--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think comedy allows people to accept…" description: "\"I think comedy allows people to accept the more difficult parts of history. And history, if it's presented wrong, is just very depressing, particularly..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/james-mcbride-4758_accepting_i-think-comedy-allows-people-to-accept-t_2136064.png" --- # I think comedy allows people to accept the more difficult… ![“I think comedy allows people to accept the more difficult parts of history. And history, if it's presented wrong, is just very depressing, particularly the history of slavery. If slavery is presented properly, it's a great story. But I think that within the commercial world of storytelling in…” quote by James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/james-mcbride-4758_accepting_i-think-comedy-allows-people-to-accept-t_2136064.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/james-mcbride-4758_accepting_i-think-comedy-allows-people-to-accept-t_2136064.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/james-mcbride-4758_accepting_i-think-comedy-allows-people-to-accept-t_2136064.png) > “I think comedy allows people to accept the more difficult parts of history. And history, if it's presented wrong, is just very depressing, particularly the history of slavery. If slavery is presented properly, it's a great story. But I think that within the commercial world of storytelling in which I live, there haven't been many strong works that discuss slavery in ways that are palatable and funny and interesting to the reader.” [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy can make painful history accessible, but balancing humor with respect for serious topics like slavery is challenging. **In simple terms:** Humor can help us face hard history. Key Takeaway Use humor responsibly. Themes history comedy social commentary Mood serious hopeful Type cultural educational When to use this quote - education - media production - public discourse Key Concepts slavery storytelling cultural sensitivity Questions to Reflect On - How can humor honor truth? - What boundaries protect dignity? A Different Perspective Risk of trivializing suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Allows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-allows-966461/) [Depressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressing/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Discuss Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discuss-slavery-1716711/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-slavery-963120/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery Presented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-presented-4426313/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Think Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-comedy/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were all written by affluent white males, but to discuss them in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-freedman/the-declaration-of-independence-the-constitution-and-the-bill-of/) [Russell Freedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-freedman/) > [It's a lot of work and I also feel like I've done it. I miss comedy. And I also think that, from purely a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-arkin/it-s-a-lot-of-work-and-i-also-feel-like-i-ve-done-it-i-miss-comedy/) [Adam Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-arkin/) > [I think people don't understand that comedy is an outlet for me. Comedy allows me to get outside of myself, and exercise this thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-ferrell/i-think-people-don-t-understand-that-comedy-is-an-outlet-for-me/) [Will Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-ferrell/) > [Look, I'll do anything. I wanna do everything. I'll probably do a travel show at some point, I'd love to do some cooking things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/look-i-ll-do-anything-i-wanna-do-everything-i-ll-probably-do-a-travel/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [I think a lot comes from having the experience of doing stand-up comedy. It allows you to figure out the psychology of an audience;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keenen-ivory-wayans/i-think-a-lot-comes-from-having-the-experience-of-doing-stand-up/) [Keenen Ivory Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keenen-ivory-wayans/) > [I'm not a person that really deal in color. I recognize the inequities that certain cultures have to go through. I understand the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/i-m-not-a-person-that-really-deal-in-color-i-recognize-the-inequities/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) > [Look at the American history of slavery. Can you say that hundreds of years later that has been eased? That pain has not yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anohni/look-at-the-american-history-of-slavery-can-you-say-that-hundreds-of/) [Anohni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anohni/) > [But the truth is that throughout human history slavery has existed. And America came along as the first country to end it within 150…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-pavlich/but-the-truth-is-that-throughout-human-history-slavery-has-existed/) [Katie Pavlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-pavlich/) > [Slavery is not African history. Slavery interrupted African history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mutabaruka/slavery-is-not-african-history-slavery-interrupted-african-history/) [Mutabaruka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mutabaruka/) > [The history of slavery in this country has affected not only how black people see themselves, but how white people see black people as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/the-history-of-slavery-in-this-country-has-affected-not-only-how/) [Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/) > [When you look at the history of slavery in the United States, and you see the impact that 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' had, culture sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/when-you-look-at-the-history-of-slavery-in-the-united-states-and-you/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [In China, the rich enslaved the poor, and in England and Scotland and all over the world, one person, through his power and wealth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorne-greene/in-china-the-rich-enslaved-the-poor-and-in-england-and-scotland-and/) [Lorne Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorne-greene/) > [“The history of man is simply the history of slavery, of injustice and brutality, together with the means by which he has, through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/the-history-of-man-is-simply-the-history-of-slavery-of-injustice-and/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [I recognize the inequities certain cultures have to go through. I understand the history of slavery. I know all those things. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/i-recognize-the-inequities-certain-cultures-have-to-go-through-i/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) > [The history of slavery and the complication of slavery is that it is an international concept. It is something that affected people who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/the-history-of-slavery-and-the-complication-of-slavery-is-that-it-is/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) ## More by James McBride > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are some really great books that have been written about slavery, but I don't think that the discourse about it in society has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-some-really-great-books-that-have-been-written-about/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Whatever you is, Onion," he said, "be it full.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/whatever-you-is-onion-he-said-be-it-full/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are two responses to really awful things. One is to lament and say, "Oh my God, oh lord." And the other is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-two-responses-to-really-awful-things-one-is-to-lament-and/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [If you're going to cheat and take people's history and you're not writing the Bible, you ain't really so great. But if you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/if-you-re-going-to-cheat-and-take-people-s-history-and-you-re-not/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Most cars drove through there because the drivers is either from The Bottom and wanna get home - or they ain't from The Bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/most-cars-drove-through-there-because-the-drivers-is-either-from-the/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There has to be some mystery in life, because the joy of being a writer and the joy of being a musician is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-has-to-be-some-mystery-in-life-because-the-joy-of-being-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“And when James asked what color God was, she said, God is the color of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/and-when-james-asked-what-color-god-was-she-said-god-is-the-color-of/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm proud of 'Miracle at St. Anna' and I loved it; there's no question in my mind it's as good as any movie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-proud-of-miracle-at-st-anna-and-i-loved-it-there-s-no-question-in/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“back,” Daddy said. “It’ll work out.” He had no idea what to do about Helen. They spoke a completely different language. He was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/back-daddy-said-it-ll-work-out-he-had-no-idea-what-to-do-about-helen/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/god-is-the-color-of-water-water-doesn-t-have-a-color/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [First person narrative is a very effective tool but you have to know as a writer how to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/first-person-narrative-is-a-very-effective-tool-but-you-have-to-know/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [The act of choosing what to place in your piece when you're a historian or a non-fiction writer already renders it into fiction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/the-act-of-choosing-what-to-place-in-your-piece-when-you-re-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [...since I was a little boy, she had always wanted me to go. She was always sending me off on a bus someplace, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/since-i-was-a-little-boy-she-had-always-wanted-me-to-go-she-was/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) [Explore all 106 James McBride quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think comedy allows people to accept the more difficult parts of history. And history, if it's presented wrong, is just very depressing, particularly the history of slavery. If slavery is presented properly, it's a great story. 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