--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce." description: "\"I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce.\" — Lenny Bruce" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lenny-bruce-4320_comedian_i-m-not-a-comedian-i-m-lenny-bruce-22332_2233280.jpg" --- # I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce. ![“I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce.” quote by Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lenny-bruce-4320_comedian_i-m-not-a-comedian-i-m-lenny-bruce-22332_2233280.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lenny-bruce-4320_comedian_i-m-not-a-comedian-i-m-lenny-bruce-22332_2233280.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lenny-bruce-4320_comedian_i-m-not-a-comedian-i-m-lenny-bruce-22332_2233280.jpg) > “I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce.” [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He asserts his identity as a comedian, not a mere imitator. **In simple terms:** He claims his unique comedic voice. Key Takeaway Own your authentic comedic style. Themes comedy identity authenticity Mood defiant confident Type artistic social When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - writing jokes - public speaking - creative branding Key Concepts self‑definition performance art Questions to Reflect On - What defines your comedic voice? - How do you balance originality with audience expectations? A Different Perspective Audience expectations may limit self‑expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bruce/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedian Lenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian-lenny-5033091/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lenny-bruce/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Bill Maher fancies himself the reincarnation of Lenny Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-goldberg/bill-maher-fancies-himself-the-reincarnation-of-lenny-bruce/) [Bernard Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-goldberg/) > [When I was younger, I listened to the greats: Winters, Mel and Carl, Nichols and May, Pryor, Carlin, Klein, Berman and lots of Lenny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lewis/when-i-was-younger-i-listened-to-the-greats-winters-mel-and-carl/) [Richard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lewis/) > [I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-bruce-and-robert-the-bruce/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [In my opinion, Lenny Bruce was more of an influence on Zappa's satirical lyric's than anyone that I know of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carl-black/in-my-opinion-lenny-bruce-was-more-of-an-influence-on-zappa-s/) [Jimmy Carl Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carl-black/) > [When I first started out, 'Time' magazine did an article on what it called 'the sick comics,' and they were myself, Shelley Berman, Nichols…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/when-i-first-started-out-time-magazine-did-an-article-on-what-it/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce - my main thrust was the body and its functions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-bruce-and-robert-the-bruce-my/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [My influences were Woody Allen and Lenny Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/my-influences-were-woody-allen-and-lenny-bruce/) [David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/) > [On the comedy side of what I love as a filmmaker are Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, and Eddie Murphy; those are my favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dobkin/on-the-comedy-side-of-what-i-love-as-a-filmmaker-are-richard-pryor/) [David Dobkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dobkin/) > [Any comic like myself owes everything he has to Lenny Bruce. He was the originator. The godfather of uncensored American stand-up is clearly Lenny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/any-comic-like-myself-owes-everything-he-has-to-lenny-bruce-he-was/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [I was about 12 when I heard my first Lenny Bruce record. He was already dead. But it changed my life and really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-was-about-12-when-i-heard-my-first-lenny-bruce-record-he-was/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [One of my greatest inspirations for stand-up was Jonathan Winters. He was a genius. One thing about him, and also Lenny Bruce, is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/one-of-my-greatest-inspirations-for-stand-up-was-jonathan-winters-he/) [Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/) > [But the only comparison that I want to Lenny Bruce is that I'm funny. I'm Freddie Prinze, Puerto Rican all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-prinze/but-the-only-comparison-that-i-want-to-lenny-bruce-is-that-i-m-funny/) [Freddie Prinze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-prinze/) > [When I was 16 or 17, I saw Lenny Bruce being taken to jail. They took him off stage because he talked about race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mooney/when-i-was-16-or-17-i-saw-lenny-bruce-being-taken-to-jail-they-took/) [Paul Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mooney/) > [Every group needs a comedian. A comic who is politically incorrect at the Berkeley campus might slay them at a Klan rally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/every-group-needs-a-comedian-a-comic-who-is-politically-incorrect-at/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [The role of a comedian is to make the audience laugh, at a minimum of once every fifteen seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/the-role-of-a-comedian-is-to-make-the-audience-laugh-at-a-minimum-of/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## More by Lenny Bruce > [Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/satire-is-tragedy-plus-time-you-give-it-enough-time-the-public-the/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I am influenced by every second of my waking hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-am-influenced-by-every-second-of-my-waking-hour/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Never trust a preacher with more than two suits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/never-trust-a-preacher-with-more-than-two-suits/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I would be with a bunch of Kennedy fans watching the debate, and their comment would be, 'He's really slaughtering Nixon.' Then we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-would-be-with-a-bunch-of-kennedy-fans-watching-the-debate-and-their/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If you're from New York and you're Catholic, you're still Jewish. If