--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would say that, unfortunately, the word…" description: "\"I would say that, unfortunately, the word liberal has been redefined over the last 30 years as if it is a bad thing. But liberalism is a great American..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/janeane-garofalo-1940_bad-thing_i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word_919112.jpg" --- # I would say that, unfortunately, the word liberal has been… ![“I would say that, unfortunately, the word liberal has been redefined over the last 30 years as if it is a bad thing. But liberalism is a great American philosophy. Being a liberal is one of the best things you can be. I don't think they get a fair shake at all in the conservative mainstream media…” quote by Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/janeane-garofalo-1940_bad-thing_i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word_919112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/janeane-garofalo-1940_bad-thing_i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word_919112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/janeane-garofalo-1940_bad-thing_i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word_919112.jpg) > “I would say that, unfortunately, the word liberal has been redefined over the last 30 years as if it is a bad thing. But liberalism is a great American philosophy. Being a liberal is one of the best things you can be. I don't think they get a fair shake at all in the conservative mainstream media. So maybe there's some intimidation there.” [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Liberalism is portrayed negatively in media, but it remains a core American value and a positive identity. **In simple terms:** Liberal ideas are unfairly criticized but are valuable. Key Takeaway Defend liberal principles against misrepresentation. Themes politics media identity ideology Mood critical hopeful Type analytical persuasive When to use this quote - political debates - media analysis - public speaking - campaign strategy Key Concepts American philosophy public discourse media bias political labeling Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports liberal values today? - How can media fairness be improved? A Different Perspective Opposing views may dominate mainstream narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Best things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Fairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairs/) [Great american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-american/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Intimidation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimidation/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal/) [Liberal Redefined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal-redefined-1407821/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Mainstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream/) [Mainstream media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream-media/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-liberal-1407822/) [Shakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakes/) [Thing Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-liberalism-1407823/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Word Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-liberal-1407820/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Many people ... prefer to describe themselves as progressives rather than liberals. To some extent that's a response to the decades-long propaganda campaign conducted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/many-people-prefer-to-describe-themselves-as-progressives-rather-than/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Well, I am not afraid of the word 'liberal.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/well-i-am-not-afraid-of-the-word-liberal/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) > ['Empathy' is the latest code word for liberal activism, for treating the Constitution as malleable clay to be kneaded and molded in whatever form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/empathy-is-the-latest-code-word-for-liberal-activism-for-treating-the/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [I don't like this word, 'Feminazis,' or 'libtard.' I don't like these words, because I feel there's no true understanding of the word 'feminism,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konkona-sen-sharma/i-don-t-like-this-word-feminazis-or-libtard-i-don-t-like-these-words/) [Konkona Sen Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konkona-sen-sharma/) > [The silent majority really is a liberal majority, even though the word liberal has taken a real beating over the last 20 years by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-silent-majority-really-is-a-liberal-majority-even-though-the-word/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Long ago, there was a noble word, liberal, which derives from the word free. Now a strange thing happened to that word. A man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/long-ago-there-was-a-noble-word-liberal-which-derives-from-the-word/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The word liberal distinguishes whatever nourishes the mind and spirit from the training which is merely practical or professional or from the trivialities which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-k-simpson/the-word-liberal-distinguishes-whatever-nourishes-the-mind-and-spirit/) [Alan K. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-k-simpson/) > [The word liberal has been employed as the political equivalent of an untreatable but potentially containable social disease -- the kind that could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-alterman/the-word-liberal-has-been-employed-as-the-political-equivalent-of-an/) [Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/) > [The word liberal comes from the word free. We must cherish and honor the word free or it will cease to apply to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-word-liberal-comes-from-the-word-free-we-must-cherish-and-honor/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Ever since Richard Nixon walloped George McGovern in the presidential election of 1972, political pundits have treated as a truism the proposition that liberals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-alterman/ever-since-richard-nixon-walloped-george-mcgovern-in-the-presidential/) [Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/) > [Historically the mainstream media has never been particularly friendly to any socially progressive ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/historically-the-mainstream-media-has-never-been-particularly/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/tv-has-eaten-up-everything-else-and-warhol-films-are-all-that-are/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [Apple is this great American company that could have only happened here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/apple-is-this-great-american-company-that-could-have-only-happened/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [People think that they will sit down and produce the great American novel in one sitting. It doesn't work that way. