--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's life's big joke: we all end up…" description: "\"That's life's big joke: we all end up looking like Mr. Burns.\" — Harry Shearer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/harry-shearer-7595_big_that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-loo_2354665.jpg" --- # That's life's big joke: we all end up looking like Mr… ![“That's life's big joke: we all end up looking like Mr. Burns.” quote by Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/harry-shearer-7595_big_that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-loo_2354665.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/harry-shearer-7595_big_that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-loo_2354665.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/harry-shearer-7595_big_that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-loo_2354665.jpg) > “That's life's big joke: we all end up looking like Mr. Burns.” [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It humorously suggests that aging inevitably makes us resemble the cynical, powerful figure of Mr. Burns, highlighting life's absurdity. **In simple terms:** Aging makes us look like Mr. Burns. Key Takeaway Accept aging with humor. Themes aging humor satire Mood wry reflective Type satirical observational When to use this quote - personal reflection - career retrospectives - media analysis Key Concepts existential irony social commentary Questions to Reflect On - How do you view aging in your own life? - What aspects of Mr. Burns do you see in yourself? A Different Perspective May overlook the dignity and growth that can accompany aging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [I like Mr. Burns because he is pure evil. A lot of evil people make the mistake of diluting it. Never adulterate your evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-like-mr-burns-because-he-is-pure-evil-a-lot-of-evil-people-make-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [You're under the gun at all times because it's live TV. A lot of time, between dress and air, you're having to come with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-pell/you-re-under-the-gun-at-all-times-because-it-s-live-tv-a-lot-of-time/) [Paula Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-pell/) > [High school wasn't a trial by fire or some ordeal that had to be survived. It was all a big joke. You just had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/high-school-wasn-t-a-trial-by-fire-or-some-ordeal-that-had-to-be/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [“It was all a big joke. I could see that now. There was no rhyme or reason to whether we lived or died. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-gratz/it-was-all-a-big-joke-i-could-see-that-now-there-was-no-rhyme-or/) [Alan Gratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-gratz/) > [“Happiness is a big joke; let us laugh at it loud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/happiness-is-a-big-joke-let-us-laugh-at-it-loud/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [Do my worst, eh? Smithers, release the robotic Richard Simmons." --Mr. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/do-my-worst-eh-smithers-release-the-robotic-richard-simmons-mr-burns/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) > [“In the immortal words of Mr. Burns…eeeeexcellent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-halliday/in-the-immortal-words-of-mr-burns-eeeeexcellent/) [Gemma Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-halliday/) > [Mr. Burns is a father symbol to me, and you can omit the word symbol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-darin/mr-burns-is-a-father-symbol-to-me-and-you-can-omit-the-word-symbol/) [Bobby Darin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-darin/) > [Mr. Burns comes out and flips cigar ashes on his shoes, and makes up about 90 percent of what you hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-darin/mr-burns-comes-out-and-flips-cigar-ashes-on-his-shoes-and-makes-up/) [Bobby Darin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-darin/) > [George Lowe was the one who opened the mail, and George started laughing uproariously and I looked up at him in astonishment and said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/george-lowe-was-the-one-who-opened-the-mail-and-george-started/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) > [When I'm drunk the whole world turns into a big joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/when-i-m-drunk-the-whole-world-turns-into-a-big-joke/) Unknow > [My life has been one great big joke, a dance that's walked a song that's spoke, I laugh so hard I almost choke when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/my-life-has-been-one-great-big-joke-a-dance-that-s-walked-a-song-that/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“That was the big joke, wasn't it? The answer to the riddle: There was no one up there in Heaven, making sure the accounts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/that-was-the-big-joke-wasn-t-it-the-answer-to-the-riddle-there-was-no/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee, and I'll forgive Thy great big joke on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/forgive-o-lord-my-little-jokes-on-thee-and-i-ll-forgive-thy-great-big/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hope-life-isn-t-a-big-joke-because-i-don-t-get-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Harry Shearer > [Music often happens even faster than comedy in terms of the creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/music-often-happens-even-faster-than-comedy-in-terms-of-the-creation/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [ There were really funny characteristics about this guy \[Richard Nixon\], chief of which would be that he seemed to devote about 85 percent of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/there-were-really-funny-characteristics-about-this-guy-richard-nixon/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [We're very pleased to be on a show which is known and loved around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/we-re-very-pleased-to-be-on-a-show-which-is-known-and-loved-around/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [The theater business is very much about "Hey, if you want our big blockbuster at Christmas time, you'll play our piece of crap in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/the-theater-business-is-very-much-about-hey-if-you-want-our-big/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [Sometimes, songs spill out of you very fast, and sometimes you have to wrangle them to the floor. But the same thing is true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/sometimes-songs-spill-out-of-you-very-fast-and-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I would come back to public school for usually about half the year. It was actually better for me to be out of school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-would-come-back-to-public-school-for-usually-about-half-the-year-it/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I always thought, as a kid, if you - and the reason that I sort of stayed away from doing one character on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-always-thought-as-a-kid-if-you-and-the-reason-that-i-sort-of-stayed/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-am-one-of-those-people-who-thrive-on-deadlines-nothing-brings-on/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I couldn't help but be struck that this guy I had thought was the embodiment of everything wrong with American politics, a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-couldn-t-help-but-be-struck-that-this-guy-i-had-thought-was-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [You have to do real acting, not just do a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/you-have-to-do-real-acting-not-just-do-a-voice/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I never wanted to do a regular sitcom, because I'd be incredibly bored doing the same character week in, week out. But the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-never-wanted-to-do-a-regular-sitcom-because-i-d-be-incredibly-bored/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I was never into candy and games and clowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-was-never-into-candy-and-games-and-clowns/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I went to graduate school at Harvard for one year I worked in the state legislature in Sacramento for one year. I taught school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-went-to-graduate-school-at-harvard-for-one-year-i-worked-in-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I'm at a little loss in terms of my Leave It To Beaver expertise, since I never watched an episode of the show -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-m-at-a-little-loss-in-terms-of-my-leave-it-to-beaver-expertise/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [My job is to take what I think is funny and to make other people think it's funny, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/my-job-is-to-take-what-i-think-is-funny-and-to-make-other-people/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) [Explore all 89 Harry Shearer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) ## More Big quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's life's big joke: we all end up looking like Mr. Burns.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Shearer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-looking-like-mr-burns/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-looking-like-mr-burns/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/harry-shearer-7595_big_that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-loo_2354665.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/harry-shearer-7595_big_that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-loo_2354665.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/693/harry-shearer-7595_big_that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-loo_2354665.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's life's big joke: we all end up looking like Mr. Burns.” — Harry Shearer", "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": "Harry Shearer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That's life's big joke: we all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-looking-like-mr-burns/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/that-s-life-s-big-joke-we-all-end-up-looking-like-mr-burns/#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 } } ] } ```