--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The term 'genre' eventually becomes…" description: "\"The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and ritualised that it ceases to have the power..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/christopher-nolan-2670_genre_the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejora_1664267.jpg" --- # The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because… ![“The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and ritualised that it ceases to have the power and meaning it had when it first started.” quote by Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/christopher-nolan-2670_genre_the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejora_1664267.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/christopher-nolan-2670_genre_the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejora_1664267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/christopher-nolan-2670_genre_the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejora_1664267.jpg) > “The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and ritualised that it ceases to have the power and meaning it had when it first started.” [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Over‑categorizing art reduces its impact, as rigid labels strip away original energy and meaning. **In simple terms:** Labels can limit artistic power. Key Takeaway Avoid strict genre labels. Themes creativity art labels Mood analytical curious Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - film criticism - creative writing - art education Key Concepts aesthetics cultural criticism Questions to Reflect On - How do labels shape audience expectations? - Can art thrive without categories? A Different Perspective Genres can help audiences find work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eventually Pejorative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eventually-pejorative-791142/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Genre Eventually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre-eventually-791143/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Referring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/referring/) [Ritualised Ceases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritualised-ceases-791144/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Term Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-genre-714317/) ## Related quotes > [I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-get-very-frustrated-by-this-term-genre-exercise-i-mean-what-exactly/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [The most significant moment will be when we stop referring to the hiring of qualified women (and racial, ethnic and religious minorities) as significant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-trask/the-most-significant-moment-will-be-when-we-stop-referring-to-the/) [Amy Trask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-trask/) > [The truly privileged theories are not the ones referring to any particular scale of size or complexity, nor the ones situated at any particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deutsch/the-truly-privileged-theories-are-not-the-ones-referring-to-any/) [David Deutsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deutsch/) > [During the years 1945-1965 (I am referring to Europe), there was a certain way of thinking correctly, a certain style of politicaldiscourse, a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/during-the-years-1945-1965-i-am-referring-to-europe-there-was-a/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [My boat is nearing the calm harbour from which it is never more to be driven out. Glory, glory unto Mother! (Referring to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/my-boat-is-nearing-the-calm-harbour-from-which-it-is-never-more-to-be/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“...it is all the more clear what we have to accomplish at present: I am referring to ruthless criticism of all that exists, ruthless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/it-is-all-the-more-clear-what-we-have-to-accomplish-at-present-i-am/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Fascist is not just an epithet. Fascist is a proper noun that means a specific thing. It's a real thing. It's not always referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/fascist-is-not-just-an-epithet-fascist-is-a-proper-noun-that-means-a/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And believe me, you are no Thomas Jefferson. (at 1992 Republican party convention, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-knew-thomas-jefferson-he-was-a-friend-of-mine-and-believe-me-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [In karate, hitting, thrusting, and kicking are not the only methods, throwing techniques and pressure against joints are included … all these techniques should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/in-karate-hitting-thrusting-and-kicking-are-not-the-only-methods/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [When I said there was only one Judy Dench, I was, of course, referring to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-barat/when-i-said-there-was-only-one-judy-dench-i-was-of-course-referring/) [Carl Barat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-barat/) > [Moderate Republican is simply how the blabocracy flatters Republicans who vote with the Democrats. If it werent so conspicuous, the New York Times would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/moderate-republican-is-simply-how-the-blabocracy-flatters-republicans/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [The cultural influences in our country are like the floo floo bird. I am referring to the peculiar and especial bird who always flew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/the-cultural-influences-in-our-country-are-like-the-floo-floo-bird-i/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [Some pretty senior young individuals in and around the Cabinet should share the responsibility for talking up an election and referring publicly on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-winnick/some-pretty-senior-young-individuals-in-and-around-the-cabinet-should/) [David Winnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-winnick/) > [This week's winner for best comedy line about the war is New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer. Referring to - well, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/this-week-s-winner-for-best-comedy-line-about-the-war-is-new-york/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [ For over five years this man \[Winston Churchill\] has been chasing around Europe like a madman in search of something he could set on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/for-over-five-years-this-man-winston-churchill-has-been-chasing/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) ## More by Christopher Nolan > [In Hollywood there's a great openness, almost a voracious appetite for new people. In England there's a great suspicion of the new. In cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/in-hollywood-there-s-a-great-openness-almost-a-voracious-appetite-for/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [“COBB: You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/cobb-you-re-waiting-for-a-train-a-train-that-will-take-you-far-away/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [When you play a videogame, you could be a completely different person than you are in the real world, certain aspects of the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/when-you-play-a-videogame-you-could-be-a-completely-different-person/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [The structural notions to me always have to be worked out very carefully in the script stage. Whatever a particular structure is. Whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-structural-notions-to-me-always-have-to-be-worked-out-very/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [I made 'Batman' the way I made every other film, and I've done it to my own satisfaction - because the film, truly, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-made-batman-the-way-i-made-every-other-film-and-i-ve-done-it-to-my/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [The quality of racing continues to excel with starters increasing to 1496,.