--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At bottom, to be colored means that one…" description: "\"At bottom, to be colored means that one has been caught in some utterly unbelievable cosmic joke, a joke so hideous and in such bad taste that it defea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/james-a-baldwin-2080_bad-taste_at-bottom-to-be-colored-means-that-one-h_2254311.jpg" --- # At bottom, to be colored means that one has been caught in… ![“At bottom, to be colored means that one has been caught in some utterly unbelievable cosmic joke, a joke so hideous and in such bad taste that it defeats all categories and definitions.” quote by James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/james-a-baldwin-2080_bad-taste_at-bottom-to-be-colored-means-that-one-h_2254311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/james-a-baldwin-2080_bad-taste_at-bottom-to-be-colored-means-that-one-h_2254311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/james-a-baldwin-2080_bad-taste_at-bottom-to-be-colored-means-that-one-h_2254311.jpg) > “At bottom, to be colored means that one has been caught in some utterly unbelievable cosmic joke, a joke so hideous and in such bad taste that it defeats all categories and definitions.” [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement describes feeling trapped in an absurd, tasteless cosmic joke that defies categorization, reflecting existential absurdity. **In simple terms:** Being colored feels like an incomprehensible, tasteless cosmic joke. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront existential absurdity. Themes existentialism absurdity identity humor Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - philosophical essays - art criticism - psychotherapy - literary analysis Key Concepts cosmic irony semantic breakdown Questions to Reflect On - What does “colored” symbolize for you? - How can one find meaning amid absurdity? A Different Perspective The metaphor may be too abstract for practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-taste/) [Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) [Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/) [Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught/) [Colored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colored/) [Colored Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colored-means-5161308/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Cosmic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmic/) [Cosmic Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmic-joke-1017267/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Hideous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hideous/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Joke Hideous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke-hideous-5161307/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Unbelievable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbelievable/) ## Related quotes > [ \[It is\] the most hideous waterfront structure ever inflicted on a city by a combination of architectural conceit and official bad taste. the Cathedral… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moses/it-is-the-most-hideous-waterfront-structure-ever-inflicted-on-a-city/) [Robert Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moses/) > [I consider myself a sit-down comedian really, as much as anything else. I love comedy. Life is a cosmic joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wyatt/i-consider-myself-a-sit-down-comedian-really-as-much-as-anything-else/) [Robert Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wyatt/) > [It's a cosmic joke that I'm a lesbian, because I understand men so well but women are a complete mystery to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-delaria/it-s-a-cosmic-joke-that-i-m-a-lesbian-because-i-understand-men-so/) [Lea DeLaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-delaria/) > [It would be a bitter cosmic joke if we destroy ourselves due to atrophy of the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/it-would-be-a-bitter-cosmic-joke-if-we-destroy-ourselves-due-to/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [“It is a cosmic joke. Preoccupation with survival has set the stage for extinction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-a-cosmic-joke-preoccupation-with-survival-has-set-the-stage-for/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [What if life is just a cosmic joke, like spiders in your underwear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/what-if-life-is-just-a-cosmic-joke-like-spiders-in-your-underwear/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [Laughter brings you to reality as it is. The world is a play of God, a cosmic joke. And unless you understand it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagwan-shree-rajneesh/laughter-brings-you-to-reality-as-it-is-the-world-is-a-play-of-god-a/) [Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagwan-shree-rajneesh/) > [But if you were Charlotte, and you had been feeling that life was some cosmic joke that had no punchline, and in the space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/but-if-you-were-charlotte-and-you-had-been-feeling-that-life-was-some/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [What is the universe? Is it a great 3D movie in which we are the unwilling actors? Is it a cosmic joke, a giant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-pagels/what-is-the-universe-is-it-a-great-3d-movie-in-which-we-are-the/) [Heinz Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-pagels/) > [God's great cosmic joke on the human race was requiring that men and women live together in marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/god-s-great-cosmic-joke-on-the-human-race-was-requiring-that-men-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“What if it's just a big, cosmic joke? Then...laugh! .85.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee/what-if-it-s-just-a-big-cosmic-joke-then-laugh-85/) [dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee/) > [Americans, the eyes of the world are upon you. How can you expect the world to believe in you and respect your preaching of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-baker/americans-the-eyes-of-the-world-are-upon-you-how-can-you-expect-the/) [Josephine Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-baker/) > [The event of the landing of these brethren upon our shores is to be, not without its beneficial effect, as well to the colored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-tappan/the-event-of-the-landing-of-these-brethren-upon-our-shores-is-to-be/) [Lewis Tappan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-tappan/) > [I always wear a pair of colored jeans and fun boots. I have a really cute pair of stars-and-stripes Converse, and I love wearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-gold/i-always-wear-a-pair-of-colored-jeans-and-fun-boots-i-have-a-really/) [Gracie Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-gold/) > [We're all colored, or you wouldn't be able to see anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-all-colored-or-you-wouldn-t-be-able-to-see-anyone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by James A. Baldwin > [One cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/one-cannot-deny-the-humanity-of-another-without-diminishing-one-s-own/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/all-i-know-about-music-is-that-not-many-people-ever-really-hear-it/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-can-think-positive-just-as-well-as-you/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-white-man-discovered-the-cross-by-way-of-the-bible-but-the-black/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-of-sexuality-appears-to-be-rooted-in-the-american/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Voyagers discover that the world can never be larger than the person that is in the world; but it is impossible to foresee this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/voyagers-discover-that-the-world-can-never-be-larger-than-the-person/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [We take our shape, it is true, within and against that cage of reality bequeathed us at our birth; and yet it is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/we-take-our-shape-it-is-true-within-and-against-that-cage-of-reality/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal is, after all, that everyone should be as much alike as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-is-after-all-that-everyone-should-be-as-much-alike/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [James Joyce is right about history being a nightmare-- but it may be that nightmare from which no one can awaken. People are trapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/james-joyce-is-right-about-history-being-a-nightmare-but-it-may-be/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-think-americans-are-terrified-of-feeling-anything-i-never-met-a/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Unless a writer is extremely old when he dies, in which case he has probably become a neglected institution, his death must always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/unless-a-writer-is-extremely-old-when-he-dies-in-which-case-he-has/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [An identity is questioned only when it is menaced, as when the mighty begin to fall, or when the wretched begin to rise, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/an-identity-is-questioned-only-when-it-is-menaced-as-when-the-mighty/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [White people will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/white-people-will-have-quite-enough-to-do-in-learning-how-to-accept/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [A devotion to humanity is... too easily equated with a devotion to a Cause, and Causes, as we know, are notoriously bloodthirsty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/a-devotion-to-humanity-is-too-easily-equated-with-a-devotion-to-a/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Most people... find a disorientating mismatch between the long-term nature of their liabilities and the increasingly short-term nature of their assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/most-people-find-a-disorientating-mismatch-between-the-long-term/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) [Explore all 187 James A. Baldwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## More Bad taste quotes > [When I passed the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him. I think the writers showed bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/when-i-passed-the-chancellor-he-arose-waved-his-hand-at-me-and-i/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [“Others praise ceremonial Magic, and are supposed to suffer much Ecstasy! Our asylums are crowded, the stage is over-run! Is it by symbolizing we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-osman-spare-2/others-praise-ceremonial-magic-and-are-supposed-to-suffer-much/) [Austin Osman, Spare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-osman-spare-2/) > [Salvador Dali has been called kitsch, but, although some of this work may be grotesque, its brazenly self-conscious bad taste saves it from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-dutton/salvador-dali-has-been-called-kitsch-but-although-some-of-this-work/) [Denis Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-dutton/) > [“Bryan gaped, as though that was more than he'd been expecting. "Oh. Okay. Well, um, there's a silent film festival downtown next week. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/bryan-gaped-as-though-that-was-more-than-he-d-been-expecting-oh-okay/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“lack, or loutish and crass kollective is a program dedicated to the proposition that vulgarity and bad taste are an inalienable right. the lackies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/lack-or-loutish-and-crass-kollective-is-a-program-dedicated-to-the/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [It's not about doing over the living room of someone who has bad taste in color. This is about restoring historic buildings and instilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-gorder/it-s-not-about-doing-over-the-living-room-of-someone-who-has-bad/) [Genevieve Gorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-gorder/) > [The kind of people who always go on about whether a thing is in good taste invariably have very bad taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-orton/the-kind-of-people-who-always-go-on-about-whether-a-thing-is-in-good/) [Joe Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-orton/) > [“Life is too short for bad taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-russell/life-is-too-short-for-bad-taste/) [Glenn Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-russell/) > [If you give a little credit to the concept of the artist, I think you ought to indulge excesses a bit, because that reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/if-you-give-a-little-credit-to-the-concept-of-the-artist-i-think-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [The line between humor and bad taste is your audience, in which some people will find everything offensive, and some people will find nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-line-between-humor-and-bad-taste-is-your-audience-in-which-some/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [This is going to leave a bad taste in a lot of people's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-day-hicks/this-is-going-to-leave-a-bad-taste-in-a-lot-of-people-s-eyes/) [Louise Day Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-day-hicks/) > [To use bad taste, you have to know the rules of good taste. I've always thanked my mother for that. She taught how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/to-use-bad-taste-you-have-to-know-the-rules-of-good-taste-i-ve-always/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > ['Bad Taste' was - it was, in many respects, my sort of, my, I guess, my single-minded desire to want to break into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/bad-taste-was-it-was-in-many-respects-my-sort-of-my-i-guess-my-single/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) [Browse all 230 Bad taste quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-taste/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At bottom, to be colored means that one has been caught in some utterly unbelievable cosmic joke, a joke so hideous and in such bad taste that it defeats all categories and definitions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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