It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.
American Gods is about 200,000 words long, and I'm sure there are words that are simply in there 'cause I like them. I know I couldn't justify each and every one of them.
Authors know that you should never really write a funny book because funny books do not get awards. Comic novels will not get awards.
Strategy number one is that I always, or almost always, have at least two or three different things that I'm writing at any one time.