Quotes from Neal Brennan

Sentimental is not bad, but it's probably the most likely to go awry. It's the hardest to do and not have it end up being 'Forrest Gump' or something. Maudlin - I just don't want it to be maudlin.

I haven't watched 'Half Baked' in 17 years, since I was editing it. It's like looking at an old picture where you have bad bangs or something.

I think the only op-ed columnist in 'The Times' - where I read all of his stuff - is Paul Krugman.

I think the thing I had going for me is a good pedigree and joke-writing ability. But a good pedigree, for the audience, doesn't matter past the first 90 seconds.

Even at it's worst, 'Def Jam' was extremely interesting and extremely well performed. And the crowds were amazing.

Like, your body has to get used to being in front of people. Like - and you have to be like - you have to be kind of a ham, you know? Like, the thing about writers is they're generally self - comedy writers - self-loathing, sort of play small. And as a, like, performer, you have to think like a comedy writer but act like a performer.

It wasn't so much figuring out my voice comedically, because that was always pretty clear. It was more about performing and being a good, watchable performer.

I always say to Blake Griffin that he has a better comedy career than I do.

Steve Allen was on Johnny Carson one time - I looked for it, but I couldn't find it - and he read the lyrics to 'Hot Stuff' by Donna Summer like a poet. He read them very seriously. I was maybe 8, but it killed me.

With '3 Mics', there's nothing I'm talking about that's too hot button.

Honestly, I've always thought that Charles Barkley is the best guy on TV because he will really tell you what he thinks. But it's all well thought out.

When you're in a friend circle, you all kind of talk the same way. And it's hard to do on-the-fly radio edits of yourself.

I'm not dripping with charisma like many of my friends are. But I do have candour, which is close.

With most specials, even the best comedians will tell you they could have cut 15 or 20 minutes out of it.

You can say whatever you want, but there's going to be consequences to it.

The biggest problem in America is most people believe poor people are poor because they are lazy.

America doesn't have poor people, they have temporarily embarrassed millionaires: meaning there are people who are poor for now but that's all about to end when 'blank' happens, or when the number comes in, or when the invention takes off.

You're supposed to not like the 'Austin Powers' movies because people ruin the catchphrases. 'Austin Powers' is so funny.

I just don't believe in the old definition that a fan of music is: I find a band, I listen to all of it and I pretend to like stuff that I don't like. Now if I don't like it, I just go, 'I don't like this.' It's way fairer.

I think the biggest influence on my stand-up would be Chris Rock, in that I love that Chris is basically an essayist, in that he'll take a subject and just try and attack it from as many different angles as he can.

If you just want money and tax cuts and stuff, fine - just stop acting like you're moral.

In true, narcissistic fashion, when my father was diagnosed as a narcissist, he called us all up individually to tell us, and he did it with true pride.

I think anyone can write about anything that they have knowledge of and exposure to.

The story of '3 Mics' is the story of a guy who wants to be something and is sort of figuring out how he gets there.