--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hate bumper stickers, you can't sum…" description: "\"I hate bumper stickers, you can't sum anything up. All you do is paint yourself in some caricaturist corner.\" — David Cross" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/david-cross-3386_bumper_i-hate-bumper-stickers-you-can-t-sum-any_37075.png" --- # I hate bumper stickers, you can't sum anything up. All you… ![“I hate bumper stickers, you can't sum anything up. All you do is paint yourself in some caricaturist corner.” quote by David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/david-cross-3386_bumper_i-hate-bumper-stickers-you-can-t-sum-any_37075.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/david-cross-3386_bumper_i-hate-bumper-stickers-you-can-t-sum-any_37075.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/david-cross-3386_bumper_i-hate-bumper-stickers-you-can-t-sum-any_37075.png) > “I hate bumper stickers, you can't sum anything up. All you do is paint yourself in some caricaturist corner.” [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) ## 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 criticizes bumper stickers for reducing complex ideas to simplistic, self‑serving slogans that merely showcase the creator's ego. **In simple terms:** Bumper stickers oversimplify and self‑promote. Key Takeaway Avoid reductive self‑expression. Themes self‑expression simplification ego communication media criticism Mood irritated skeptical wry Type observation critique When to use this quote - advertising - personal branding - social media posts - political campaigning Key Concepts symbolism identity public discourse Practical Applications - designing nuanced messaging - crafting authentic narratives Questions to Reflect On - How can we convey depth without resorting to clichés? - What alternatives exist to self‑serving symbols? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bumper sticker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bumper-sticker/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Stickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stickers/) ## Related quotes > [We should just get somebody from the left and the right and they should all throw bumper stickers at each other and the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/we-should-just-get-somebody-from-the-left-and-the-right-and-they/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [A lot of people don't like bumper stickers. I don't mind bumper stickers. To me a bumper sticker is a shortcut. It's like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/a-lot-of-people-don-t-like-bumper-stickers-i-don-t-mind-bumper/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [You don't put bumper stickers on a Bentley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/you-don-t-put-bumper-stickers-on-a-bentley/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [A group called Draft Biden 2016 has started selling bumper stickers that say 'I'm ridin' with Biden.' It's a lot better than the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-group-called-draft-biden-2016-has-started-selling-bumper-stickers/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [“For the life of me, I don’t understand these bumper stickers. I would think, the more you believe in something, the less you’d want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-slovin/for-the-life-of-me-i-don-t-understand-these-bumper-stickers-i-would/) [Abby Slovin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-slovin/) > [My parents are apolitical - no bumper stickers, no yard signs. They don't talk about politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-burns/my-parents-are-apolitical-no-bumper-stickers-no-yard-signs-they-don-t/) [Joel Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-burns/) > [Good places for aphorisms: in fortune cookies, on bumper stickers, and on banners flying over the Palace of Free Advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/good-places-for-aphorisms-in-fortune-cookies-on-bumper-stickers-and/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I like things pretty reduced. I don't understand how people live with so much stuff around them, because you can't focus on it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-owens/i-like-things-pretty-reduced-i-don-t-understand-how-people-live-with/) [Rick Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-owens/) > [The Confederate flag is one of those things that should only be seen on t-shirts, belt buckles and bumper stickers to help the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/the-confederate-flag-is-one-of-those-things-that-should-only-be-seen/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Enough Americans saw fit to give president Obama a second term. I don't think there will be many people keeping their Romney/Ryan bumper stickers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/enough-americans-saw-fit-to-give-president-obama-a-second-term-i-don/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [You know the people who have the bumper stickers that say "Windows 95 = Mac '89"? These are the faithful, and I respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-louis-gassee/you-know-the-people-who-have-the-bumper-stickers-that-say-windows-95/) [Jean-Louis Gassee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-louis-gassee/) > [Supporting the troops has got to mean more than bumper stickers on pickup trucks, my friends. We need to give them what they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/supporting-the-troops-has-got-to-mean-more-than-bumper-stickers-on/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The world’s bumper sticker reads: Life sucks, and then you die. Perhaps Christian bumper stickers should read: Life sucks, but then you find hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/the-world-s-bumper-sticker-reads-life-sucks-and-then-you-die-perhaps/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [You don't change the world by hiding in the woods, wearing a hair shirt, or buying indulgences in the form of 'Save the Earth'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/you-don-t-change-the-world-by-hiding-in-the-woods-wearing-a-hair/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [One thing I like about the United States, and I kind of miss about the United States, is there's an election coming up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/one-thing-i-like-about-the-united-states-and-i-kind-of-miss-about-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## More by David Cross > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I read the New York Times, and if I'm in a different city, I'll skim that paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-read-the-new-york-times-and-if-i-m-in-a-different-city-i-ll-skim/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [There's the disingenuous duplicitousness, but you can apply that to every politician, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/there-s-the-disingenuous-duplicitousness-but-you-can-apply-that-to/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I remember being a kid and the Vietnam War was huge and looking at Watergate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-the-vietnam-war-was-huge-and-looking-at/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I grew up in that minority. I grew up in the South, in Roswell, Georgia, and it was heavily white, Baptist, conservative. