--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So many things suddenly made sense for…" description: "\"So many things suddenly made sense for the clowns, for the whole idea. I’d been going through a struggle, particularly after 9/11; I couldn’t figure ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/cindy-sherman-11074_character_so-many-things-suddenly-made-sense-for-t_1992330.jpg" --- # So many things suddenly made sense for the clowns, for the… ![“So many things suddenly made sense for the clowns, for the whole idea. I’d been going through a struggle, particularly after 9/11; I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to say. I still wanted the work to be the same kind of mixture – intense, with a nasty side or an ugly side, but also with a real…” quote by Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/cindy-sherman-11074_character_so-many-things-suddenly-made-sense-for-t_1992330.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/cindy-sherman-11074_character_so-many-things-suddenly-made-sense-for-t_1992330.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/cindy-sherman-11074_character_so-many-things-suddenly-made-sense-for-t_1992330.jpg) > “So many things suddenly made sense for the clowns, for the whole idea. I’d been going through a struggle, particularly after 9/11; I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to say. I still wanted the work to be the same kind of mixture – intense, with a nasty side or an ugly side, but also with a real pathos about the characters – and clowns have an underlying sense of sadness while they’re trying to cheer people up. Clowns are sad, but they’re also psychotically, hysterically happy.” [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects the paradox of clowns embodying both sorrow and exaggerated joy, mirroring the artist’s desire to blend intense, ugly elements with genuine pathos in her work. **In simple terms:** Clowns mix sadness with forced happiness, showing deep emotional layers. Key Takeaway Embrace contradictions in creative expression. Themes art emotion duality performance identity Mood reflective introspective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - theatrical performance - visual art creation - personal struggle - character development Key Concepts psychology aesthetic contrast human condition Questions to Reflect On - How does sadness enhance comedic impact? - What does the “ugly side” reveal about authenticity? A Different Perspective The duality may limit audience empathy if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Clown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clown/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Pathos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pathos/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) ## Related quotes > [Clowns are sad, it's folks that laugh at them." "Well, I'm gonna be a new kind of clown. I'm gonna stand in the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/clowns-are-sad-it-s-folks-that-laugh-at-them-well-i-m-gonna-be-a-new/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Clowns are sad, it's folks that laugh at them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/clowns-are-sad-it-s-folks-that-laugh-at-them/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [The pathos of man is that he hungers for personal fulfillment and for a sense of community with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-saunders-redding/the-pathos-of-man-is-that-he-hungers-for-personal-fulfillment-and-for/) [Jay Saunders Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-saunders-redding/) > [All perfect things are saddening in effect. The autumn wood robed in its scarlet clothes, The matchless tinting on the royal rose Whose velvet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/all-perfect-things-are-saddening-in-effect-the-autumn-wood-robed-in/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [The eye of genius has always a plaintive expression, and its natural language is pathos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/the-eye-of-genius-has-always-a-plaintive-expression-and-its-natural/) [Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [“Kant also identified idle desires with wishing and active desire with willing, and he seemed to think that one of the problems of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-kuehn/kant-also-identified-idle-desires-with-wishing-and-active-desire-with/) Manfred Kuehn > [Maybe what life needs is a good soundtrack, especially during the long stretches when nothing interesting is being said. A soundtrack might dignify things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/maybe-what-life-needs-is-a-good-soundtrack-especially-during-the-long/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [I didn't expect to feel pathos for the villains in our show. I feel quite moved in several of our episodes; I never realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-lehman/i-didn-t-expect-to-feel-pathos-for-the-villains-in-our-show-i-feel/) [Kristin Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-lehman/) > [“The fundamental basis by which the court’s decision might be made is, in itself, imperfect and subject to contradictions. There is very little consideration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/the-fundamental-basis-by-which-the-court-s-decision-might-be-made-is/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [There is a peculiar pathos in the extinction of a nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-hulbert/there-is-a-peculiar-pathos-in-the-extinction-of-a-nation/) Homer Hulbert > [The sickly cultural pathos which the whole of France indulges in, that fetishism of the cultural heritage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/the-sickly-cultural-pathos-which-the-whole-of-france-indulges-in-that/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [I like to play characters that get to do it all - to have a bit of comedy here and a bit of pathos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/i-like-to-play-characters-that-get-to-do-it-all-to-have-a-bit-of/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [I like to weed out the people who aren't going to enjoy me straight off the bat. If you look at all my specials,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-like-to-weed-out-the-people-who-aren-t-going-to-enjoy-me-straight/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [How can we manage to illuminate the pathos of our lives?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/how-can-we-manage-to-illuminate-the-pathos-of-our-lives/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Humor is consistent with pathos, whilst wit is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/humor-is-consistent-with-pathos-whilst-wit-is-not/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) ## More by Cindy Sherman > [I don't analyze what I'm doing. I've read convincing interpretations of my work, and sometimes I've noticed something that I wasn't aware of, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-don-t-analyze-what-i-m-doing-i-ve-read-convincing-interpretations/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I don't think I can see the world through other people's eyes, but I can capture an attitude or a look that makes others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-don-t-think-i-can-see-the-world-through-other-people-s-eyes-but-i/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I’m really just using the mirror to summon something I don't even know until I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-m-really-just-using-the-mirror-to-summon-something-i-don-t-even/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [Quite often, I will do something and think, 'Oh, no, she looks a little too much like me.' I have tried to learn not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/quite-often-i-will-do-something-and-think-oh-no-she-looks-a-little/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [The way I see it, as soon as I make a piece I’ve lost control of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/the-way-i-see-it-as-soon-as-i-make-a-piece-i-ve-lost-control-of-it/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [When I do work, I get so much done in such a concentrated time that once I’m through a series, I’m so drained I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/when-i-do-work-i-get-so-much-done-in-such-a-concentrated-time-that/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I didn't have any interest in traditional art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-didn-t-have-any-interest-in-traditional-art/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I always need to get away from whatever it is I've just finished, to feel a distance from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-always-need-to-get-away-from-whatever-it-is-i-ve-just-finished-to/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [My dad was such a bigot. He was a horrible, self-centred person. He was really racist and he'd talk about the Jews and blacks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/my-dad-was-such-a-bigot-he-was-a-horrible-self-centred-person-he-was/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [Some people have told me they remember the film that one of my images is derived from, but in fact I had no film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/some-people-have-told-me-they-remember-the-film-that-one-of-my-images/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [ I want\[ed\] to make a show of really big pictures, because you see male artists doing it all the time. It just seemed like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-want-ed-to-make-a-show-of-really-big-pictures-because-you-see-male/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I wonder how it is that I’m fooling so many people, I’m doing one of the most stupid things in the world…and people seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-wonder-how-it-is-that-i-m-fooling-so-many-people-i-m-doing-one-of/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I have had a lifelong fascination with horror movies, scary movies, how they work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-have-had-a-lifelong-fascination-with-horror-movies-scary-movies-how/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [Dreamers are those who have achieved in love and life, because it is a dream that got them there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/dreamers-are-those-who-have-achieved-in-love-and-life-because-it-is-a/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I wanted pretty pictures of older women - women who are trying too hard but succeeding - pulling off an extreme look. What I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-wanted-pretty-pictures-of-older-women-women-who-are-trying-too-hard/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) [Explore all 62 Cindy Sherman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So many things suddenly made sense for the clowns, for the whole idea. 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