Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian

Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian

The problem with making comedy for everyone

Should you target a niche audience or focus on winning over a room of unlike strangers?

Matt Ruby's avatar
Matt Ruby
Mar 20, 2026
∙ Paid

“I don’t know the secret to success, but the secret to failure is trying to please everyone.”
-Bill Cosby

I know, we’re not supposed to quote Bill Cosby anymore. But still, that’s a good one on art.

The point: Making something for everyone just leads to homogenous slop. That’s part of why AI art sucks so much. It’s just a stew of everything. When you throw all the colors on the same canvas, you wind up with brown muck.

So the opposite must be good, right?

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Matt Ruby.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Matt Ruby · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture