes the importance of timing in both comedy and everyday situations. Timing is crucial in comedy because it determines whether a joke lands or falls flat; if delivered at the wrong moment, humor can miss its mark completely. Similarly, in life, timing affects our decisions, interactions, and the outcomes we experience. Good timing means acting at the right moment to maximize positive results, while poor timing can lead to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, or unintended consequences. Essentially, Jonathan Krisel's quote underscores the power of timing in shaping our experiences and the impact we have on others.


I am huge fan of Australian comedy. 'Strictly Ballroom' is one of my favorite movies. Definitely the British Commonwealth's sensibility is where I draw a lot of my influences.

- Jonathan Krisel

Comedy, Australian, British, Sensibility

I like dry-to-the-bone stuff. I don't know what it is. I was raised on PBS showing weird British comedies.

- Jonathan Krisel

Like, Raised, British, PBS

I always look at 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail.' They talked about how they wrote this movie with horses, and then they realized that horses are super-expensive and time-consuming. 'Why don't we just change it to coconuts?' That's part of my process.

- Jonathan Krisel

Movie, Part, About, Monty Python

'Fawlty Towers' was a huge influence on me. I mean, it was so slapstick, too. 'Are You Being Served?' was on 15 times a day, it seemed like, and I loved it.

- Jonathan Krisel

Like, Seemed, Slapstick, Huge Influence

In Portland, it rains all the time - but who cares? That's not funny. That's not universal.

- Jonathan Krisel

Time, Portland, Cares, Rains

Portland is a place where everyone closes their eyes and crosses their fingers and hopes for a better community. They keep it small and local, and usually they think if they just make great coffee, it's the best thing for the neighborhood.

- Jonathan Krisel

Best, Small, Fingers, Portland

Portland is utopia. My favorite thing would be it's earnestness. I am earnest, too.

- Jonathan Krisel

Utopia, Favorite Thing, Am, Portland

It's how you define yourself. It's not Nirvana or Pearl Jam: it's, 'Do you watch 'Portlandia' or 'Amy Schumer'?' It relates to a specific sense of humor. And, 'Do you know the hidden gems?' Like, if you knew the Pixies in the '80s.

- Jonathan Krisel

Sense Of Humor, Hidden, Pearl Jam

I loved 'Welcome to the Dollhouse.' That was one of the most influential movies ever. You know that genre with the nerdy girl, and she redeems herself in the end. Like 'Napoleon Dynamite.' And in 'Welcome to the Dollhouse,' she doesn't. She sucks. It's like, that's what's real. That's what's heartbreaking.

- Jonathan Krisel

Heartbreaking, Influential, Dynamite

Bands on tour are very good cultivators of what's the avant-garde of comedy.

- Jonathan Krisel

Comedy, Very, Bands, Avant-Garde

My brand of comedy is taking a serious approach to silliness. Small moments of modern life and human behavior make me laugh. At least that's where everything starts, and then my other through line would be a dry absurdity that exponentially spirals out of reality.

- Jonathan Krisel

Small, Through, Other, Make Me Laugh

For me, I love and hate Costco. I think it's ruined America and made America great.

- Jonathan Krisel

Love, Think, I Think, Ruined

I think any person who is starting out in a creative endeavor is not going to be good at it right out of the gate.

- Jonathan Krisel

Think, Going, I Think, Gate

I look at a show like 'Roseanne.' That's super influential on me. It's very funny, very real, with real problems. That was a big influence, and I don't know if you see that all the time in the network world.

- Jonathan Krisel

Big, Very, Influential, Real Problems

There's a good family of actors in 'Portlandia.' It's a small community with people who pop up again and again. The show's a little weird show, and you want to grow with the people who are in it, like Dana who plays the chicken waitress, and Ellen who was the adult babysitter.

- Jonathan Krisel

Small, Chicken, Show, Ellen

With all the outlets, if you have a strong comedic voice, there's a venue to do your thing. It's a bit of a meritocracy, where the best stuff rises to the top.

- Jonathan Krisel

Strong, Voice, Venue, Comedic

You see a lot of comedic content that's not funny, and you can tell that it's supposed to be funny, but it's actually not funny.

- Jonathan Krisel

See, Lot, Actually, Comedic

Everything else was snarky and high concept, while 'Roseanne' was just a normal family.

- Jonathan Krisel

Normal, High, Else, Everything Else

I want to work with extremely, genuinely charismatic people.

- Jonathan Krisel

Work, Want, Extremely, Charismatic

There is no 'recycle too much.' That's an oxymoron.

- Jonathan Krisel

Too Much, Oxymoron, Too, Recycle

I definitely feel the pressure to keep things fresh and original.

- Jonathan Krisel

Original, Keep, Definitely, Fresh

I know, especially in my family, people's feelings get hurt over the tiniest things. I'm sure that's true in every family. But, for instance, one year, I came a little bit late to Thanksgiving, and I was supposed to bring a salad. And I just brought a bag of lettuce, and put it in a bowl. Five years later, I heard that my mom was incensed.

- Jonathan Krisel

Salad, Instance, Brought, Feelings

A lot of the 'Portlandia' characters and a lot of the moments aren't really TV-worthy, but that's what is so refreshing about seeing them.

- Jonathan Krisel

About, Them, Really, Refreshing

There's a thing in comedy where you take one step into a bad idea, but if you take 10, then it becomes a good idea again.

- Jonathan Krisel

Comedy, Bad, Idea, Bad Idea

I'm not a big 'scripted comedy' person necessarily. I'm open for wherever comedy can be found.

- Jonathan Krisel

Comedy, Big, Found, Wherever

One second here and there will make all the difference between something being funny and not being funny. That's why I like going, 'Well, we wrote that six months ago, and it was funny one time we read it, but it's not funny anymore. So what? Just dump it.'

- Jonathan Krisel

Why, Here, Anymore, Dump

'Portlandia' is 100 percent improvised, and I came into this business not knowing anything.

- Jonathan Krisel

Business, Percent, Anything, Not Knowing

In your twenties, you might want to be radical and change the world, but in your thirties, you might just want to be happy and ground yourself.

- Jonathan Krisel

Might, Radical, Twenties, Change The World

Once the big lights come in, you can feel self-conscious. How can you capture the scene without ruining it and freezing people up? You keep it small and lean.

- Jonathan Krisel

Small, Big, Self-Conscious, Lights

I always want to push myself.

- Jonathan Krisel

Myself, Want, Always, Push

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.