--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're making a satirical show and…" description: "\"If you're making a satirical show and you're aiming to change something, I'd say you're on a fool's errand.\" — Jesse Armstrong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/jesse-armstrong-5759_change_if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-yo_1075463.jpg" --- # If you're making a satirical show and you're aiming to… ![“If you're making a satirical show and you're aiming to change something, I'd say you're on a fool's errand.” quote by Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/jesse-armstrong-5759_change_if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-yo_1075463.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/jesse-armstrong-5759_change_if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-yo_1075463.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/jesse-armstrong-5759_change_if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-yo_1075463.jpg) > “If you're making a satirical show and you're aiming to change something, I'd say you're on a fool's errand.” [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Satire alone rarely drives real change; it often highlights absurdities without solving problems. **In simple terms:** Satire rarely changes things. Key Takeaway Use satire to provoke thought, not expect reform. Themes satire politics media change Mood cynical reflective Type observational critical When to use this quote - political campaigns - media analysis - public discourse Key Concepts cultural critique social commentary Questions to Reflect On - Can satire be a catalyst for policy change? - How to balance humor with actionable critique? A Different Perspective Satire can be dismissed as humor, limiting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Satirical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satirical/) ## Related quotes > [Diets are a fool's errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/diets-are-a-fool-s-errand/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [Until Christ is our treasure, any other motivation we have to suffer for him is a fool’s errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/until-christ-is-our-treasure-any-other-motivation-we-have-to-suffer/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [“Don Quixote never found his Dulcinea, did he? He did not. There sometimes isn’t much difference between a knight’s quest and a fool’s errand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-quixote-never-found-his-dulcinea-did-he-he-did-not-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life was a fool's errand, carrying news to the worms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-tennant/life-was-a-fool-s-errand-carrying-news-to-the-worms/) [Kylie Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-tennant/) > [Nobody's perfect, and to try to pretend you're perfect is an exhausting fool's errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-mahoney/nobody-s-perfect-and-to-try-to-pretend-you-re-perfect-is-an/) [Rosemary Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-mahoney/) > [“There sometimes isn’t much difference between a knight’s quest and a fool’s errand. - Drew”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-matson/there-sometimes-isn-t-much-difference-between-a-knight-s-quest-and-a/) [Morgan Matson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-matson/) > [The blind quest for cash is a fool's errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/the-blind-quest-for-cash-is-a-fool-s-errand/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [The fellow that agrees with everything you say is either a fool or he is getting ready to skin you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/the-fellow-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say-is-either-a-fool-or-he/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [You can say any fool thing to a dog and the dog will just give you this look that says, 'My GOSH, you're RIGHT!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-can-say-any-fool-thing-to-a-dog-and-the-dog-will-just-give-you/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“A wise man always has something to say, whereas a fool always needs to say something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-ali-ibn-abu-talib-a-s/a-wise-man-always-has-something-to-say-whereas-a-fool-always-needs-to/) [Hazrat Ali Ibn Abu-Talib A.S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-ali-ibn-abu-talib-a-s/) > [My friends say I'm a fool to think that you're the one for me I guess I'm just a sucker for love!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/my-friends-say-i-m-a-fool-to-think-that-you-re-the-one-for-me-i-guess-2/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) > [You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, 'My God, you're RIGHT! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-can-say-any-fool-thing-to-a-dog-and-the-dog-will-give-you-this/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [A wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool because he has to say something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/a-wise-man-speaks-because-he-has-something-to-say-a-fool-because-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [He went on to prove me wrong about which I had to say: It will not fool anyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/he-went-on-to-prove-me-wrong-about-which-i-had-to-say-it-will-not/) Mak\_786 > [Girl I must have been crazy. To say that it was over. I had to be a fool. To yell out we were through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-kelly-2/girl-i-must-have-been-crazy-to-say-that-it-was-over-i-had-to-be-a/) [R Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly-2/) ## More by Jesse Armstrong > [You've got to trust the audience, and hopefully if you do interesting work you'll get an audience that are interested and engaged. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/you-ve-got-to-trust-the-audience-and-hopefully-if-you-do-interesting/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Wars are hard to look at head-on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/wars-are-hard-to-look-at-head-on/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [I'm in the game of realism so happy endings probably feel a little bit too neat for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/i-m-in-the-game-of-realism-so-happy-endings-probably-feel-a-little/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Because Oswestry is very much an Anglo-Welsh mix it can lead you to feeling a bit bipolar sometimes. I mean, you're in England but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/because-oswestry-is-very-much-an-anglo-welsh-mix-it-can-lead-you-to/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [I like people to make their own decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/i-like-people-to-make-their-own-decisions/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [There are lots of great characters in fiction who viewers and readers have engaged with that behave badly. Great characters can be unfaithful. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/there-are-lots-of-great-characters-in-fiction-who-viewers-and-readers/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [The writers' room is an open forum where anything mad or weird that aggressively shakes up the show can be suggested and considered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/the-writers-room-is-an-open-forum-where-anything-mad-or-weird-that/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Trump is just extraordinarily unusual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/trump-is-just-extraordinarily-unusual/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [I do think it's really tough being super-rich, really hard-working and wanting to get some sort of immortality by passing on the organisation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/i-do-think-it-s-really-tough-being-super-rich-really-hard-working-and/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Most of us now have opinions on such things as road tolling, the U.S. position on climate change, and the correct colour of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/most-of-us-now-have-opinions-on-such-things-as-road-tolling-the-u-s/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Unlike many hour-long scripted American dramas, 'Succession' has very few standing sets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/unlike-many-hour-long-scripted-american-dramas-succession-has-very/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [There's loads of succession stories to draw on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/there-s-loads-of-succession-stories-to-draw-on/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [As a private individual, it's probably not worth having a foreign policy of your own at all. Not unless you own at least a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/as-a-private-individual-it-s-probably-not-worth-having-a-foreign/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Why do I bother having all my stupid opinions? I mean, really, my ever evolving Balkan policy of the mid-1990s - what did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/why-do-i-bother-having-all-my-stupid-opinions-i-mean-really-my-ever/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [There's an underlying sense that your family should accord you a greater level of safety in your interactions with them. When that's violated, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/there-s-an-underlying-sense-that-your-family-should-accord-you-a/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) [Explore all 100 Jesse Armstrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're making a satirical show and you're aiming to change something, I'd say you're on a fool's errand.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jesse Armstrong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-you-re-aiming-to-change/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-you-re-aiming-to-change/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/jesse-armstrong-5759_change_if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-yo_1075463.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/jesse-armstrong-5759_change_if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-yo_1075463.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/jesse-armstrong-5759_change_if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-yo_1075463.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you're making a satirical show and you're aiming to change something, I'd say you're on a fool's errand.” — Jesse Armstrong", "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": "Jesse Armstrong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you're making a satirical show...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-you-re-aiming-to-change/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/if-you-re-making-a-satirical-show-and-you-re-aiming-to-change/#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 } } ] } ```