--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started in the clubs, I had to…" description: "\"When I started in the clubs, I had to work places where didn't nobody else want to work. I had to do clubs where street gangs were, had to do motorcycl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/bernie-mac-3867_balls_when-i-started-in-the-clubs-i-had-to-wor_460720.jpg" --- # When I started in the clubs, I had to work places where… ![“When I started in the clubs, I had to work places where didn't nobody else want to work. I had to do clubs where street gangs were, had to do motorcycle gangs, gay balls and things of that nature.” quote by Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/bernie-mac-3867_balls_when-i-started-in-the-clubs-i-had-to-wor_460720.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/bernie-mac-3867_balls_when-i-started-in-the-clubs-i-had-to-wor_460720.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/bernie-mac-3867_balls_when-i-started-in-the-clubs-i-had-to-wor_460720.jpg) > “When I started in the clubs, I had to work places where didn't nobody else want to work. I had to do clubs where street gangs were, had to do motorcycle gangs, gay balls and things of that nature.” [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes early career hardships, taking jobs others avoided, exposing him to diverse, risky environments that shaped his resilience and humor. **In simple terms:** Early work in tough places built his strength and comedy. Key Takeaway Embrace difficult starts to grow. Themes resilience humor diversity risk career Mood gritty reflective determined Type personal career When to use this quote - nightclub work - street gang encounters - motorcycle gang gigs - gay ball performances Key Concepts stand‑up comedy social marginalization Questions to Reflect On - How did confronting danger influence your comedic voice? - What can we learn from working in marginalized spaces? A Different Perspective These experiences may have been unsafe and exploitative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clubs/) [Gangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangs/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Motorcycle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motorcycle/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-place/) ## Related quotes > [When I was younger, I was a bit awkward to work for, hence why I had about five clubs in two years. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bruce/when-i-was-younger-i-was-a-bit-awkward-to-work-for-hence-why-i-had/) [Steve Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bruce/) > [That's where it all started for me, in clubs and bars, and I don't ever wanna outgrow that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-swindell/that-s-where-it-all-started-for-me-in-clubs-and-bars-and-i-don-t-ever/) [Cole Swindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-swindell/) > [I started out in clubs, and I've always liked clubs. I like theaters because people are there for the show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/i-started-out-in-clubs-and-i-ve-always-liked-clubs-i-like-theaters/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [So many groups fail because they spend all their time in the clubs. Work pours in and they can't handle it because of late-night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-gibb/so-many-groups-fail-because-they-spend-all-their-time-in-the-clubs/) [Maurice Gibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-gibb/) > [Bobby Troup and I have been working together for about a year in clubs. We work in the same club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-troup-and-i-have-been-working-together-for-about-a-year-in/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) > [It used to be that in comedy you had to play the clubs and work your way up, but now, before you do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-moore/it-used-to-be-that-in-comedy-you-had-to-play-the-clubs-and-work-your/) [Trevor Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-moore/) > [“The street gangs,” in the words of Alan Bullock, “had seized control of the resources of a great modern State, the gutter had come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-l-shirer/the-street-gangs-in-the-words-of-alan-bullock-had-seized-control-of/) [William L. Shirer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-l-shirer/) > [In fact, street gangs are the primary distributor of illegal drugs in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-reichert/in-fact-street-gangs-are-the-primary-distributor-of-illegal-drugs-in/) [Dave Reichert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-reichert/) > [Wherever there are rock n rollers, well play. Thats what weve been doing for more than 30 years - rock n roll. Its made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-hawkins/wherever-there-are-rock-n-rollers-well-play-thats-what-weve-been/) [Ronnie Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-hawkins/) > [Women are sort of like motorcycle gangs with me. They get really shy and polite. I don't know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/women-are-sort-of-like-motorcycle-gangs-with-me-they-get-really-shy/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Analysis of President Bush's tax plan has revealed that several elaborate tricks and gimmicks were used to make it look like a $1.35 trillion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/analysis-of-president-bush-s-tax-plan-has-revealed-that-several/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I didn't run with a gang - I didn't have time. There were a few little street gangs sitting in the spotlights at night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-didn-t-run-with-a-gang-i-didn-t-have-time-there-were-a-few-little/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [The thing is, and Americans are starting to realize this now, that while street gangs are violent, the Democrats and Republicans are worse. