Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Samuel GoldwynRead
Here I am paying big money to you writers and what for? All you do is change the words.
Interpretation
This quote humorously critiques the work of writers, suggesting they simply rearrange existing ideas.
Samuel Goldwyn’s remark reflects a humorous yet pointed criticism of the writing profession, implying that writers often get paid exorbitantly for what seems like a simple task of altering words. The statement underscores the frustration some may feel towards the perceived lack of originality or substantial effort in creative writing, while also portraying the absurdity of the situation in a light-hearted way.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a writers’ workshop to lighten the mood.
Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
That's the kind of ad I like, facts, facts, facts.
Gentlemen, listen to me slowly.
I want everyone to tell me the truth, even if it costs him his job.
I'll take fifty percent efficiency to get one hundred percent loyalty.
Color television! Bah, I won't believe it until I see it in black and white.
It's now very common to hear people say 'I'm rather offended by that'.
I was the first woman to burn my bra - it took the fire department four days to put it out.
I'm glad I'm funny. I'm glad I make people happy, because that's very important. But I'm proud to be known as a kind person.
God bless our good and gracious King, Whose promise none relies on; Who never said a foolish thing, Nor ever did a wise one.
I'm going to take this God-given gift of being funny, and I'm going to spread it out like peanut butter on everything I do.
Either I'm funny or the world's funny. I don't know which. The bottle and lid don't fit. It could be the bottle's fault or the lid's fault. In either case, there's no denying that the fit is bad.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.