Business Quote by Mark Twain
““In the afternoon the ship's company assembled aft, on deck, under the awnings; the flute, the asthmatic meodeon, and the consumptive clarinet crippled the Star Spangled Banner, the choir chased it to cover, and George came in with a peculiarly lacerating screech on the final note and slaughtered it. Nobody mourned. We carried out the corpse on three cheers (that joke was not intentional and I do not endorse it).””
About This Quote
A satirical scene depicts a chaotic, disrespectful rendition of a national anthem, highlighting absurdity and loss of reverence.
In simple terms: A chaotic, mocking performance of the anthem shows disrespect.
Key Takeaway
Respect symbols, avoid mockery.
Themes
satire
absurdity
cultural critique
Mood
critical
humorous
Type
satirical
commentary
When to use this quote
- public ceremonies
- musical performances
- political commentary
Key Concepts
nationalism
artistic expression
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this exaggeration reveal about reverence?
- When is satire effective versus offensive?
A Different Perspective
Satire can be misinterpreted as endorsement.
![“[...] I'd wake up in the middle of the night to the Star-Spangled Banner and some old film of a flag blowing in the wind, telling you the day was over and it was long past time to go to bed. That was back when days used to end, before CNN and infomercials, before all our days bled right into each…” quote by Michael Montoure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bc3/michael-montoure-25960_bygone_i-d-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-t_1438470.jpg)
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)