Elayne Boosler Quotes

Do you want me to apologize after every joke? If it doesn't offend somebody it's probably not a joke. It's probably an observation that's not funny. It's gotta offend somebody somewhere.

I've gotten in trouble with every race you can imagine. They say, 'I can't believe you talked about this - you're racist.' And I say, 'How can I be racist? Isn't racism exclusionary? If all of you are offended, that means I'm including every race in my jokes.'

I make a lot of jokes about vegetarians in my act but most of them don't have the strength to protest.

Let's face it: It's difficult enough to be funny without worrying about what is going to offend whom.

I've seen racism in my audiences. For example, I've seen people laugh at every other group, but then clam up when it comes to their community. You can't laugh at everyone else and then not laugh at yourself. You shouldn't be at my show if you can't laugh at yourself.

I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity offender.

I try to make fun of everyone as often as possible, especially minorities.

I'm a take-no-prisoners type of comic, and I'm lucky because my fans get me and never have a problem with the politically incorrect themes of my act. But I am continually amazed by how a certain section of our society seems to be so freakin' sensitive about jokes.

Some people don't have a sense of humor about certain things, and other people do.

I mean, no, I don't think anything is too far; you can make fun of anything.

Equality is not in regarding different things similarly, equality is in regarding different things differently.

Well, I'm not afraid to say something if I think it's funny, even if it's harsh or racist.

It's much easier to make jokes about sensitive issues if there is some dissent, some conflict.

Just because I do a few comedy bits about gay people, that does not mean I'm out there promoting some anti-gay cause.

I'm not in favor of any discrimination of any form.

If I don't offend somebody, then I'm probably not funny.

If you make comedy, if you try and make comedy where no one gets upset or offended, you're going to fail.

Bad taste is not illegal. I always got my first laughs as a kid by saying inappropriate things. That's always how we're going to get our laughs as comics.

We want to get people laughing; we don't want to offend anybody.

I will do almost anything for the sake of a joke or for the sake of someone's real belief in something to help tell a story. I will not do something shocking for the sake of being nasty. If it's not hurting anyone's feelings, I'm in on the joke.

Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.

I think humor is such a personal thing, and you put a microphone in somebody's face, they're going to say something that offends somebody.

I don't want to ever tell a stereotype joke for the sake of it. I'm going to tell the story that I feel is true.

My secret to comedy is don't offend anybody. Don't offend anybody ever. That's my secret.

People who like my stuff and know what my agenda is have never mistaken me for being racist or poking fun at the wrong thing.