Paula tells Larry that she's leaving to produce the Caryl and Marilyn show, so he impulsively promotes her to producer without consulting Artie. The quality of Phil's work goes up and down as his new girlfriend plays with his affections.
WAR
77.3
Wins Above Replacement
“Pain Equals Funny” ranks #53 of 90 The Larry Sanders Show episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.4 — Elite. The episode packs 69 scored jokes at 3.3 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 7.0 on impact, with Larry landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Larry · Artie: What the... what is she doing here? / I talked her into staying. Isn't that great? / No, that's not great. I told her that I really liked her. I wouldn't have done that if I'd known she was staying.
Larry Artie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Phil · Hank · Paula: Phil's 'Hank's Hot Potato' patter: audience shouts in unison 'Hey, now, Hank, go fuck yourself'
Phil Hank Paula Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Paula: Phil writes better and faster when he's unhappy, and we don't have tonight's monologue. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Paula Artie Callback Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Artie · Paula: Aw, come on. Look at you. You're young, you're bright, you're pretty. / That's what I was when Larry first saw me. / I hate myself.
Paula · Larry: I don't think so. / Why not? / I'm not your type. My breasts are real. / You know, I could get used to that.
Paula Larry Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 69 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Larry: I haven't been stared at like that since the last time I had sex.
Artie Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Artie: When I find Phil, I will introduce his ass to my good friend Mr. Florsheim.
Larry Artie Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Larry: Hello. I'd shake hands with you, but you were touching Phil's feet.
Artie Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Phil: A week... and a half.
Larry: it was early conan.
Artie Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Phil: it's gonna be stale by tomorrow afternoon.
Larry Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Artie: Yeah, the pussy cult. Whenever I'm getting pussy, I'm not funny.
Artie Phil Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Artie: Well, you're never funny.
Artie Phil Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Larry: No one ever died there when it was chasens.
Artie Irony/Sarcasm Observational ★ Rewatch Larry: I don't have a natural curiosity about people.
Phil Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Larry: I don't even know which one is harriet.
Hank: You'll learn their names within the year.
Hank: I can only derive a limited amount of personal satisfaction from booking the parrot lady.
Artie Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Hank: The music stopped! The music stopped!
Artie: What music?
Artie: But if they get a prize when they have it, why would anybody throw it away?
Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Artie: You know Larry only does the jerk-off jokes that he writes.
Paula Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Phil: she tells me I make her sick.
Phil: These gophers are also suspected of kidnapping farmers and subjecting them to painful medical probes.
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Artie: You're wearing my favorite cologne... 'hilarity by Larry Sanders'
Artie: I said it's fine. ...and, by the way, I'm a dead man for telling you...
Paula Observational Deadpan/Understatement Larry: O.j. Simpson. He's doin' great. Sensational.
Artie: and in 6 months, I replaced him. You don't have to worry about that. Ha! That's exactly what I said to Bob Sterling.
Hank Phil Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Phil Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Larry: Well, I hope our whole staff gets dumped. Maybe we'd win an emmy now and then.
Phil Setup/Punchline Absurdist Larry: Better than skinny-dipping with jfk in the white house swimming pool?
Phil Artie Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Paula: you know how well I react to gestures of sentimentality.
Phil: You've never thanked me before.
Artie: Well, the jokes were never that good before.
Larry Cringe/Discomfort Awkward Silence Paula: he looks kind of green to me.
Larry: Well, I had a bad piece of fish.
he's gonna look like the cleveland indians' mascot.
Larry Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Artie · Paula: Congratulations on your promotion, Paula. / Oh, thank you. / You don't mind if I stand here with you, do you? / Where else would the new producer stand?
Phil: Here. Catch. Then the audience, in unison, shouts, 'hey, now, Hank, go fuck yourself.'
Paula: Phil writes better and faster when he's unhappy, and we don't have tonight's monologue. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Paula Artie Callback Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: that was your pick-up phrase in the seventies, wasn't it?
Larry Setup/Punchline Absurdist Callback Larry: numbers 17 and 56 hate me and won't take my calls.
Paula: I just can't... what, did I push too hard? Did I do something wrong? Did I not produce the show?
Larry Dark/Subversive Observational Larry: I'm not a happy man. I know that I hide it pretty well,
Paula: I'm not your type. My breasts are real.
Larry: You know, I could get used to that.
