Maynard James Keenan Quotes

Political correctness is a minefield

We've gotten to a point where you can't be a politician and actually say what you're thinking because someone's gonna get offended, and God forbid, like, everyone's so sensitive now, it's ridiculous.

It's very difficult to speak to a large group of people these days and not offend someone. I know people walk around with their feelings on their shoulders waiting for you to say something - ahh - did you hear that? And they can't hear anything else you say. The PC police are out in force at all times.

Candidates should be extremely cautious in displaying a sense of humor. If he or she tells a joke with a point, there is almost certain to be some minority group offended.

If you're offended by any word in any language, it's probably because your parents were unfit to raise a child.

Comedy is very interesting because you can very quickly cross into dangerous territory. I mean look at what happened, unfortunately, (in) Paris a couple of weeks ago. They were making comics - which were really satire - but it offended people. I'm not saying the reaction was justified but there's definitely a line when you're doing comedy or satire and how it might affect somebody. That's the thing you have to watch and I think you have to be respectful of it.

A word to those of you out there who have yet to be offended by something I have said: Please be patient. I am working as fast as I can.

Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.

My sense of humor doesn't translate well into print, some of the things I say can be offensive or found offensive even though I don't mean them that way. So I have been told to try and censor myself here and there. I'm trying, but I'm not really succeeding at it.

There are some people who are way too sensitive about things. If you're not using the vocabulary that's new that they've helped define, then you're not on their team, even though you want to be. And at the same time, the fact that our president Donald Trump said on record, "You could just grab women by the pussy," and a lot of people in America were like, "Yeah, it's fine, that's something that's said..." There are people that are not sensitive or aware enough about other people and what that means.

You tend to think that your time is either the best or the worst, and then when you have a sense of history, you'll realize actually, no, there were times things were quite gusty in the world. I mean, just think, nowadays most people will say they support the advancement of women, woman has been equal, the fact that we're so aware of the gustiness, in a sense, also speaks about the heightening of our own sensitivity.

Let's not become so worried about not offending anybody that we lose the ability to distinguish between respect and paranoia.

In my day everything wasn't so PC.

You're not allowed to call them dinosaurs any more," said Yo-less. "It's speciesist. You have to call them pre-petroleum persons.

Being a human means waking up in this world, where we all have to work and slog to put food on the table.

People who speak in metaphors should shampoo my crotch.

What does politically correct mean? If you're fat, don't ask me if you're fat, because I'm gonna tell you the truth. You're fat.

if you have to say “no offense” to someone, you have already offended them.

Really, when you get down to racism, in or out of the church, it's a heart issue. It's not a head issue. When we actually get to experience each other's ministry, and each other's struggle, and each other's pain, there's a much greater sensitivity.

Meow” means “woof” in cat.

Self-importance requires spending most of one's life offended by something or someone.

I frequently counsel people who are getting frustrated about an edit war to think about someone who lives without clean drinking water, without any proper means of education, and how our work might someday help that person. It puts flamewars into some perspective, I think.

I think maybe to survive, I mean to just get through the day - I'm not saying that everything is hilariously funny.

Part of me would just like to relax and have one job that pays me the amount I need to survive. And another part of me wants the creativity that comes out of struggle and frustration and fear. It's a never-ending cycle, which must be how I want it, on some level.

I don't mean to give performance art a bad name or anything; I think there are people that are legit. I think I just got frustrated painting - I love painting; I actually tried to be an artist, but it's sensitive, and then you have an object. And what do you do with that object? And then repeat and repeat, blah blah blah.