--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look, I had to take chances or it wasn't…" description: "\"Look, I had to take chances or it wasn't fun being funny.\" — Mel Brooks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/mel-brooks-2308_being-funny_look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t_2114438.png" --- # Look, I had to take chances or it wasn't fun being funny. ![“Look, I had to take chances or it wasn't fun being funny.” quote by Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/mel-brooks-2308_being-funny_look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t_2114438.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/mel-brooks-2308_being-funny_look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t_2114438.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/mel-brooks-2308_being-funny_look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t_2114438.png) > “Look, I had to take chances or it wasn't fun being funny.” [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizing that taking risks is essential for humor and enjoyment, encouraging boldness in creative expression. **In simple terms:** Comedy needs risk to stay fun. Key Takeaway Take chances, stay funny. Themes risk creativity humor Mood humorous encouraging Type comedic inspirational When to use this quote - writing jokes - performing - improvisation Key Concepts comedic timing creative risk‑taking Questions to Reflect On - What risks have you taken in your work? - How do you balance risk with audience expectations? A Different Perspective Risk can alienate audiences if misjudged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-funny/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Take a chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-a-chance/) ## Related quotes > [Doing stand-up takes the fun out of being funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/doing-stand-up-takes-the-fun-out-of-being-funny/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [“Look for chances to take the less-traveled roads. There are no wrong turns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-magsamen/look-for-chances-to-take-the-less-traveled-roads-there-are-no-wrong/) [Susan Magsamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-magsamen/) > [Love is taking chances when every rational part of you screams, ‘Don’t risk it.’ Because it’s only when your heart has been ripped open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/love-is-taking-chances-when-every-rational-part-of-you-screams-don-t/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [There's lots of opportunities out there in life, but if you never put yourself out on a limb and take chances you'll never dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-griese/there-s-lots-of-opportunities-out-there-in-life-but-if-you-never-put/) [Brian Griese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-griese/) > [Let your creative juices flow and don't be afraid to take chances!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-comm/let-your-creative-juices-flow-and-don-t-be-afraid-to-take-chances/) [Joel Comm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-comm/) > [Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but that's the only way you can do anything really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/get-it-down-take-chances-it-may-be-bad-but-that-s-the-only-way-you/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Taking chances almost always makes for happy endings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/taking-chances-almost-always-makes-for-happy-endings/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [When youre doing what you love to do, you become resilient. You create a habit of taking chances on yourself. If you do whats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-costolo/when-youre-doing-what-you-love-to-do-you-become-resilient-you-create/) [Dick Costolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-costolo/) > [It’s all a bit of a gamble, mate. That’s all I can promise you. And we never get to see what that other life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/it-s-all-a-bit-of-a-gamble-mate-that-s-all-i-can-promise-you-and-we/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [Nobody gives you a chance, you got to take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/nobody-gives-you-a-chance-you-got-to-take-chances/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [I took a lot of time to open myself up to taking chances musically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-degraw/i-took-a-lot-of-time-to-open-myself-up-to-taking-chances-musically/) [Gavin DeGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-degraw/) > [Dare to take chances, lest you leave your talent buried in the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-knight/dare-to-take-chances-lest-you-leave-your-talent-buried-in-the-ground/) [Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/) > [The most successful people in this world recognize that taking chances to get what they want is much more productive than sitting around being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/the-most-successful-people-in-this-world-recognize-that-taking/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [If you scared to take chances, you'll never have the answers...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/if-you-scared-to-take-chances-you-ll-never-have-the-answers/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) ## More by Mel Brooks > [Woody Allen is a genius. His films are wonderful. He's poetic, but he's also a critic. He artfully steps back from a social setting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/woody-allen-is-a-genius-his-films-are-wonderful-he-s-poetic-but-he-s/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [ Comedy is lively, comedy is joy, and that's what keeps us \[people\] going, we've got to look forward to little, little happiness's. Little, little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/comedy-is-lively-comedy-is-joy-and-that-s-what-keeps-us-people-going/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [All right, I am often brash, rude and brutally direct. Someday I'm going to die and I don't have time to toe-dance around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/all-right-i-am-often-brash-rude-and-brutally-direct-someday-i-m-going/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I don't think in terms of results at all. I think: what next insanity can I shock the world with?