I Believe Entertainment Can Aspire To

Attributed to Martin in interviews, this line draws a distinction between work that achieves the status of art and work that consciously pursues it. His argument is that art is an outcome, not a declared intention — a performer who sets out to make art is likely to produce something pretentious and self-conscious, while a performer focused on craft and audience may occasionally transcend entertainment without trying to. The view is consistent with his approach in both standup and his later career as a playwright, novelist, and fine art collector.