--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm very much of the \"make it dark, make…" description: "\"I'm very much of the \"make it dark, make it grim, make it tough\", but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.\" — Joss Whedon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/joss-whedon-480_comedy_i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-i_521646.png" --- # I'm very much of the "make it dark, make it grim, make it… ![“I'm very much of the "make it dark, make it grim, make it tough", but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.” quote by Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/joss-whedon-480_comedy_i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-i_521646.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/joss-whedon-480_comedy_i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-i_521646.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/joss-whedon-480_comedy_i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-i_521646.png) > “I'm very much of the "make it dark, make it grim, make it tough", but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.” [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker prefers dark, gritty tones but also demands humor, showing a balance between seriousness and levity. **In simple terms:** Darkness needs humor. Key Takeaway Blend seriousness with wit for impact. Themes creativity tone balance Mood playful thoughtful Type creative advice When to use this quote - writing - film production - stand‑up comedy - team building - personal coping Key Concepts dark comedy storytelling psychology Questions to Reflect On - When does humor enhance a serious message? - How can you gauge the right balance? A Different Perspective Humor may undermine intended seriousness if misapplied. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-god/) ## Related quotes > [Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it-tough-but-then-for-the-love-of-god/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [There's a great line by Joss Whedon: "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [“That is the best of all things we can do for one another: Make the dark small.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/that-is-the-best-of-all-things-we-can-do-for-one-another-make-the/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [It's a hard line to walk, man. Cause you know you want to make this movie, you want to make it dark and real,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/it-s-a-hard-line-to-walk-man-cause-you-know-you-want-to-make-this/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [If I make dark my countenance, I shut my life from happier chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/if-i-make-dark-my-countenance-i-shut-my-life-from-happier-chance/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [You can make it dark, but I can't make it light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-can-make-it-dark-but-i-can-t-make-it-light/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Tell me a joke and I will know how you behave ~ Tell me a quote and I may be your wise slave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasser-kashef/tell-me-a-joke-and-i-will-know-how-you-behave-tell-me-a-quote-and-i/) [Yasser Kashef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasser-kashef/) > [The awkward momment when you tell a joke and no one laughs lol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mochy/the-awkward-momment-when-you-tell-a-joke-and-no-one-laughs-lol/) MoCHY > [Rick said, "Is there some place we can go and talk?" "You want to talk?," Keir raised an eyebrow. "I never thought I'd see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/rick-said-is-there-some-place-we-can-go-and-talk-you-want-to-talk/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [I never could tell a joke. I just started talking to the audience, and when the drunks would yell, "Hey, when do the broads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-never-could-tell-a-joke-i-just-started-talking-to-the-audience-and/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [A lot of the comedians don't even tell the joke. Like only three tell the joke, the rest of them dissect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/a-lot-of-the-comedians-don-t-even-tell-the-joke-like-only-three-tell/) [Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/) > [Growing up, 'wocka wocka' was like my thing...I would tell a joke and then go, 'Wocka wocka!' I was a bit of a nerd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-adams/growing-up-wocka-wocka-was-like-my-thing-i-would-tell-a-joke-and-then/) [Amy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-adams/) > [A comic strip has a rhythm and a pattern, and you got to get in and out quick. So you set up a joke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/a-comic-strip-has-a-rhythm-and-a-pattern-and-you-got-to-get-in-and/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I'm always looking at new ways to tell a joke so that it doesn't get stale while working on new jokes every night or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-m-always-looking-at-new-ways-to-tell-a-joke-so-that-it-doesn-t-get/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) ## More by Joss Whedon > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Every vampire fiction reinvents vampires to its own needs. You take what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/every-vampire-fiction-reinvents-vampires-to-its-own-needs-you-take/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [When you're making a film, you have an obligation to fill the frame with life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/when-you-re-making-a-film-you-have-an-obligation-to-fill-the-frame/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Everything we do really is just a little marker on the long road to death. And sometimes that’s overwhelmingly depressing to me, and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/everything-we-do-really-is-just-a-little-marker-on-the-long-road-to/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [At the end of the day I have many answers for it. It has to do with my mom, who was an extraordinary woman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/at-the-end-of-the-day-i-have-many-answers-for-it-it-has-to-do-with-my/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Why aren’t you asking a hundred other guys why they don’t write strong women characters? I believe that what I’m doing should not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/why-aren-t-you-asking-a-hundred-other-guys-why-they-don-t-write/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [People feel removed from sexism. 'I'm not a sexist, but I'm not a feminist.' They think there's this fuzzy middle ground. There's no fuzzy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/people-feel-removed-from-sexism-i-m-not-a-sexist-but-i-m-not-a/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Even in the darkness, every color can be found. And every day of rain brings water flowing to things growing in the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/even-in-the-darkness-every-color-can-be-found-and-every-day-of-rain/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I never tire of the heroes that I knew growing up. The fun is not that much different from doing a television show: You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-never-tire-of-the-heroes-that-i-knew-growing-up-the-fun-is-not-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Don't just be yourself. Be all of your selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/don-t-just-be-yourself-be-all-of-your-selves/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I always watch what I say. I am what I say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-always-watch-what-i-say-i-am-what-i-say/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Remember to always be yourself. Unless you suck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/remember-to-always-be-yourself-unless-you-suck/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I've become less cynical, which is appalling but kind of cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-ve-become-less-cynical-which-is-appalling-but-kind-of-cool/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Xander: It could be witches, some evil witches, which is ridiculous cause witched they were persecuted, women power, love the eatrh, and I'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/xander-it-could-be-witches-some-evil-witches-which-is-ridiculous/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [There's a lot of anger in the Twitter-verse, as I've discovered. But there's a lot of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/there-s-a-lot-of-anger-in-the-twitter-verse-as-i-ve-discovered-but/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) [Explore all 529 Joss Whedon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) [Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm very much of the \"make it dark, make it grim, make it tough\", but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joss Whedon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it-tough-but-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it-tough-but-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/joss-whedon-480_comedy_i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-i_521646.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/joss-whedon-480_comedy_i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-i_521646.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/joss-whedon-480_comedy_i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-i_521646.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm very much of the \"make it dark, make it grim, make it tough\", but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.” — Joss Whedon", "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": "Joss Whedon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm very much of the \"make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it-tough-but-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it-tough-but-then/#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 } } ] } ```