--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first started out, 'Time' magazine…" description: "\"When I first started out, 'Time' magazine did an article on what it called 'the sick comics,' and they were myself, Shelley Berman, Nichols & May, Jona..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/bob-newhart-2419_article_when-i-first-started-out-time-magazine-d_2149138.jpg" --- # When I first started out, 'Time' magazine did an article… ![“When I first started out, 'Time' magazine did an article on what it called 'the sick comics,' and they were myself, Shelley Berman, Nichols & May, Jonathan Winters, Lenny Bruce, and Mort Sahl. We were considered 'sick.'” quote by Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/bob-newhart-2419_article_when-i-first-started-out-time-magazine-d_2149138.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/bob-newhart-2419_article_when-i-first-started-out-time-magazine-d_2149138.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/bob-newhart-2419_article_when-i-first-started-out-time-magazine-d_2149138.jpg) > “When I first started out, 'Time' magazine did an article on what it called 'the sick comics,' and they were myself, Shelley Berman, Nichols & May, Jonathan Winters, Lenny Bruce, and Mort Sahl. We were considered 'sick.'” [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker recounts being labeled “sick” by a mainstream magazine, reflecting how unconventional humor was once marginalized. **In simple terms:** Unconventional humor was once stigmatized. Key Takeaway Embrace originality despite criticism. Themes creativity nonconformity media humor stigma Mood critical reflective Type historical analytical When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - media criticism - creative industries Key Concepts cultural norms artistic freedom social labeling Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling affect artistic expression? - What defines “sick” humor today? A Different Perspective It may overlook progress since then. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Article](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/article/) [Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bruce/) [Called Sick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-sick-2086537/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Comics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comics/) [Considered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considered/) [Considered Sick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considered-sick-4511487/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Jonathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jonathan/) [Lenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lenny/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lenny-bruce/) [Magazine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magazine/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mort Sahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mort-sahl-220788/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Sick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sick/) [Sick Comics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sick-comics-4511486/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time magazine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-magazine/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winters/) ## Related quotes > [When I was younger, I listened to the greats: Winters, Mel and Carl, Nichols and May, Pryor, Carlin, Klein, Berman and lots of Lenny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lewis/when-i-was-younger-i-listened-to-the-greats-winters-mel-and-carl/) [Richard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lewis/) > [One of my greatest inspirations for stand-up was Jonathan Winters. He was a genius. One thing about him, and also Lenny Bruce, is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/one-of-my-greatest-inspirations-for-stand-up-was-jonathan-winters-he/) [Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/) > [You start out with Mad magazine, and you go right through the sort of black humor of Lenny Bruce, Lord Buckley, Mort Sahl, Paul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/you-start-out-with-mad-magazine-and-you-go-right-through-the-sort-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [W. Kamau Bell is in the vanguard of a new era of American comedy for an unsettling, troubling, and strangely hopeful time. Firmly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-reid/w-kamau-bell-is-in-the-vanguard-of-a-new-era-of-american-comedy-for/) [Vernon Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-reid/) > [“Mort Sahl, while attending a preview of Otto Preminger's film Exodus, stood up and called out, "Otto, let my people go!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-sahl/mort-sahl-while-attending-a-preview-of-otto-preminger-s-film-exodus/) [Mort Sahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-sahl/) > [“sick of it whatever it's called sick of the names I dedicate every pore to what's here”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikkyu/sick-of-it-whatever-it-s-called-sick-of-the-names-i-dedicate-every/) [Ikkyu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikkyu/) > [“called in sick. Ironically, the reason was food poisoning, perhaps caused by sampling one of the hospital’s entrées.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/called-in-sick-ironically-the-reason-was-food-poisoning-perhaps/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [You've heard of people calling in sick. You may have called in sick a few times yourself. But have you ever thought about calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/you-ve-heard-of-people-calling-in-sick-you-may-have-called-in-sick-a/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [I've wrongly been called sick by newspapers and magazines throughout my entire career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-origliasso/i-ve-wrongly-been-called-sick-by-newspapers-and-magazines-throughout/) [Jessica Origliasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-origliasso/) > [You've heard of people calling in sick. You may have called in sick a few times yourself. But have you ever thought about calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/you-ve-heard-of-people-calling-in-sick-you-may-have-called-in-sick-a-2/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Any comic like myself owes everything he has to Lenny Bruce. He was the originator. The godfather of uncensored American stand-up is clearly Lenny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/any-comic-like-myself-owes-everything-he-has-to-lenny-bruce-he-was/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [Lenny Kravitz is one of my favorite musical artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jackson/lenny-kravitz-is-one-of-my-favorite-musical-artists/) [Lawrence Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jackson/) > [But the only comparison that I want to Lenny Bruce is that I'm funny. I'm Freddie Prinze, Puerto Rican all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-prinze/but-the-only-comparison-that-i-want-to-lenny-bruce-is-that-i-m-funny/) [Freddie Prinze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-prinze/) > [I like to change looks. Like Lenny Kravitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/i-like-to-change-looks-like-lenny-kravitz/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) > [If you sprinkle when you tinkle please be neat and wipe the seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/if-you-sprinkle-when-you-tinkle-please-be-neat-and-wipe-the-seat/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) ## More by Bob Newhart > [Television series are like the stock market. There's room for bears and bulls but no room for pigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/television-series-are-like-the-stock-market-there-s-room-for-bears/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [I didn't need the elf outfit to play an elf; I could just play an elf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/i-didn-t-need-the-elf-outfit-to-play-an-elf-i-could-just-play-an-elf/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [When I was off TV, people would ask me to please come back, which I think was their way of saying, 'There's nothing out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/when-i-was-off-tv-people-would-ask-me-to-please-come-back-which-i/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [I just made the decision that I was going to try comedy, and if didn't work, then I knew it didn't work. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/i-just-made-the-decision-that-i-was-going-to-try-comedy-and-if-didn-t/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [Don't be silly and don't waste your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/don-t-be-silly-and-don-t-waste-your-time/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [I'm most proud of the longevity of my marriage, my kids, and my grandchildren. If you don't have that, you really don't have very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/i-m-most-proud-of-the-longevity-of-my-marriage-my-kids-and-my/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [The best advice I could give someone trying to get into the comedy field is to take advantage of every opportunity you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/the-best-advice-i-could-give-someone-trying-to-get-into-the-comedy/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [As an actor, you generally want to see the other actor's face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/as-an-actor-you-generally-want-to-see-the-other-actor-s-face/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [You shouldn't get too close to the truth, because then maybe you stop being funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/you-shouldn-t-get-too-close-to-the-truth-because-then-maybe-you-stop/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [But I really believe that if you have the ability, there is an obligation to make people laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/but-i-really-believe-that-if-you-have-the-ability-there-is-an/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [The reason I'm a psychologist is based in part on my telephone routines. 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