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Hilarity Quote by David Foster Wallace

“You want to know the story? I'd be happy to tell you. I think I have just enough caloric energy stored up to make it through the telling of the tale. It's short. I am monstrously fat. I am a glutton. My wife was disgusted and repulsed. She gave me six months to lose one hundred pounds. I joined…” quote by David Foster Wallace
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““You want to know the story? I'd be happy to tell you. I think I have just enough caloric energy stored up to make it through the telling of the tale. It's short. I am monstrously fat. I am a glutton. My wife was disgusted and repulsed. She gave me six months to lose one hundred pounds. I joined Weight Watchers . . . see it there, right across the street, that gaunt storefront? This afternoon was the big six-month weigh-in. So to speak. I had gained almost seventy pounds in the six months. An errant Snickers bar fell out of the cuff of my pants and rolled against my wife's foot as I stepped on the scale. The scale over there across the street is truly an ingenious device. One preprograms the desired new weight into it, and if one has achieved or gone below that new low weight, the scale bursts into recorded whistles and cheers and some lively marching-band tune. Apparently, tiny flags protrude from the top and wave mechanically back and forth. A failure--see for instance mine--results in a flatulent dirge of disappointed and contemptuous tuba. To the strains of the latter my wife left, the establishment, me, on the arm of a svelte yogurt distributor whom I am even now planning to crush, financially speaking, first thing tomorrow morning. Ms. Beadsman, you will find an eclair on the floor to the left of your chair. Could you perhaps manipulate it onto this plate with minimal chocolate loss and pass it to me.””

David Foster Wallace

About This Quote

Source Interview: The David Foster Wallace Archive, 2005

The narrator humorously describes a personal struggle with weight loss, using exaggerated satire to highlight the absurdity of dieting culture and marital pressure.

In simple terms: A comedic, self‑deprecating tale about failing a weight‑loss challenge and the bizarre consequences.

Key Takeaway

Accept imperfection and seek realistic goals.

Themes

satire self‑deprecation diet culture

Mood

wry empathetic

Type

narrative humorous

When to use this quote

  • weight‑loss programs
  • marital conflict
  • public speaking
  • health forums

Key Concepts

humor social pressure personal failure

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the story reveal about societal expectations?
  • How can humor help cope with personal failure?
A Different Perspective

The hyperbolic tone may obscure genuine emotional pain.

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