Even if you meet the perfect person, it ain’t gonna be at the perfect time. You’re married, they’re single. That’s right. You’re Jewish, they’re Palestinian. You’re a Mexican, they’re a raccoon. You’re a black woman, he’s a black man.
Chris RockRead
The thing I try to get across to the writers - and I do a lot of writing, too - is that when I do stand-up, nothing I talk about is funny. Everything is really sad and tragic and then I make it funny.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Comedy often draws from sad and tragic experiences, transforming them into something humorous.
In this quote, Chris Rock emphasizes the idea that the essence of his comedy stems from deeper, often darker experiences. He suggests that what appears to be funny on stage is rooted in sad and tragic realities; it is his skillful articulation that transforms these experiences into humor, providing a unique lens through which the audience can view pain and laughter simultaneously.
Themes
ComedyTragedyHumorWritingSadness
In practice
Example use cases
In a stand-up routine discussing coping with loss.
More from Chris Rock
All quotes →I kind of keep my personality in my pocket a lot. When I start to do stand-up, that's not my true personality either. It's the personality of a guy who hasn't been able to say what he wanted to say.
Chris RockRead
There's some downsides to being famous, which are not even worth mentioning. But to combat the bad sides of being famous, you really should take advantage of the good sides. The good sides are, you can use that fame to get projects you might not normally get.
Chris RockRead
If you want to prevent abortions, you make sure everyone has health care, a high school education and birth control. Not the exact opposite.
Chris RockRead
Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks.
Chris RockRead
Karaoke isn't fair when you're a comedian. The whole idea is to get people laughing and enjoying themselves, and I'm a professional funny guy.
Chris RockRead
Similar quotes
If a person is not talented enough to be a novelist, not smart enough to be a lawyer, and his hands are too shaky to perform operations, he becomes a journalist.
Norman MailerRead
It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression, 'As pretty as an airport.
Douglas AdamsRead
All higher humor begins with ceasing to take oneself seriously.
Hermann HesseRead
You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.
Mark TwainRead
Eisenhower admitted that the budget can't be balanced and McCarthy said the communists are taking over. You don't know what to worry about these days - whether the country will be overthrown or overdrawn.
Bob HopeRead
Beer commercials usually show big men, manly men, doing manly things: "You've just killed a small animal. It's time for a light beer." Why not have a realistic beer commercial, with a realistic thing about beer, where someone goes, "It's 5:00 in the morning. You've just pissed on a dumpster. It's Miller time."
Robin WilliamsRead