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/people-think-that-they-will-sit-down-and-produce-the-great-american/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## More by Janeane Garofalo > [I did not support Operation Desert Fox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-did-not-support-operation-desert-fox/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [I'm not a disciplined writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-m-not-a-disciplined-writer/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Listen, young people, I understand narcissism - clearly. But at least I have the decency to hate myself. And that's what's missing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/listen-young-people-i-understand-narcissism-clearly-but-at-least-i/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [I was a 36C or D, and at 5' 1'', I knew that being a small person with big boobs standing in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-was-a-36c-or-d-and-at-5-1-i-knew-that-being-a-small-person-with-big/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Pedestrian's rights - because we live in California, I've got to address this issue. I don't know where on the fence I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/pedestrian-s-rights-because-we-live-in-california-i-ve-got-to-address/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [To combat social awkwardness, I would just act like I couldn't be bothered - that kind of aloof persona or aloof demeanor. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/to-combat-social-awkwardness-i-would-just-act-like-i-couldn-t-be/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [A war is going to destroy our economy even further. It's going to be a threefold humanitarian disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/a-war-is-going-to-destroy-our-economy-even-further-it-s-going-to-be-a/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [We're our own worst enemies a lot of the time, but I still blame men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/we-re-our-own-worst-enemies-a-lot-of-the-time-but-i-still-blame-men/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Should have dogs before they have kids. Everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/should-have-dogs-before-they-have-kids-everybody/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [There's a fake Facebook me. There's a fake me Twittering. Sometimes, when it was at the height of right-wing nonsense picking on me, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/there-s-a-fake-facebook-me-there-s-a-fake-me-twittering-sometimes/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Here's what the right-wing has in, there's no shortage of the natural resources of ignorance, apathy, hate, fear. As long as those things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/here-s-what-the-right-wing-has-in-there-s-no-shortage-of-the-natural/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [I think people are very cynical with actors trying to tell them what to believe in, or lobbying for any kind of changing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-think-people-are-very-cynical-with-actors-trying-to-tell-them-what/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Not that I was ever an asshole but I used to be much more of a bulldozer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/not-that-i-was-ever-an-asshole-but-i-used-to-be-much-more-of-a/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [The world would be better off with multiple superpowers. When Communist USSR was a superpower, the world was better off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/the-world-would-be-better-off-with-multiple-superpowers-when/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Evil is in the face of every frat guy that ever raised a beer cup and went "whoooooo!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/evil-is-in-the-face-of-every-frat-guy-that-ever-raised-a-beer-cup-and/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) [Explore all 196 Janeane Garofalo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) [Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would say that, unfortunately, the word liberal has been redefined over the last 30 years as if it is a bad thing. But liberalism is a great American philosophy. Being a liberal is one of the best things you can be. I don't think they get a fair shake at all in the conservative mainstream media. So maybe there's some intimidation there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Janeane Garofalo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word-liberal-has-been-redefined/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad thing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word-liberal-has-been-redefined/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/janeane-garofalo-1940_bad-thing_i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word_919112.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/janeane-garofalo-1940_bad-thing_i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word_919112.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/janeane-garofalo-1940_bad-thing_i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word_919112.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would say that, unfortunately, the word liberal has been redefined over the last 30 years as if it is a…” — Janeane Garofalo", "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": "Janeane Garofalo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I would say that, unfortunately, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word-liberal-has-been-redefined/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-would-say-that-unfortunately-the-word-liberal-has-been-redefined/#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 } } ] } ```