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-don-t-think-in-terms-of-results-at-all-i-think-what-next-insanity/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [My mother is very short - four-eleven. She could walk under tables and never hit her head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/my-mother-is-very-short-four-eleven-she-could-walk-under-tables-and/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [The audience. They see the name Mel Brooks, they want something really funny. They don't want to be moved; they don't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/the-audience-they-see-the-name-mel-brooks-they-want-something-really/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I realised that all one really had to do was just observe. Observe and slightly exaggerate, and you had comedy. Instead of creating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-realised-that-all-one-really-had-to-do-was-just-observe-observe-and/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Life literally abounds in comedy if you just look around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/life-literally-abounds-in-comedy-if-you-just-look-around-you/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Look, I really don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive, you got to flap your arms and legs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/look-i-really-don-t-want-to-wax-philosophic-but-i-will-say-that-if/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I knew it... I'm surrounded by assholes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-knew-it-i-m-surrounded-by-assholes/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I was in the army, and to me it was like a newsreel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-was-in-the-army-and-to-me-it-was-like-a-newsreel/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [But I have bad taste with a deep fount of intellectuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/but-i-have-bad-taste-with-a-deep-fount-of-intellectuality/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > ['Mad About You' was very fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/mad-about-you-was-very-fun/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Immortality is a by-product of good work. Masterpieces are not for artists, they're for critics. Critics can't even make music by rubbing their back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/immortality-is-a-by-product-of-good-work-masterpieces-are-not-for/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [If Ivan the Terrible had been kissed and loved between zero and three, he probably would have become Ivan Not So Terrible. If you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/if-ivan-the-terrible-had-been-kissed-and-loved-between-zero-and-three/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) [Explore all 173 Mel Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) ## More Being funny quotes > [Being funny is one of my greatest strengths. I can make girls smile when they're down, and when they're having a good time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/being-funny-is-one-of-my-greatest-strengths-i-can-make-girls-smile/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I direct with energy. I believe in energy. I think energy is an electric thing in actors. I try to inspire, encourage, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/i-direct-with-energy-i-believe-in-energy-i-think-energy-is-an/) [Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/) > [I think my way of being "funny" is just saying things that people think but have learned not to say, whereas, I haven't learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-chang/i-think-my-way-of-being-funny-is-just-saying-things-that-people-think/) [Victoria Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-chang/) > [I guess I'm pleased and proud of the respect of my peers, and that when I disappear from the scene or from this earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/i-guess-i-m-pleased-and-proud-of-the-respect-of-my-peers-and-that/) [Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/) > [I like to have fun, but I don't think of myself as being funny. But I'm a big jokester, so I make fun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lautner/i-like-to-have-fun-but-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-being-funny-but-i-m/) [Taylor Lautner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-lautner/) > [If you don't follow the stock market, you are missing some amazing drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/if-you-don-t-follow-the-stock-market-you-are-missing-some-amazing/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [For my first gig, I got $75. I could make money being funny, so I pursued it as a career and have turned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/for-my-first-gig-i-got-75-i-could-make-money-being-funny-so-i-pursued/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [It is a difficult thing to like anybody else's ideas of being funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/it-is-a-difficult-thing-to-like-anybody-else-s-ideas-of-being-funny/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [You know, I love airplane food. I'm not being funny; I'm not being ironic. It reminds me of being 12 years old and putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/you-know-i-love-airplane-food-i-m-not-being-funny-i-m-not-being/) [Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/) > [I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-was-the-troublemaker-always-being-funny-that-s-just-who-i-am/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [Thing is, I'm a funny actor, but I'm not good at being funny. I'm going to ramble for a second: I'm an actor who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/thing-is-i-m-a-funny-actor-but-i-m-not-good-at-being-funny-i-m-going/) [Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/) > [On 'The Simpsons,' I will say that we definitely like to comment on what's going on in the world, and we try to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/on-the-simpsons-i-will-say-that-we-definitely-like-to-comment-on-what/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) > [He's never portrayed as being funny. He was a very funny, happy, lively person. Fun to be around and exciting. He was my hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hemingway/he-s-never-portrayed-as-being-funny-he-was-a-very-funny-happy-lively/) [Jack Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hemingway/) > [People used to make fun of alternative comedy because sometimes it would be someone being funny, and sometimes it was a crazy man with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/people-used-to-make-fun-of-alternative-comedy-because-sometimes-it/) [Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/) > [One second here and there will make all the difference between something being funny and not being funny. That's why I like going, 'Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-krisel/one-second-here-and-there-will-make-all-the-difference-between/) [Jonathan Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-krisel/) [Browse all 218 Being funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Look, I had to take chances or it wasn't fun being funny.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mel Brooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t-fun-being-funny/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being funny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t-fun-being-funny/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/mel-brooks-2308_being-funny_look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t_2114438.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/mel-brooks-2308_being-funny_look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t_2114438.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/mel-brooks-2308_being-funny_look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t_2114438.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Look, I had to take chances or it wasn't fun being funny.” — Mel Brooks", "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": "Mel Brooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Look, I had to take chances...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t-fun-being-funny/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/look-i-had-to-take-chances-or-it-wasn-t-fun-being-funny/#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 } } ] } ```