--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been called a race traitor…" description: "\"I've been called a race traitor, prejudiced about white people. It's ridiculous... I have a really, really diverse crowd. Most comedy clubs appeal to w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/ralphie-may-3594_appeal_i-ve-been-called-a-race-traitor-prejudic_1473537.png" --- # I've been called a race traitor, prejudiced about white… ![“I've been called a race traitor, prejudiced about white people. It's ridiculous... I have a really, really diverse crowd. Most comedy clubs appeal to white audiences. I have a very mixed crowd. I have a lot of visibility in the black audience.” quote by Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/ralphie-may-3594_appeal_i-ve-been-called-a-race-traitor-prejudic_1473537.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/ralphie-may-3594_appeal_i-ve-been-called-a-race-traitor-prejudic_1473537.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/ralphie-may-3594_appeal_i-ve-been-called-a-race-traitor-prejudic_1473537.png) > “I've been called a race traitor, prejudiced about white people. It's ridiculous... I have a really, really diverse crowd. Most comedy clubs appeal to white audiences. I have a very mixed crowd. I have a lot of visibility in the black audience.” [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He highlights the irony of being labeled a race traitor while performing for diverse audiences, noting that comedy often targets specific demographics. **In simple terms:** He points out contradictory accusations about his audience. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge stereotypes in comedy. Themes stereotypes audience diversity comedy industry Mood reflective critical Type observational social commentary When to use this quote - stand-up shows - media interviews - social media commentary Key Concepts race relations public perception identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How do you navigate audience expectations? - What impact do labels have on artistic freedom? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can oversimplify complex audience dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy club](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-club/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [When a musical act performs, the black audience goes crazy for all the stuff, the album cuts, everything. White audiences, they're nice and all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/when-a-musical-act-performs-the-black-audience-goes-crazy-for-all-the/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [And with this sort of increased visibility, there's more money going around in the industry, and it changes a lot, in terms of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/and-with-this-sort-of-increased-visibility-there-s-more-money-going/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [With theatre, we are always trying to engage in a conversation with people and to bring people into that conversation, but I was disappointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-house/with-theatre-we-are-always-trying-to-engage-in-a-conversation-with/) [Rachel House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-house/) > [We have all had, on all sides of the House - some truly appalling things said about us. I've been called a race traitor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cleverly/we-have-all-had-on-all-sides-of-the-house-some-truly-appalling-things/) [James Cleverly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cleverly/) > [I'm this generic, ambiguous scapegoat for white people to call me a race traitor and take out their hostility on. And I'm a target…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-dolezal/i-m-this-generic-ambiguous-scapegoat-for-white-people-to-call-me-a/) [Rachel Dolezal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-dolezal/) > [I do atypical work for a white person, which is that I lead primarily white audiences in discussions on race every day, in workshops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/i-do-atypical-work-for-a-white-person-which-is-that-i-lead-primarily/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [“White audiences, along with everybody else, tuned in to watch Trump—but either they didn’t particularly like him or they simply loved to hate him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/white-audiences-along-with-everybody-else-tuned-in-to-watch-trump-but/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [The white audiences thought I was white, my features being what they are, and at every performance I'd have to take off my gloves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-waters/the-white-audiences-thought-i-was-white-my-features-being-what-they/) [Ethel Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-waters/) > [Good rap records don't get too far, but rap records that are made for crossing over to white audiences do go a long way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-daddy-kane/good-rap-records-don-t-get-too-far-but-rap-records-that-are-made-for/) [Big Daddy Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-daddy-kane/) > [“The role of the press in the civil rights movement also points to our larger failure as a nation to validate and trust the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-lowery/the-role-of-the-press-in-the-civil-rights-movement-also-points-to-our/) [Wesley Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-lowery/) > [I don't go to comedy clubs unless I'm working. And when I do work, I come in, I do my time and I leave.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-don-t-go-to-comedy-clubs-unless-i-m-working-and-when-i-do-work-i/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [The impact of the black audience is expressing itself. They look to films to be more expressive of their needs, their lives. Hollywood has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/the-impact-of-the-black-audience-is-expressing-itself-they-look-to/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I think that black fiction authors have to work very hard to avoid being typed as seeking only a black audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-that-black-fiction-authors-have-to-work-very-hard-to-avoid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the press, there's this desire for the black audience to be this monolithic thing that always responds to the same stars. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/in-the-press-there-s-this-desire-for-the-black-audience-to-be-this/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [The music played most around St. Louis was country-western and swing. Curiosity provoked me to lay a lot of the country stuff on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/the-music-played-most-around-st-louis-was-country-western-and-swing/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) ## More by Ralphie May > [I loved 'Celebrity Fit Club,' working out six days a week, running a mile and a half three times a week, and doing 1,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-loved-celebrity-fit-club-working-out-six-days-a-week-running-a-mile/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I'm not your usual cup of tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-m-not-your-usual-cup-of-tea/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Man, I havent liked you since you froze Han Solo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/man-i-havent-liked-you-since-you-froze-han-solo/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Let me get a Jumbo Jizzack with cheese like a motha fucka!