The only honest art form is laughter, comedy. You can't fake it... try to fake three laughs in an hour - ha ha ha ha ha - they'll take you away, man. You can't.
Marijuana is rejected all over the world. Damned. In England heroin is alright for out-patents, but marijuana? They'll put your ass in jail. I wonder why that is? The only reason could be: To Serve the Devil - Pleasure! Pleasure, which is a dirty word in Christian culture.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the inconsistent societal views on substances like marijuana and heroin, highlighting hypocrisy in cultural attitudes toward pleasure.
Lenny Bruce's quote reflects a profound criticism of societal and cultural attitudes towards drug use, specifically contrasting the acceptance of substances like heroin for medical uses with the harsh penalties levied against marijuana. It suggests that the condemnation of marijuana stems from a deeper societal discomfort with pleasure, particularly within the framework of Christian moral values, thereby questioning the underlying motives behind such legal distinctions and cultural judgments.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a discussion on drug policy reform.
More from Lenny Bruce
All quotes →If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.
I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce.
I'll die young, but it's like kissing God.
All my humor is based on destruction and despair. If the whole world were tranquil, without disease and violence, I'd be standing in the bread line - right in back of J. Edgar Hoover.
In the Halls of Justice the only justice is in the halls.
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