--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are certain things I don't want to…" description: "\"There are certain things I don't want to joke about. If it's about somebody else, it's fine. If it's about me, I think it's totally insensitive!\" — Gil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/gilbert-gottfried-7822_certain_there-are-certain-things-i-don-t-want-to_569895.jpg" --- # There are certain things I don't want to joke about. If… ![“There are certain things I don't want to joke about. If it's about somebody else, it's fine. If it's about me, I think it's totally insensitive!” quote by Gilbert Gottfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/gilbert-gottfried-7822_certain_there-are-certain-things-i-don-t-want-to_569895.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/gilbert-gottfried-7822_certain_there-are-certain-things-i-don-t-want-to_569895.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/gilbert-gottfried-7822_certain_there-are-certain-things-i-don-t-want-to_569895.jpg) > “There are certain things I don't want to joke about. If it's about somebody else, it's fine. If it's about me, I think it's totally insensitive!” [Gilbert Gottfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-gottfried/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The joke is acceptable when it targets others, but mocking oneself is seen as disrespectful and lacking empathy. **In simple terms:** Self‑deprecating jokes can be offensive. Key Takeaway Avoid jokes that hurt your own dignity. Themes empathy respect self‑esteem Mood reflective cautious Type ethical observational When to use this quote - public speaking - personal relationships - online comments Key Concepts social norms humor boundaries Questions to Reflect On - When does self‑mockery become harmful? - How can you keep humor respectful? A Different Perspective Humor can alienate when it targets the speaker’s own identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Insensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insensitive/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Joke Somebody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke-somebody-892219/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Totally Insensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totally-insensitive-4705255/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-joke-3037673/) ## Related quotes > [I could never make a joke about somebody unless I could say it to their face and they'd laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-could-never-make-a-joke-about-somebody-unless-i-could-say-it-to/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [“MarkBaynard: I figured out in the first grade that it was better to crack a joke than somebody's skull.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/markbaynard-i-figured-out-in-the-first-grade-that-it-was-better-to/) [Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/) > [You're over there in the corner either thinking about the dead dog or whatever, you're bringing up your personal life and you need the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-gay-harden/you-re-over-there-in-the-corner-either-thinking-about-the-dead-dog-or/) [Marcia Gay Harden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-gay-harden/) > [We feel that what's too far is when you make a joke and somebody gets hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-farrelly/we-feel-that-what-s-too-far-is-when-you-make-a-joke-and-somebody-gets/) [Bobby Farrelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-farrelly/) > [It’s a basic rule of humor that a joke is always at somebody’s expense. Really good jokes, however, tend to be at everyone’s expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kalvar/it-s-a-basic-rule-of-humor-that-a-joke-is-always-at-somebody-s/) [Richard Kalvar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kalvar/) > [I have a file of four million jokes... I have them cross-indexed. Whatever subject you want, I have a joke on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/i-have-a-file-of-four-million-jokes-i-have-them-cross-indexed/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [I know from doing stand-up, I don't want to do a joke that I don't trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-know-from-doing-stand-up-i-don-t-want-to-do-a-joke-that-i-don-t/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [Sometimes I want to joke but my English isn't perfect. Sometimes people are wondering what I'm talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ovechkin/sometimes-i-want-to-joke-but-my-english-isn-t-perfect-sometimes/) [Alexander Ovechkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ovechkin/) > [I want to get the joke to work without having to put any words or to say anything. I just want the person to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-want-to-get-the-joke-to-work-without-having-to-put-any-words-or-to/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [You don't want to just do a joke because it works - we can make a lot of jokes work - you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/you-don-t-want-to-just-do-a-joke-because-it-works-we-can-make-a-lot/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [If you're going to do a Chris Christie joke, just say, 'Christie spent $82,000 at a concession stand at MetLife Stadium. Then he turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/if-you-re-going-to-do-a-chris-christie-joke-just-say-christie-spent/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [I have always felt comedy and tragedy are roommates. If you look up comedy and tragedy, you will find a very old picture of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-gottfried/i-have-always-felt-comedy-and-tragedy-are-roommates-if-you-look-up/) [Gilbert Gottfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-gottfried/) > [Tell me that I misunderstood a joke, but don't tell me that my choice of cravat is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-niven/tell-me-that-i-misunderstood-a-joke-but-don-t-tell-me-that-my-choice/) [David Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-niven/) > [I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I'm always looking at new ways to tell a joke so that it doesn't get stale while working on new jokes every night or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-m-always-looking-at-new-ways-to-tell-a-joke-so-that-it-doesn-t-get/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) ## More by Gilbert Gottfried > [I can't even find someone for a platonic relationship, much less the kind where someone wants to see me naked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-gottfried/i-can-t-even-find-someone-for-a-platonic-relationship-much-less-the/) [Gilbert Gottfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-gottfried/) > [With Katrina, it's almost like the sequel that doesn't live up to the original. 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