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-grew-up-in-that-minority-i-grew-up-in-the-south-in-roswell-georgia/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [ I think for a lot of people, it's just where their saturation point was. Once you get into the \[Donald\] Trump stuff and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-think-for-a-lot-of-people-it-s-just-where-their-saturation-point/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [It's not about trying to be funny all the time. It's more of a document that hopefully is funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/it-s-not-about-trying-to-be-funny-all-the-time-it-s-more-of-a/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I still think that, hopefully, you're not ahead of the jokes, and I think that has value. There is a punchline and it's pointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-still-think-that-hopefully-you-re-not-ahead-of-the-jokes-and-i/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [You cannot win a War on Terrorism. It's like having a war on jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/you-cannot-win-a-war-on-terrorism-it-s-like-having-a-war-on-jealousy/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [Most people who have kids are, "Hey, I want another me. I like me. I'm pretty cool, and I've got really great ideas, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/most-people-who-have-kids-are-hey-i-want-another-me-i-like-me-i-m/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I was in Antwerp - which, I had about 20 shows left at that point - and a guy said, "That's Dave Attell's." Also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-was-in-antwerp-which-i-had-about-20-shows-left-at-that-point-and-a/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [In New York there isn't that weird palpable competitive thing where it's friendly but everyone isn't trying to top one another with jokes when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-there-isn-t-that-weird-palpable-competitive-thing-where/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [So all my friends have kids now... which I think is rude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/so-all-my-friends-have-kids-now-which-i-think-is-rude/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I'm a professional comic. Whether you think I'm funny or not, that's, again, subjective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-m-a-professional-comic-whether-you-think-i-m-funny-or-not-that-s/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I'm concerned about how and why there is no gun control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-m-concerned-about-how-and-why-there-is-no-gun-control/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) [Explore all 132 David Cross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) ## More Bumper quotes > [One thing I like about the United States, and I kind of miss about the United States, is there's an election coming up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/one-thing-i-like-about-the-united-states-and-i-kind-of-miss-about-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [You can't change your life. This mode in literature goes against the more middle-brown mode, which is about shaping your destiny, changing it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-mccarthy/you-can-t-change-your-life-this-mode-in-literature-goes-against-the/) Tommy McCarthy > [There's a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/there-s-a-difference-between-a-philosophy-and-a-bumper-sticker/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“Life is a bumper car arena. Drive the hell out of it until the man at the control panel turns your car off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-hunt/life-is-a-bumper-car-arena-drive-the-hell-out-of-it-until-the-man-at/) [S.A. Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-hunt/) > [There are a lot of things that fit on a bumper sticker in terms of either liberty or equality or progress that when made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-tribe/there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-fit-on-a-bumper-sticker-in-terms-of/) [Laurence Tribe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-tribe/) > [Consciousness: That annoying time between naps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/consciousness-that-annoying-time-between-naps/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [The Constitution: it's not just a good idea, it's the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-badnarik/the-constitution-it-s-not-just-a-good-idea-it-s-the-law/) [Michael Badnarik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-badnarik/) > [You don't put bumper stickers on a Bentley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/you-don-t-put-bumper-stickers-on-a-bentley/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [“Plantations of good morals are easily captivated, colonized and corrupted by the pests of a bad company. Spray away bad companies and you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/plantations-of-good-morals-are-easily-captivated-colonized-and/) [israelmore ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [California produces 40% of America's fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts - the kind you eat. We have had a bumper crop of the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/california-produces-40-of-america-s-fresh-fruits-vegetables-and-nuts/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A Pennsylvania woman convicted for shoplifting was sentenced to wear a badge that reads "Convicted Shoplifter." However, her lawyers hope to plea bargain down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-pennsylvania-woman-convicted-for-shoplifting-was-sentenced-to-wear/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [I read with keen interest the words of a bumper sticker readily visible on the highly polished chrome bumper of a car which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/i-read-with-keen-interest-the-words-of-a-bumper-sticker-readily/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [A group called Draft Biden 2016 has started selling bumper stickers that say 'I'm ridin' with Biden.' It's a lot better than the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-group-called-draft-biden-2016-has-started-selling-bumper-stickers/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [You don't change the world by hiding in the woods, wearing a hair shirt, or buying indulgences in the form of 'Save the Earth'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/you-don-t-change-the-world-by-hiding-in-the-woods-wearing-a-hair/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Do we honestly believe that hopeless kids growing up under the harsh new rules will turn out to be chaste, studious, responsible adults? On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stolley/do-we-honestly-believe-that-hopeless-kids-growing-up-under-the-harsh/) Richard Stolley Browse all 125 Bumper quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I hate bumper stickers, you can't sum anything up. 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