---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I guess the negative thing that happens…"
description: "\"I guess the negative thing that happens to me is that I'm old now. They said there was a generation I was too young for and now some will say there's p..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/dave-barry-222_fashionable_i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens_328902.jpg"
---

#  I guess the negative thing that happens to me is that I'm…

![“I guess the negative thing that happens to me is that I'm old now. They said there was a generation I was too young for and now some will say there's probably 10 generations I'm too old for. They'll say, isn't he dead or retired or whatever? Or it just becomes fashionable to say &quot;Oh he's not funny…” quote by Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/dave-barry-222_fashionable_i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens_328902.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/dave-barry-222_fashionable_i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens_328902.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/dave-barry-222_fashionable_i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens_328902.jpg)

> “I guess the negative thing that happens to me is that I'm old now. They said there was a generation I was too young for and now some will say there's probably 10 generations I'm too old for. They'll say, isn't he dead or retired or whatever? Or it just becomes fashionable to say "Oh he's not funny anymore," which, I don't know, maybe to them I'm not. I'm more likely to hear that now than I am to hear that I'm unacceptably risqué.”

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Aging leads to being perceived as outdated, while younger generations label older humor as no longer funny, highlighting shifting cultural expectations about age and relevance.

**In simple terms:** Aging changes how people view your humor.

Key Takeaway

Embrace evolving humor, don’t fear age labels.

Themes

age humor culture perception generational gaps

Mood

reflective wry thoughtful

Type

observational humorous

When to use this quote

- stand‑up comedy
- writing
- public speaking
- media interviews
- career retrospectives

Key Concepts

social expectations identity media perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you adapt humor to different generations?
- Can age be an asset in creative work?

A Different Perspective

Age bias can limit opportunities and overlook valuable experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fashionable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashionable/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/)

## Related quotes

> [I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. I see her, an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-see-that-i-hold-a-sanctuary-in-their-hearts-and-in-the-hearts-of/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Our basic fundamental desires are overly stimulated. A friend of mine said, "you have a generation of people that have been accidentally marketed to."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/our-basic-fundamental-desires-are-overly-stimulated-a-friend-of-mine/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [“People don’t change their minds that easily. They have too much pride. Eventually they have kids who see the world differently, and that’s how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-kultgen/people-don-t-change-their-minds-that-easily-they-have-too-much-pride/)

[Chad Kultgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-kultgen/)

> [“After a while the Senior Wrangler said, "Do you know, I read the other day that every atom in your body is changed every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/after-a-while-the-senior-wrangler-said-do-you-know-i-read-the-other/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“She had some ignition trouble with the old Model T Ford she then drove and the young man who worked in the garage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemingway-ernest/she-had-some-ignition-trouble-with-the-old-model-t-ford-she-then/)

[Hemingway Ernest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemingway-ernest/)

> [It has been said that each generation must win its own struggle to be free. -Robert F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/it-has-been-said-that-each-generation-must-win-its-own-struggle-to-be/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [This is what happens when you get old and have a couple of bucks. You go back and try to be young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-jackson/this-is-what-happens-when-you-get-old-and-have-a-couple-of-bucks-you/)

[Reggie Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-jackson/)

> [It's been said that Generation X should get a life. Well, in 'Bottle Rocket,' they get a life of crime. Or at least try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-giles/it-s-been-said-that-generation-x-should-get-a-life-well-in-bottle/)

[Jeff Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-giles/)

> [“That’s what happens to the old guard, my pup. You can always count on it. We who serve, we who make the world run.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/that-s-what-happens-to-the-old-guard-my-pup-you-can-always-count-on/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [Like any classic you hope to get rid of all the varnish that's built up over the centuries where people expect it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/like-any-classic-you-hope-to-get-rid-of-all-the-varnish-that-s-built/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [What people say about millennials is the same thing they've said about every generation: Younger people are obsessed with technology, and selfish, and they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-conover/what-people-say-about-millennials-is-the-same-thing-they-ve-said/)

[Adam Conover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-conover/)

> [People are funny in like young adulthood, just like how people's musical tastes are cool, but it changes very rapidly. In five or ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rich/people-are-funny-in-like-young-adulthood-just-like-how-people-s/)

[Simon Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rich/)

> [Society is really coming to a point where they're not asking if women can be funny anymore. We all know they obviously are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/society-is-really-coming-to-a-point-where-they-re-not-asking-if-women/)

[Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/)

> [The idyllic mayhem of two cultures colliding just doesn't seem as funny anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kidd/the-idyllic-mayhem-of-two-cultures-colliding-just-doesn-t-seem-as/)

[Kris Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kidd/)

> [One second here and there will make all the difference between something being funny and not being funny. That's why I like going, 'Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-krisel/one-second-here-and-there-will-make-all-the-difference-between/)

[Jonathan Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-krisel/)

## More by Dave Barry

> [This is true; virtually all edible substances, and many automotive products, are now marketed as being low-fat or fat-free. Americans are obsessed with fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-is-true-virtually-all-edible-substances-and-many-automotive/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [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/)

