--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only rule was that the stuff had to…" description: "\"The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short. To me, the quintessential Army Man joke was one of John Swartzwelder's: 'They can ki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/george-meyer-15060_army_the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to_933136.jpg" --- # The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and… ![“The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short. To me, the quintessential Army Man joke was one of John Swartzwelder's: 'They can kill the Kennedys. Why can't they make a cup of coffee that tastes good?' It's a horrifying idea juxtaposed with something really banal-and yet…” quote by George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/george-meyer-15060_army_the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to_933136.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/george-meyer-15060_army_the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to_933136.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/george-meyer-15060_army_the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to_933136.jpg) > “The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short. To me, the quintessential Army Man joke was one of John Swartzwelder's: 'They can kill the Kennedys. Why can't they make a cup of coffee that tastes good?' It's a horrifying idea juxtaposed with something really banal-and yet there's a kind of logic to it. It's illuminating because it's kind of how Americans see things: Life's a big jumble, but somehow it leads to something I can consume. I love that.” [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy often mixes absurdity with banality, reflecting how Americans process chaos into consumable narratives. **In simple terms:** Funny absurdity helps make sense of chaos. Key Takeaway Use humor to simplify complexity. Themes humor culture absurdity Mood witty critical Type satirical observational When to use this quote - advertising - political satire - social commentary - creative writing Key Concepts media studies psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why do we gravitate to absurd humor? - How does satire influence perception? A Different Perspective Humor can mask deeper issues, not always resolve them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [They can kill the Kennedys. Why can't they make a cup of coffee that tastes good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-swartzwelder/they-can-kill-the-kennedys-why-can-t-they-make-a-cup-of-coffee-that/) [John Swartzwelder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-swartzwelder/) > [The reality is, to watch Jon Stewart, you already have to have watched the news. In other words, it's not funny if he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/the-reality-is-to-watch-jon-stewart-you-already-have-to-have-watched/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [I know coffee tastes even better with a little something to munch on between sips. But make that an apple or some other fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-schlereth/i-know-coffee-tastes-even-better-with-a-little-something-to-munch-on/) [Mark Schlereth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-schlereth/) > [Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-sebastian-bach/ah-how-sweet-coffee-tastes-lovelier-than-a-thousand-kisses-sweeter/) [Johann Sebastian Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-sebastian-bach/) > [“I want coffee to taste of coffee. Maybe a little cream and sugar. I do not want coffee that tastes of potpourri or fruit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-want-coffee-to-taste-of-coffee-maybe-a-little-cream-and-sugar-i-do/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“The coffee tastes like a donkey’s ass”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-scott/the-coffee-tastes-like-a-donkey-s-ass/) [Victoria Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-scott/) > [“I mean, you really can't imagine how awesome coffee tastes, or how awesome it is to hear music, to hear idiots talking... I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-selzer/i-mean-you-really-can-t-imagine-how-awesome-coffee-tastes-or-how/) [Adam Selzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-selzer/) > [English coffee tastes like water that has been squeezed out of a wet sleeve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/english-coffee-tastes-like-water-that-has-been-squeezed-out-of-a-wet/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [“I drink coffee sometimes, but Starbucks’ coffee tastes like burnt ass,” I say. “Actually, it tastes nothing like burnt ass, Anna.” “And how would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-merkin/i-drink-coffee-sometimes-but-starbucks-coffee-tastes-like-burnt-ass-i/) [Fanny Merkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-merkin/) > [Even a cup of coffee tastes so much sweeter because you've come once again out of the, literally, out of the edge of death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-koch/even-a-cup-of-coffee-tastes-so-much-sweeter-because-you-ve-come-once/) [Christopher Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-koch/) > [I went through in the edits and cut tons of stuff that was "funny" because if it wasn't funny at the time, so it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-barr/i-went-through-in-the-edits-and-cut-tons-of-stuff-that-was-funny/) [Damian Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-barr/) > [In every show that you see, there's some stuff that's funny and some stuff that is not, or there might be stuff that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandira-bedi/in-every-show-that-you-see-there-s-some-stuff-that-s-funny-and-some/) [Mandira Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandira-bedi/) > [My wife and I will often have conversations about 'Good Times' and 'The Jeffersons' and 'Sanford and Son.' They were doing incredible stuff that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/my-wife-and-i-will-often-have-conversations-about-good-times-and-the/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [I think a lot of stuff I find funny is from day dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-a-lot-of-stuff-i-find-funny-is-from-day-dreaming/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [If anyone ever paid attention to my Twitter awhile back, I had a blast on there. I wrote whatever I wanted to say and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/if-anyone-ever-paid-attention-to-my-twitter-awhile-back-i-had-a-blast/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) ## More by George Meyer > [I resisted parenthood for a long, long time. But having a daughter has given me a sense of hopefulness that I didn't have before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-resisted-parenthood-for-a-long-long-time-but-having-a-daughter-has/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [Experience as much as you can and absorb a lot of reality. Otherwise, your writing will have the force of a Wiffle ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/experience-as-much-as-you-can-and-absorb-a-lot-of-reality-otherwise/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I guess I started to realize that being an agnostic was such a wimpy position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-guess-i-started-to-realize-that-being-an-agnostic-was-such-a-wimpy/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I don't like the antagonism that most religions have for science, and freedom and, frankly, individuality. I do like the Dalai Lama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-don-t-like-the-antagonism-that-most-religions-have-for-science-and/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [There's absolutely no way that something I do on my own is going to be seen in Malaysia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/there-s-absolutely-no-way-that-something-i-do-on-my-own-is-going-to/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I had a bumper sticker on my car for a long time that said, "Kill your television." People helpfully pointed out that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-had-a-bumper-sticker-on-my-car-for-a-long-time-that-said-kill-your/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I want to be tolerant of other people's beliefs. I have wonderful friends who are religious, and I don't want to say that they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-want-to-be-tolerant-of-other-people-s-beliefs-i-have-wonderful/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [Every joke can't be dazzling. And if you think you spotted an inconsistency, you did!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/every-joke-can-t-be-dazzling-and-if-you-think-you-spotted-an/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I find that the creative side of my brain and the archival side of my brain don't work well together. When I've done my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-find-that-the-creative-side-of-my-brain-and-the-archival-side-of-my/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [Launching a new TV show is probably one of the most difficult things that a writer can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/launching-a-new-tv-show-is-probably-one-of-the-most-difficult-things/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I don't remember a lot of what I write. I try to release it after it's out there so that I can be fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-don-t-remember-a-lot-of-what-i-write-i-try-to-release-it-after-it-s/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I love that Voltaire was so willing to shock his readers with arbitrary cruelty. And I can completely relate to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-love-that-voltaire-was-so-willing-to-shock-his-readers-with/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [For me, marriage is a grotesque, unforgiving, clunky contrivance. Yet society pushes it as a shimmering ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/for-me-marriage-is-a-grotesque-unforgiving-clunky-contrivance-yet/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [The most oblivious people are often the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/the-most-oblivious-people-are-often-the-happiest/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) > [I have no idea how it got so big. I was just trying to find something to do while I was living in Boulder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/i-have-no-idea-how-it-got-so-big-i-was-just-trying-to-find-something/) [George Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) [Explore all 44 George Meyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/) [William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/) > [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) [Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short. To me, the quintessential Army Man joke was one of John Swartzwelder's: 'They can kill the Kennedys. Why can't they make a cup of coffee that tastes good?' It's a horrifying idea juxtaposed with something really banal-and yet there's a kind of logic to it. It's illuminating because it's kind of how Americans see things: Life's a big jumble, but somehow it leads to something I can consume. I love that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Meyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to-be-funny-and-pretty-short-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to-be-funny-and-pretty-short-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/george-meyer-15060_army_the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to_933136.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/george-meyer-15060_army_the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to_933136.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/george-meyer-15060_army_the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to_933136.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short. To me, the quintessential Army Man joke…” — George Meyer", "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": "George Meyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only rule was that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to-be-funny-and-pretty-short-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meyer/the-only-rule-was-that-the-stuff-had-to-be-funny-and-pretty-short-to/#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 } } ] } ```