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-quality-of-racing-continues-to-excel-with-starters-increasing-to/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [I remember the initial genesis quite clearly. My interest in dreams comes from this notion of realizing that when you dream you create the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-remember-the-initial-genesis-quite-clearly-my-interest-in-dreams/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [If I could steal someone's dream myself, I'd have to go for one of Orson Welles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/if-i-could-steal-someone-s-dream-myself-i-d-have-to-go-for-one-of/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [To me, any kind of filmmaking that's reactive is not going to be as good as something more inventive and original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/to-me-any-kind-of-filmmaking-that-s-reactive-is-not-going-to-be-as/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [Why do we Fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/why-do-we-fall-so-we-can-learn-to-pick-ourselves-back-up/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [Every great story deserves a great ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/every-great-story-deserves-a-great-ending/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [“(On "Following") We've got a pretty serious claim on being the cheapest film ever made.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/on-following-we-ve-got-a-pretty-serious-claim-on-being-the-cheapest/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [Particularly, the actors, to have analyzed the script in great detail from the point of view of their specific character. So that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/particularly-the-actors-to-have-analyzed-the-script-in-great-detail/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [I've never read Joseph Campbell, and I don't know all that much about story archetypes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-ve-never-read-joseph-campbell-and-i-don-t-know-all-that-much-about/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [I'm taking a bit of a wait-and-see attitude towards 3D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-m-taking-a-bit-of-a-wait-and-see-attitude-towards-3d/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) [Explore all 155 Christopher Nolan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) ## More Genre quotes > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [ He \[ the son\]'s grown up listening to all types of music, and the natural form of rebellion is to find the one genre… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-knowles/he-the-son-s-grown-up-listening-to-all-types-of-music-and-the-natural/) [Solange Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-knowles/) > [I don't really think in terms of genre, I think in terms of story and character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rudd/i-don-t-really-think-in-terms-of-genre-i-think-in-terms-of-story-and/) [Paul Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rudd/) > [I've just always loved really good projects. The things that draw me into a new project have very little to do with genre and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel-staite/i-ve-just-always-loved-really-good-projects-the-things-that-draw-me/) [Jewel Staite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel-staite/) > [As a rule, I don't worry about genre. I just want to tell a good story, with characters that interest me and my readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/as-a-rule-i-don-t-worry-about-genre-i-just-want-to-tell-a-good-story/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Trombone virtuoso and innovative composer, Papo combines the best of jazz and Latin music to create a genre that is unique and wild. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brecker/trombone-virtuoso-and-innovative-composer-papo-combines-the-best-of/) [Michael Brecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-brecker/) > [Gothic in its purest sense is actually a very powerful, twisted genre, but the way it was being used by by journalists - 'goff'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siouxsie-sioux/gothic-in-its-purest-sense-is-actually-a-very-powerful-twisted-genre/) [Siouxsie Sioux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siouxsie-sioux/) > [The great thing about the arts, and especially popular music, is that it really does cut across genres and races and classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/the-great-thing-about-the-arts-and-especially-popular-music-is-that/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I knew what kind of genre 'Casa de mi Padre' was going for. But my character, specifically, I think is very real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genesis-rodriguez/i-knew-what-kind-of-genre-casa-de-mi-padre-was-going-for-but-my/) [Genesis Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genesis-rodriguez/) > [In television, women can really run anything. It can be a comedy, it can be a drama, it can be genre, it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-michelle-gellar/in-television-women-can-really-run-anything-it-can-be-a-comedy-it-can/) [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-michelle-gellar/) > [I'm not a fan of any genre but am a fan of movies that are intelligent and/or funny. That goes across all genres: a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-a-fan-of-any-genre-but-am-a-fan-of-movies-that-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The excellence of this important contribution to genre literature CANNOT be overstated A masterwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-nolan/the-excellence-of-this-important-contribution-to-genre-literature/) [William F. Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-nolan/) > [I have finally become my own genre, and now that's what publishers want. I have a wonderful publisher now, Mulholland, very innovated, very fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/i-have-finally-become-my-own-genre-and-now-that-s-what-publishers/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [There is a real problem with the lack of diversity, specifically in genre films and the superheroes our kids grow up watching and emulating,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djimon-hounsou/there-is-a-real-problem-with-the-lack-of-diversity-specifically-in/) [Djimon Hounsou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djimon-hounsou/) [Browse all 2,187 Genre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and ritualised that it ceases to have the power and meaning it had when it first started.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Nolan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejorative-because-you-re-referring/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genre" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejorative-because-you-re-referring/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/christopher-nolan-2670_genre_the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejora_1664267.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/christopher-nolan-2670_genre_the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejora_1664267.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/christopher-nolan-2670_genre_the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejora_1664267.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and…” — Christopher Nolan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Nolan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejorative-because-you-re-referring/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-term-genre-eventually-becomes-pejorative-because-you-re-referring/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```