The music was thunder and joy. Lightning bolts of happiness and praise, foot-stomping, dance-shouting, good-feeling singing from the soul.
Etta JamesRead
In music, you ain't really got to be able to sing. In comedy, you may be cute, you may be able to add a little extra to your routine, but if you're not funny, no one's really rocking with you - and if you're a black woman, you better be hilarious. As usual, we always have to do the most.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the demanding standards placed on black women in entertainment, particularly in comedy, highlighting the necessity of exceptional talent to gain acceptance.
Amanda Seales' quote reflects the challenges that black women face in the entertainment industry, where they are often expected to exceed typical expectations. It conveys that while talent can vary in different fields, such as music and comedy, in comedy, the ability to be genuinely funny is crucial. It points out the additional pressure on black women to not only meet but surpass these standards in a competitive environment where they must work harder to be recognized and accepted.
Themes
ComedyEntertainmentBlack WomenTalentPressureSuccess
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on the representation of women in comedy.
Similar quotes
In the writing process, the more the story cooks, the better. The brain works for you even when you are at rest. I find dreams particularly useful. I myself think a great deal before I go to sleep and the details sometimes unfold in the dream.
Doris LessingRead
Two questions I can't really answer about fiction are 1) where it comes from, and 2) why we need it. But that we do create it and also crave it is beyond dispute.
Marilynne RobinsonRead
After the film it was raining, a light steady rain. Ruthless neon on the wet streets like busted candy.
Denis JohnsonRead
In my view, the only way to see a film remains the way the filmmaker intended: inside a large movie theater with great sound and pristine picture.
Ridley ScottRead
Cinema, radio, television, magazines are a school of inattention: people look without seeing, listen in without hearing.
Robert BressonRead