Comedy Thesarus: 3,241 Quips, Quotes, and Smartass Remarks

I'm a standup comic and I contribute jokes to Judy for her joke books. I've connected with many new fans who found me through the jokes in Judy's books. I'm glad I let Judy use my material, because despite my film and tv credits, it was Judy's use of my jokes that convinced my family that maybe this comedy thing of Basil's might pan out into something real. Thanks Judy. Her books are also great for speechwriters who need a joke about a specific topic. Her books are organized like Bartlett's Quotations, but with jokes that are actually funny.

I noticed that someone claims that Judy Brown has illegally published comedians jokes in Comedy Thesaurus. I am one of the contributors to the book and I can say that I sent Ms. Brown 15 jokes, at no charge and with my permission, to include in her book The Comedy Thesaurus. I have also contributed jokes to her book, Squeaky Clean Comedy. I must say that my dealings with Judy have been a pleasure. All in all the Comedy Thesaurus is a great book. Buy it!

A below "review" on this site (if it hasn't already been removed) accuses me of "stealing" comedians' material via a "legal loophole." Which is a not only a misreading of US Copyright Law, but misrepresents the content of my book, my methods for compiling it, and my intent. Up to 100 comedians directly contributed jokes to me for this book; and the material gathered under the Fair Use provision of US Copyright law is not only correctly contributed to each comedian, but in addition I have, whenever possible, provided contact information for comedians, so that readers who like the glimpse of a comedian's act provided, can then contact the comedian and buy the CD, DVD of his/her act or find out where to see that comedian live or on TV. The Fair Use provision of the US Copyright laws is no mere "legal loophole" -- it has not only provided the basis for the compiling of every other quote book in existence in the USA for at least 100 years, but is the underpinning of every news report you read (or hear), and every history book written in the United States. Fair Use has not only been upheld by the Supreme Court, it has been championed by every free speech advocate imaginable, including the ACLU. If my intent had been to "steal" I could have printed the quotes without attribution (which happens all too often on the internet, usually by those unfamiliar with US Copyright law or fair use, in any sense.) And I certainly wouldn't have gone to the trouble to provide comedian credits, bios and contact information (including email or website addresses, whenever possible.) But as a reporter on the comedy scene for over 20 years -- including as the comedy critic for the LA Weekly for over a dozens years, and also freelance for the Los Angeles Times, Mademoiselle magazine and other newspapers and magazines -- that would be unlikely to be my intent.

This is basically a smart-ass version of Bartlett's Quotations -- and what a terrific deal. 3000+ quotes for $16.95. And they're not the same quotes that you see in all the other quote collections -- no Mark Twain, no Oscar Wilde, no Dorothy Parker. These quotes are all refreshingly contemporary -- culled by the author from a ton of standup performances. If you're looking for funny/fresh observations to use in a speech or article, this is the perfect reference. (And kudos to the book's illustrator -- the oddball chapter openers are delightful!)

I have several Humorous Quotes books as references but I have enjoyed none of them as much as Judy Brown's new book. Ms. Brown gets her quips almost exclusively from stand-up comics and late-night talk show host soliloquies. It is organized into topics and sub-topics which make it simple to use to find just the joke you want for a speech or presentation. The cross-referencing eliminates much of the searching typical of books of this nature. An excellent choice for anyone doing public speaking or making presentations.