--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The House Beautiful is the play lousy." description: "\"The House Beautiful is the play lousy.\" — Dorothy Parker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/dorothy-parker-700_actor_the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy-27_2700631.jpg" --- # The House Beautiful is the play lousy. ![“The House Beautiful is the play lousy.” quote by Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/dorothy-parker-700_actor_the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy-27_2700631.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/dorothy-parker-700_actor_the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy-27_2700631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/dorothy-parker-700_actor_the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy-27_2700631.jpg) > “The House Beautiful is the play lousy.” [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She criticizes the magazine's aesthetic as merely decorative, lacking substance. **In simple terms:** The magazine looks pretty but lacks depth. Key Takeaway Seek substance over style. Themes critique media aesthetics Mood skeptical witty Type critical observational When to use this quote - magazine editing - content strategy - visual design Key Concepts journalism literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What makes a publication both beautiful and meaningful? - How can design serve content? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on aesthetics may ignore important messages. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [“ The House Beautiful is, for me, the play lousy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-house-beautiful-is-for-me-the-play-lousy/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [“CURTAIN CALL The world is our stage and the final act can highlight or ruin a beautiful play”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/curtain-call-the-world-is-our-stage-and-the-final-act-can-highlight/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [My favorite thing is to hang out at my house, be on my beautiful property, prune bushes, take a long walk, build a fire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/my-favorite-thing-is-to-hang-out-at-my-house-be-on-my-beautiful/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I thought 'The Humans' was a beautiful play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-grey/i-thought-the-humans-was-a-beautiful-play/) [Joel Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-grey/) > [“There is no house more beautiful than the house you happily live in!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-is-no-house-more-beautiful-than-the-house-you-happily-live-in/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [A house though otherwise beautiful, yet if it hath no garden belonging to it, is more like a prison than a house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-coles/a-house-though-otherwise-beautiful-yet-if-it-hath-no-garden-belonging/) William H. Coles > [Even the duster in my house has to be beautiful; no old piece of cloth will ever be used in its place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditi-rao-hydari/even-the-duster-in-my-house-has-to-be-beautiful-no-old-piece-of-cloth/) [Aditi Rao Hydari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditi-rao-hydari/) > [“He would have enough money...for a family that would fill his house with beautiful music and the silence of good books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-marie-macdonald/he-would-have-enough-money-for-a-family-that-would-fill-his-house/) [Ann-Marie MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-marie-macdonald/) > [I try to put on a show while being effective because the spectators come to be entertained by beautiful play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitri-payet/i-try-to-put-on-a-show-while-being-effective-because-the-spectators/) [Dimitri Payet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimitri-payet/) > [And, as my father used to tell me growing up, "Play it beautiful, play it beautiful." He said, "I don't care if you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-parkening/and-as-my-father-used-to-tell-me-growing-up-play-it-beautiful-play-it/) Christopher Parkening > [I want just to show people good things - football is beautiful when you play games like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/i-want-just-to-show-people-good-things-football-is-beautiful-when-you/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [“Glazed brick, white mortar, and blue roof-tiles do not make a house beautiful; carved rosewood, gold cloth, and clear green jade do not furnish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-waln/glazed-brick-white-mortar-and-blue-roof-tiles-do-not-make-a-house/) [Nora Waln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-waln/) > [“It's beautiful when you play it. Something seems to happen to it when I try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-c-stephens/it-s-beautiful-when-you-play-it-something-seems-to-happen-to-it-when/) [S.C. Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-c-stephens/) > [Poetry is a lousy form of activism; it doesn't really change much. And maybe we can point to one or two historical times when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-gottlieb/poetry-is-a-lousy-form-of-activism-it-doesn-t-really-change-much-and/) [Daphne Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-gottlieb/) > [I was a lousy nun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't find God. It wasn't suitable for me. It is suitable for very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-was-a-lousy-nun-i-couldn-t-do-it-i-couldn-t-find-god-it-wasn-t/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## More by Dorothy Parker > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Writing is the art of applying the ass to the seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/writing-is-the-art-of-applying-the-ass-to-the-seat/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Hollywood is the one place on earth where you could die of encouragement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/hollywood-is-the-one-place-on-earth-where-you-could-die-of/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [“The two most beautiful words in the English language are 'check enclosed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-two-most-beautiful-words-in-the-english-language-are-check/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Sometimes I think Ill give up trying, and just go completely Russian and sit on a stove and moan all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/sometimes-i-think-ill-give-up-trying-and-just-go-completely-russian/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [I was always sweet, at first. Oh, it's so easy to be sweet to people before you love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/i-was-always-sweet-at-first-oh-it-s-so-easy-to-be-sweet-to-people/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Now to me, Edith looks like something that would eat her young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/now-to-me-edith-looks-like-something-that-would-eat-her-young/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Misfortune, and recited misfortune especially, can be prolonged to the point where it ceases to excite pity and arouses only irritation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/misfortune-and-recited-misfortune-especially-can-be-prolonged-to-the/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [The sun's gone dim, and the moon's gone black. For I loved him, and he didn't love back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-sun-s-gone-dim-and-the-moon-s-gone-black-for-i-loved-him-and-he/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [There's a hell of a distance between wisecracking and wit. Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-a-hell-of-a-distance-between-wisecracking-and-wit-wit-has/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song, A medley of extemporanea; And love is a thing that can never go wrong; And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/oh-life-is-a-glorious-cycle-of-song-a-medley-of-extemporanea-and-love/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Enjoyed it! One more drink and I'd have been under the host.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/enjoyed-it-one-more-drink-and-i-d-have-been-under-the-host/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [This living, this living, this living Was never a project of mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/this-living-this-living-this-living-was-never-a-project-of-mine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Flowers are heaven's masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/flowers-are-heaven-s-masterpiece/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [It costs me never a stab nor squirm / To tread by chance upon a worm. / Aha, my little dear, / I say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/it-costs-me-never-a-stab-nor-squirm-to-tread-by-chance-upon-a-worm/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) [Explore all 398 Dorothy Parker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [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/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [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/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The House Beautiful is the play lousy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothy Parker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/dorothy-parker-700_actor_the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy-27_2700631.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/dorothy-parker-700_actor_the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy-27_2700631.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/dorothy-parker-700_actor_the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy-27_2700631.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The House Beautiful is the play lousy.” — Dorothy Parker", "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": "Dorothy Parker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The House Beautiful is the play...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-house-beautiful-is-the-play-lousy/#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 } } ] } ```