> [The hardest thing about being a guy is that women don't accept that you really are just a simple, pathetic, labrador retriever-like creature. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-hardest-thing-about-being-a-guy-is-that-women-don-t-accept-that/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis and Clark expedition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-ultimate-camping-trip-was-the-lewis-and-clark-expedition/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/although-golf-was-originally-restricted-to-wealthy-overweight/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Entire new continent can emerge from the ocean in the time it takes for a Web page to show up on your screen. Contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/entire-new-continent-can-emerge-from-the-ocean-in-the-time-it-takes/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [He was distracted by a giggle, and turned to see a rare sight: a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/he-was-distracted-by-a-giggle-and-turned-to-see-a-rare-sight-a-girl/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The major parties could conduct live human sacrifices on their podiums during prime time, and I doubt that anybody would notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-major-parties-could-conduct-live-human-sacrifices-on-their/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [If you look at any list of great modern writers such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'll notice two things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-you-look-at-any-list-of-great-modern-writers-such-as-ernest/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Don't you wish you had a job like mine? All you have to do is think up a certain number of words! Plus, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/don-t-you-wish-you-had-a-job-like-mine-all-you-have-to-do-is-think-up/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [“Despite the gulf, physical and cultural, between the United States and Japan, both societies are, in the end, made up of people, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/despite-the-gulf-physical-and-cultural-between-the-united-states-and/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Before going on a diet you should consult your doctor, or at least send him some money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/before-going-on-a-diet-you-should-consult-your-doctor-or-at-least/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Never trust anything you read in a travel article.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/never-trust-anything-you-read-in-a-travel-article/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it "Christmas" and went to church; the Jews called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-the-old-days-it-was-not-called-the-holiday-season-the-christians/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Always remember that if editors were so damned smart, they would know how to dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/always-remember-that-if-editors-were-so-damned-smart-they-would-know/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

[Explore all 867 Dave Barry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

## More Fashionable quotes

> [Today, at Harvard, any student with the currently fashionable color of skin is given rights denied to students of the currently unfashionable color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capp/today-at-harvard-any-student-with-the-currently-fashionable-color-of/)

[Al Capp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capp/)

> [It appears fashionable these days, and almost politically correct, to blame hard-working immigrants, especially those from Mexico and Central America, for the social and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mahony/it-appears-fashionable-these-days-and-almost-politically-correct-to/)

[Roger Mahony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mahony/)

> [I think everybody, from every end of the market place, from young through to old, wants to be fashionable. Everybody. Women want to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-green/i-think-everybody-from-every-end-of-the-market-place-from-young/)

[Philip Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-green/)

> [Fashion is a dangerous road to go down. Anybody who is going to have children later in life had best not be too fashionable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/fashion-is-a-dangerous-road-to-go-down-anybody-who-is-going-to-have/)

[Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/)

> [Other men puffed, snorted, and splashed. George passed through the ocean with the silent dignity of a torpedo. Other men swallowed water, here a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/other-men-puffed-snorted-and-splashed-george-passed-through-the-ocean/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I do feel that film and TV are often behind when it comes to the way women look, they often dress them in khakis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/i-do-feel-that-film-and-tv-are-often-behind-when-it-comes-to-the-way/)

[Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/)

> [I like to think, hopefully, people agree that I'm fashionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-beer/i-like-to-think-hopefully-people-agree-that-i-m-fashionable/)

[Madison Beer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-beer/)

> [I can't stand the need to be fashionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-can-t-stand-the-need-to-be-fashionable/)

[James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/)

> [Where there are problems, there are angels hovering about just waiting for us to ask them to help us transform our suffering into blessings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pickard/where-there-are-problems-there-are-angels-hovering-about-just-waiting/)

[Nancy Pickard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pickard/)

> [It is fashionable to wax apocalyptic about the threat to humanity posed by the AIDS virus, "mad cow" disease, and many others, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-is-fashionable-to-wax-apocalyptic-about-the-threat-to-humanity/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [In a way, Che Guevara's fate was far worse than Simon Bolivar's. Guevara's collapse was complete: his intentions were forgotten, but his style was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/in-a-way-che-guevara-s-fate-was-far-worse-than-simon-bolivar-s/)

[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

> [When I was starting out, being a young entrepreneur was not fashionable. Parents would ask, 'When are you going to get a real job?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-harrington/when-i-was-starting-out-being-a-young-entrepreneur-was-not/)

[Kevin Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-harrington/)

> [I think the problem is that fashion has become too fashionable. For years, fashion wasn't fashionable. Today fashion is so fashionable that it's almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-wilson/i-think-the-problem-is-that-fashion-has-become-too-fashionable-for/)

[Louise Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-wilson/)

> [Only the dead are truly smart, truly cool. Nothing touches them. While I live, however, I side with bumbling suffering crooked life, with anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/only-the-dead-are-truly-smart-truly-cool-nothing-touches-them-while-i/)

[Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/)

> [There was the pedestrian who wedged himself into the crowd, but there was also the flneur who demanded elbow room and was unwilling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/there-was-the-pedestrian-who-wedged-himself-into-the-crowd-but-there/)

[Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/)

[Browse all 426 Fashionable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashionable/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I guess the negative thing that happens to me is that I'm old now. They said there was a generation I was too young for and now some will say there's probably 10 generations I'm too old for. They'll say, isn't he dead or retired or whatever? Or it just becomes fashionable to say \"Oh he's not funny anymore,\" which, I don't know, maybe to them I'm not. I'm more likely to hear that now than I am to hear that I'm unacceptably risqué.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dave Barry"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens-to-me-is-that-i-m-old-now/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fashionable"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens-to-me-is-that-i-m-old-now/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/dave-barry-222_fashionable_i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens_328902.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/dave-barry-222_fashionable_i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens_328902.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/dave-barry-222_fashionable_i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens_328902.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I guess the negative thing that happens to me is that I'm old now. They said there was a generation I was…” — Dave Barry",
                "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": "Dave Barry",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I guess the negative thing that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens-to-me-is-that-i-m-old-now/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-guess-the-negative-thing-that-happens-to-me-is-that-i-m-old-now/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