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/let-me-get-a-jumbo-jizzack-with-cheese-like-a-motha-fucka/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I keep my nose clean. I let the drama go on with somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-keep-my-nose-clean-i-let-the-drama-go-on-with-somebody-else/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I mean, comics fear sue - you know, lawsuits and stuff like that, just because they don't like to do paperwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-mean-comics-fear-sue-you-know-lawsuits-and-stuff-like-that-just/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [People have been calling me names and setting me back my whole life. And with every fight it's just given me more fuel to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/people-have-been-calling-me-names-and-setting-me-back-my-whole-life/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I got kids now... It gives you an empathetic feeling into other cultures and stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-got-kids-now-it-gives-you-an-empathetic-feeling-into-other-cultures/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Comedy is not about appearance; it's about rockin' a mike. Are they laughing? That's the only test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/comedy-is-not-about-appearance-it-s-about-rockin-a-mike-are-they/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [My jokes aren't predicated on my weight that much. I talk about it some, but it's definitely not the focus, so I don't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/my-jokes-aren-t-predicated-on-my-weight-that-much-i-talk-about-it/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I grew up in a little town in Arkansas called Clarksville and it was a weird existence, you know? I grew up white trash;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-grew-up-in-a-little-town-in-arkansas-called-clarksville-and-it-was/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [You talk to - I had a good fortune of getting to spend a lot of time with Uncle Miltie and guys like Buddy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/you-talk-to-i-had-a-good-fortune-of-getting-to-spend-a-lot-of-time/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [The iPhone rules, but it does everything but get a call, you know? I can't tell you how many times my wife has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/the-iphone-rules-but-it-does-everything-but-get-a-call-you-know-i-can/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Jay Mohr saved my life. That's not an overstatement either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/jay-mohr-saved-my-life-that-s-not-an-overstatement-either/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I don't go to comedy clubs unless I'm working. And when I do work, I come in, I do my time and I leave.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-don-t-go-to-comedy-clubs-unless-i-m-working-and-when-i-do-work-i/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) [Explore all 126 Ralphie May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) ## More Appeal quotes > [Trump's enduring appeal is a resource to be harnessed by the Republican Party, not a burden to be jettisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/trump-s-enduring-appeal-is-a-resource-to-be-harnessed-by-the/) [Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/) > [You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to surmise that war has a perverse appeal for the human race, nor is the attraction limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/you-don-t-have-to-be-sigmund-freud-to-surmise-that-war-has-a-perverse/) [Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/) > [Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ichiro-suzuki/chicks-who-dig-home-runs-aren-t-the-ones-who-appeal-to-me/) [Ichiro Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ichiro-suzuki/) > [The dictum of the industry is such that I can't only do films that appeal to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biju-menon/the-dictum-of-the-industry-is-such-that-i-can-t-only-do-films-that/) [Biju Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biju-menon/) > [There was such mass appeal for 'Sharknado.' It went over so well - not just here in the United States but globally - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/there-was-such-mass-appeal-for-sharknado-it-went-over-so-well-not/) [Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/) > [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends forth to you an earnest appeal. Open your doors to the missionaries. Open your minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-sends-forth-to-you-an/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [I'm sorry, but Juicy Couture tracksuits and Ugg boots don't move me in any way, shape or form. I refuse to wear them. Modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-may/i-m-sorry-but-juicy-couture-tracksuits-and-ugg-boots-don-t-move-me-in/) [Imelda May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-may/) > [I think Trump is a very interesting candidate in this sense: I think he has cross-party appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-trump-is-a-very-interesting-candidate-in-this-sense-i-think/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I think great songs appeal to people at any age. Kids love the Beatles, too. Kids love Tom T. Hall. Of course, Tom T.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-think-great-songs-appeal-to-people-at-any-age-kids-love-the-beatles/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [When you are producing for ABC, you are producing for a big tent network. So when you are thinking about your story lines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sweeney/when-you-are-producing-for-abc-you-are-producing-for-a-big-tent/) [Anne Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sweeney/) > [In the long run, the people are our only appeal. The only ones who can free us are ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/in-the-long-run-the-people-are-our-only-appeal-the-only-ones-who-can/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [Barbarism is the absence of standards to which appeal can be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/barbarism-is-the-absence-of-standards-to-which-appeal-can-be-made/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [There is a certain androgyny to my appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/there-is-a-certain-androgyny-to-my-appeal/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [As a kid, there was a painting of 'Appeal to the Great Spirit' that I would see when I would get oatmeal bowls out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/as-a-kid-there-was-a-painting-of-appeal-to-the-great-spirit-that-i/) [Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/) Browse all 432 Appeal quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've been called a race traitor, prejudiced about white people. 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