you're from Butte Montana and you're Jewish, you're still goyisch. The Air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-re-from-new-york-and-you-re-catholic-you-re-still-jewish-if/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I think it's about time we gave up religion and got back to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-think-it-s-about-time-we-gave-up-religion-and-got-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Alright, let's admit it, we Jews killed Christ - but it was only for three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/alright-let-s-admit-it-we-jews-killed-christ-but-it-was-only-for/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Dig: I'm Jewish. Count Basie's Jewish. Ray Charles is Jewish. Eddie Cantor's goyish. B'nai B'rith is goyish; Hadassah, Jewish. If you live in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/dig-i-m-jewish-count-basie-s-jewish-ray-charles-is-jewish-eddie/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: What I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-won-t-say-ours-was-a-tough-school-but-we-had-our-own-coroner-we/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“If you can't say "Fuck" you can't say, "Fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-can-t-say-fuck-you-can-t-say-fuck-the-government/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Take away the right to say ‘fuck’ and you take away the right to say ‘fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/take-away-the-right-to-say-fuck-and-you-take-away-the-right-to-say/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [The role of a comedian is to make the audience laugh, at a minimum of once every fifteen seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/the-role-of-a-comedian-is-to-make-the-audience-laugh-at-a-minimum-of/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If I get busted in New York, the freest city in the world, that will be the end of my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-i-get-busted-in-new-york-the-freest-city-in-the-world-that-will-be/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/liberals-can-understand-everything-but-people-who-don-t-understand/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) [Explore all 112 Lenny Bruce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## More Bruce quotes > [What was Bruce Lee like? How did you meet? What was it like to choreograph the fight scene in Rome with him? Did you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/what-was-bruce-lee-like-how-did-you-meet-what-was-it-like-to/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [I completely accept, respect, and support Caitlyn, but I must admit, I sometimes miss Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thompson/i-completely-accept-respect-and-support-caitlyn-but-i-must-admit-i/) [Linda Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thompson/) > [Bill Maher fancies himself the reincarnation of Lenny Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-goldberg/bill-maher-fancies-himself-the-reincarnation-of-lenny-bruce/) [Bernard Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-goldberg/) > [I way prefer Jackie Chan films to Bruce Lee films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-evans/i-way-prefer-jackie-chan-films-to-bruce-lee-films/) [Gareth Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-evans/) > [Sir Alex, Mourinho, Wenger - none of them could have done a better job at Wigan than Steve Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-martin/sir-alex-mourinho-wenger-none-of-them-could-have-done-a-better-job-at/) [Alvin Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-martin/) > [William Atherton has a very different acting style to Bonnie Bedelia; she has a very different style than Bruce Willis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/william-atherton-has-a-very-different-acting-style-to-bonnie-bedelia/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I would say, from an all-around point of view, Bruce Springsteen is one of the two great poet lords of America, Bob Dylan, coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-davis/i-would-say-from-an-all-around-point-of-view-bruce-springsteen-is-one/) [Clive Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-davis/) > [I remember when I was a kid, I'd watch 'Kung Fu Theater' on TV, and all the movies would star guys named things like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lin/i-remember-when-i-was-a-kid-i-d-watch-kung-fu-theater-on-tv-and-all/) [Justin Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lin/) > [I certainly look at them very differently now, and enjoy Jackie Chan movies and movies like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiaki-kuriyama/i-certainly-look-at-them-very-differently-now-and-enjoy-jackie-chan/) [Chiaki Kuriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiaki-kuriyama/) > [Steve Bruce is like a cat on hot tin bricks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-martin/steve-bruce-is-like-a-cat-on-hot-tin-bricks/) [Alvin Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-martin/) > [Something happened when I was in elementary school. A Disney artist named Bruce McIntyre retired, and he had done drawings for 'Pinocchio' and 'Snow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stromberg/something-happened-when-i-was-in-elementary-school-a-disney-artist/) [Robert Stromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stromberg/) > [My dad's weekend treat to me as a kid would be to get me the latest Jackie Chan or some old Bruce Lee classic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-evans/my-dad-s-weekend-treat-to-me-as-a-kid-would-be-to-get-me-the-latest/) [Gareth Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-evans/) > [Bruce Lee was an artist and, like him, I try to go beyond the fundamentals of my sport. I want the public to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/bruce-lee-was-an-artist-and-like-him-i-try-to-go-beyond-the/) [Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/) > [If Mr. Chan ever makes another movie like 'The Tuxedo,' it's American audiences that will see him in court. With 'Shanghai Knights,' he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/if-mr-chan-ever-makes-another-movie-like-the-tuxedo-it-s-american/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) > [My name is Bruce Feiler, and I'm an explainaholic. I first heard this word used to describe Isaac Asimov, and I knew instantly that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/my-name-is-bruce-feiler-and-i-m-an-explainaholic-i-first-heard-this/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) [Browse all 221 Bruce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bruce/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a comedian. 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