Of all the many varied forms of comedian that have come and gone in the history of stand up, from the brash in-your-face
Eddie Murphys to the razor sharp joke-a-minute
Jimmy Carrs, there is one type that seems never to go out of style: the self-deprecating comic. There is just something about seeing another person who is prepared to tell you the worst about themselves, while being confident enough to do it on a stage and funny enough to do it for a paying crowd, that makes us all feel better about ourselves. By opening themselves up to their worst self-observations and sharing them in public the self deprecator lets us know it is OK for us not to be perfect and invites us to laugh both at their and our own failings. It is the comedy of inclusion and it is the power behind some of the funniest comedy quotes of all time.
“I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous, everyone hasn't met me yet.”
Rodney Dangerfield.
“If every student was like me in college, we'd still be in Vietnam.”
Larry David.
“Oh, this isn't a talk show; it's more just filling time, really, 'til the infomercials start.”
Craig Ferguson.
“I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys.”
Woody Allen.
“Every day starts, my eyes open and I reload the program of misery. I open my eyes remember who I am, what I'm like, and I just go ‘ugh...'.”
Louis CK.
“Now that this mess is almost behind me – I just have one last request: HBO, when you make the movie about this whole NBC late night fiasco, I'd like to be played by Academy-Award winning actress Tilda Swinton.”
Conan O'Brien.
“Actually, the reason I look like this is because my father was from Sweden and my mother was Elton John.”
Jim Gaffigan.