--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ian sighed wanly. \"I once had the means…" description: "\"Ian sighed wanly. \"I once had the means to be gaga over art–before I found myself in a country where the standard of beauty is toaster waffles shaped l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/gordon-korman-3400_art_ian-sighed-wanly-i-once-had-the-means-to_266952.jpg" --- # Ian sighed wanly. "I once had the means to be gaga over… ![“Ian sighed wanly. "I once had the means to be gaga over art–before I found myself in a country where the standard of beauty is toaster waffles shaped like cartoon characters.” quote by Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/gordon-korman-3400_art_ian-sighed-wanly-i-once-had-the-means-to_266952.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/gordon-korman-3400_art_ian-sighed-wanly-i-once-had-the-means-to_266952.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/gordon-korman-3400_art_ian-sighed-wanly-i-once-had-the-means-to_266952.jpg) > “Ian sighed wanly. "I once had the means to be gaga over art–before I found myself in a country where the standard of beauty is toaster waffles shaped like cartoon characters.” [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beauty standards can feel absurd, especially when they clash with personal taste. **In simple terms:** Beauty can be oddly defined. Key Takeaway Question societal norms. Themes beauty culture absurdity Mood critical reflective Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - fashion choices - social media - personal expression Key Concepts subjective standards media influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you define beauty for yourself? - When have you resisted a mainstream aesthetic? A Different Perspective Not all beauty standards are harmful, but they can be limiting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Cartoon Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cartoon-characters/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Standards of beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards-of-beauty/) ## Related quotes > [It is shaped like an L. At the right angle it has 345 or 6 legs to hold it stable, has arms that hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/it-is-shaped-like-an-l-at-the-right-angle-it-has-345-or-6-legs-to/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [“Stephen was shaped like a tire iron, all his bones a little too long:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-b-cooney/stephen-was-shaped-like-a-tire-iron-all-his-bones-a-little-too-long/) [Caroline B. Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-b-cooney/) > [I don't wanna be shaped like a girl. I love being shaped like a woman, and trust me ladies, your man won't mind either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-don-t-wanna-be-shaped-like-a-girl-i-love-being-shaped-like-a-woman-2/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [“You fill a hungry place shaped like your darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-roberts/you-fill-a-hungry-place-shaped-like-your-darkness/) [Stephanie Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-roberts/) > [I was able to be influential and create a mold. 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And when he does, he'll discover that my breasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/i-m-so-small-that-my-husband-won-t-be-able-to-find-me-in-the-bed-and/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [The word 'bed' is shaped like an actual bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-word-bed-is-shaped-like-an-actual-bed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Gordon Korman > [“He should earn a puffy-tail for helping and lose it for being mean,” Parker puts in. “At least then he breaks even.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/he-should-earn-a-puffy-tail-for-helping-and-lose-it-for-being-mean/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [“Hamilton was bug-eyed. "Who are those people?" Jonah held his head. "Man, I should have known it was a mistake to say I'd be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/hamilton-was-bug-eyed-who-are-those-people-jonah-held-his-head-man-i/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [“After so many reversals of fortune today, they half expected a meteorite to hurtle from the sky and vaporize them if they dared to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/after-so-many-reversals-of-fortune-today-they-half-expected-a/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [For someone who's smarter than a supercomputer, sometimes you're a real idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/for-someone-who-s-smarter-than-a-supercomputer-sometimes-you-re-a/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [“Why can't you just lie and cheat like the others?" Dan snapped. 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He approached the counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/it-was-no-place-for-a-kabra-not-even-a-poor-one-living-in-exile-with/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [The key to the city of Florence was about two feet long, and painted a garish gold. Hamilton was fascinated by it. "Wow! How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/the-key-to-the-city-of-florence-was-about-two-feet-long-and-painted-a/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [We didn't stow away!" Dan protested. "You sunk our boat and pulled us out of the canal!" "Good point," Ian agreed. "Return them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/we-didn-t-stow-away-dan-protested-you-sunk-our-boat-and-pulled-us-out/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [“You did a politics project on a government that got overthrown on the due date? Man, did anybody ever tell you you've got no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/you-did-a-politics-project-on-a-government-that-got-overthrown-on-the/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [“It's like Eldridge Kestenbaum always says - you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." "Horse manure catches more flies than honey and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/it-s-like-eldridge-kestenbaum-always-says-you-catch-more-flies-with/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [Art theft gave a guy an appetite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/art-theft-gave-a-guy-an-appetite/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [“I have a percription ferret. I'm not a good judge of weird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/i-have-a-percription-ferret-i-m-not-a-good-judge-of-weird/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) [Explore all 130 Gordon Korman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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