Donald Barthelme Quotes

Inappropriateness is funny to me. Rudeness is hilarious.

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.

Impropriety is the soul of wit.

Comedies always need to be provocative and catch your attention in a way that dramas don't have to.

The thing is I'm very interested in bad taste, as anyone who's ever seen me perform or had dinner with me would know.

If I'm not complaining, I'm not having a good time, hah hah!

I knew I was going to go into the field and make fun of people to their faces. I knew what I was getting into.

I value comedy. I value somebody who can be funny.

In general, comedians are attracted to vice.

I haven't watched 'Mad TV' a lot, but I have seen some stuff on there that is truly funny. You have to have some sort of attitude toward the subject, and they seem to have it. It depends on how much blood you want to draw.

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

Insult is powerful. Insult begets both rage and humor and often at the same time.

Comedy always works best when it is mean-spirited.

I know you can be funny without being filthy.

Irreverence is an essential part of our culture.

I've said things on Twitter that I've said deliberately because I think they're out of order, I think that's the sense of humour that I've got. I like saying things that I think are terrible, because it gives me a buzz.

Let me tell you something about Joe Manganiello - I don't care, dude. The most impressive thing that you have on your cinematography is that you got beat up by Spiderman.

I am a comedian: that means I laugh at things other people don't laugh at and also annoys my wife sometimes.

I like good humor.

I am capable of bad taste - deliberately.

The only reason I'd bring a Bible out here is if I needed toilet paper.

If I ran a national burger franchise - which I don't - I'd make it a rule that no two customers can be greeted with precisely the same words and that every third customer must be grossly insulted as a matter of course. Just to keep the atmosphere nice and lively. And to keep the staff laughing.

You can't just be crass without being witty. Angry crass is horrible.

I'm Keith," he said, "and you're . . . clearly mad, but what's your name?

Soft rock music isn't rock, and it ain't music. It's just soft. Reminds me of something my third-grade teacher said to us. She said, "You show me a tropical fruit and I'll show you a cocksucker from Guatemala."