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/the-thing-is-and-americans-are-starting-to-realize-this-now-that/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/people-are-more-violently-opposed-to-fur-than-leather-because-it-s/) [Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/) > [He sees it in the juvenile street gangs, who live in fear of death and who propagate fear by inflicting death to banish fear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-mcbain/he-sees-it-in-the-juvenile-street-gangs-who-live-in-fear-of-death-and/) [Ed McBain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-mcbain/) ## More by Bernie Mac > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [You've got guys in charge of shows who probably went to school for chemistry, and now they're executive producers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/you-ve-got-guys-in-charge-of-shows-who-probably-went-to-school-for/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [You're never going to see me playing a buffoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/you-re-never-going-to-see-me-playing-a-buffoon/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [It's a pleasure to work with someone who is just as strong as you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/it-s-a-pleasure-to-work-with-someone-who-is-just-as-strong-as-you-are/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [I wasn't disciplined at all. As good of an athlete as I was, I was not disciplined. Had I had the drive that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-wasn-t-disciplined-at-all-as-good-of-an-athlete-as-i-was-i-was-not/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [When it comes to raising children, I believe in give and take. I give orders and they take 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-it-comes-to-raising-children-i-believe-in-give-and-take-i-give/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Black audiences are hard. They always think they're better than you. So you got to come with a little extra to satisfy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/black-audiences-are-hard-they-always-think-they-re-better-than-you-so/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [My girlfriend Rhonda, who's now my wife, I graduated from high school, she got pregnant. My grandfather said, 'You've got to do the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/my-girlfriend-rhonda-who-s-now-my-wife-i-graduated-from-high-school/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [You can't change what happened. Just like you can't change the future by worrying about it. You just have to keep moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/you-can-t-change-what-happened-just-like-you-can-t-change-the-future/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [I learned hard lessons in life; I had to because I had so much happen: My mother died my sophomore year in high school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-learned-hard-lessons-in-life-i-had-to-because-i-had-so-much-happen/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Bernie Mac is happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/bernie-mac-is-happy/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [I hate to let people down. I was like that in sports and I was like that in comedy. I was like that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-hate-to-let-people-down-i-was-like-that-in-sports-and-i-was-like/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [I want to speak directly to the audience, to say, 'I'm like you - I'm frustrated, I'm not an expert, I don't have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-want-to-speak-directly-to-the-audience-to-say-i-m-like-you-i-m/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [I know doing movies is where I need to be. That's where my audience wants to see me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-know-doing-movies-is-where-i-need-to-be-that-s-where-my-audience/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > ['The Bernie Mac Show' is my life. It's the truth, and I'm not ashamed of a minute, an hour, or a second of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/the-bernie-mac-show-is-my-life-it-s-the-truth-and-i-m-not-ashamed-of/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) [Explore all 120 Bernie Mac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) ## More Balls quotes > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [Play small ball. Get back to basics. I would say that you need to be a conservative, but you need to maintain your independent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/play-small-ball-get-back-to-basics-i-would-say-that-you-need-to-be-a/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Maybe bring in sponge balls to learn the technique and gain that experience of actually challenging for a header.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mason/maybe-bring-in-sponge-balls-to-learn-the-technique-and-gain-that/) [Ryan Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mason/) > [I like René Descartes' theory about a ball of wax. You can change its form from solid to liquid, but it's still the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-like-ren-descartes-theory-about-a-ball-of-wax-you-can-change-its/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Throwing a ball is not natural, whether it's overhand or underhand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/throwing-a-ball-is-not-natural-whether-it-s-overhand-or-underhand/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [I don't feel like I have to live up to anything because I've proven that I can play. Give me the ball and let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-portis/i-don-t-feel-like-i-have-to-live-up-to-anything-because-i-ve-proven/) [Clinton Portis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-portis/) > [And if we seem nutty to you and if we seem like an odd ball to you, just remember one thing. The mighty oak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-turner/and-if-we-seem-nutty-to-you-and-if-we-seem-like-an-odd-ball-to-you/) [Glenn Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-turner/) > [You run the football for toughness. You run the ball to tell your opponent that you're as tough as they are. But you throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-glanville/you-run-the-football-for-toughness-you-run-the-ball-to-tell-your/) Jerry Glanville Browse all 3,005 Balls quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I started in the clubs, I had to work places where didn't nobody else want to work. 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