Larry Phil Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Larry: The cleveland indians' mascot, Chief wahoo.
Larry Hank Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Artie: Damn it, it was excellent. Except for your tie.
Larry Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Artie: You shouldn't wear stripes, Sonny. They strobe and make your face look puffy.
Crew Setup/Punchline Observational Artie: I also got 5 porno channels.
Larry: I'll have a beer.
Artie: but what I didn't tell you is he was an absolute asshole.
Artie: That's what I was when Larry first saw me.
Staff Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Artie: She said you're a really sweet guy.
Larry: Oh, she's sweet, too.
Larry: We have no monologue.
Hank Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Phil · Hank · Paula: Phil's 'Hank's Hot Potato' patter: audience shouts in unison 'Hey, now, Hank, go fuck yourself'
Phil Hank Paula Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Hank · Paula: Who's dealing with my hot potato problem? Is that addressed to me? Pardon me? / I'm not the cook here.
Paula · Jessica: So, heard you guys played the viper room the other night. / Yeah. We kicked ass. / Maybe you could kick ass on our show sometime. / Really? / Yeah. / Have you, uh, seen the band? / I don't need to.
Paula · Jessica: Paula approaches Jessica to tell her Phil writes better when unhappy — implies she should break up with him again
Paula Jessica Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: This holiday, the biggest selling toy was the 'Tickle Me Elmo,' which oddly enough was also... that was your pick-up phrase in the seventies, wasn't it?
Larry Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Larry: Entertainment Weekly published their list of 101 most powerful people in Hollywood. I'm not on the list, but I'm very proud to say that numbers 17 and 56 hate me and won't take my calls.
Larry Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry · Phil: Ha. He's killin'. / This is the craziest chick that I have ever met. / I mean, one minute she's fine, the next minute she's crazy. It's like a fucking roller coaster.
Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Larry: No, really, I'm confident.
Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Paula: Who the fuck wants to produce the Mommies? Come on!
Paula Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Larry · Paula: Listen, um, I'm gonna tell you something that I wouldn't tell you if you weren't leaving. / Is it gonna hurt my feelings? / No, I don't think it's gonna hurt your feelings. I... I happen to really like you. I mean, um... you know, I'm not a happy man.
Larry Paula Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Paula · Larry: I don't think so. / Why not? / I'm not your type. My breasts are real. / You know, I could get used to that.
Paula Larry Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry · Paula: Do you like me? I mean, if you weren't workin' with me... / Sure. Yes. I like you. / My God, you've got a wall up... / OK! We'll go to dinner! / Good! Fine! I'd like to go to dinner. / Don't be so uptight. / Well, I've never been fired like this before! / We're gonna have such a good time.
Larry Paula Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry · Artie: Well, you missed nothing tonight. The show was horrible. Yeah? The interviews were bad, the lighting on the desk piece was way too red. My face looked like that Indian Chief in... / Chief Wahoo. / Who? / The Cleveland Indians' mascot, Chief Wahoo.
Larry Artie Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Artie: You shouldn't wear stripes, Sonny. They strobe and make your face look puffy.
Artie Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Larry · Artie: When did you get a satellite dish? / I've had it about a month. 119 channels. Really? / I was just watching some Australian rules football.
Larry · Artie: You want to stay? / I also got 5 porno channels. / I'll have a beer.
Larry Artie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Brian · Paula: Oh, can I have your stapler? / Brian!
Artie · Paula: Suppose you got what you wanted, huh? / What I want is to do the best possible show.
Artie: I told you about Bob Sterling, but what I didn't tell you is he was an absolute asshole. I was just a young kid trying to learn, and he was threatened. And I swore I'd never be like that, and yesterday I acted like Bob Sterling.
Artie Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Artie · Paula: Aw, come on. Look at you. You're young, you're bright, you're pretty. / That's what I was when Larry first saw me. / I hate myself.
Artie · Paula: You were pushing just a little too hard. / I still think there are a few tricks this old producer might teach you. / I'd like that. / Great. / So I can stay? / Well, I'm sure that's what Larry would want.
Larry · Artie: What the... what is she doing here? / I talked her into staying. Isn't that great? / No, that's not great. I told her that I really liked her. I wouldn't have done that if I'd known she was staying.
Larry Artie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Paula: We have no monologue.
Paula Deadpan/Understatement Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Larry Sanders Show
