Allen: That's quite a lovely Jackson Pollock, isn't it? Woman: Yes, it is. Allen: What does it say to you? Woman: It restates the negativeness of the universe. The hideous lonely emptiness of existence. Nothingness. The predicament of man forced to live in a barren, godless eternity like a tiny flame flickering in an immense void with nothing but waste, horror, and degradation, forming a useless, bleak straitjacket in a black, absurd cosmos. Allen: What are you doing Saturday night? Woman: Committing suicide. Allen: What about Friday night?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Allen contrasts a woman's deep existential dread with a mundane date question.
- In plain terms
- Allen uses dark humor to contrast despair with dating.
- What can you take from it?
- Dark humor can mask serious emotional distress.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you handle despair?
- What does this joke say about life?
Another view
Some people use humor to deflect serious pain.
More from Woody Allen
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