--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are two things you can't argue in…" description: "\"There are two things you can't argue in film: comedy and eroticism. If something doesn't make you laugh, no one can tell you why it's funny, and it's d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38e/roger-ebert-655_arguing_there-are-two-things-you-can-t-argue-in_3026398.jpg" --- # There are two things you can't argue in film: comedy and… ![“There are two things you can't argue in film: comedy and eroticism. If something doesn't make you laugh, no one can tell you why it's funny, and it's difficult to reason someone out of an erection.” quote by Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38e/roger-ebert-655_arguing_there-are-two-things-you-can-t-argue-in_3026398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38e/roger-ebert-655_arguing_there-are-two-things-you-can-t-argue-in_3026398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38e/roger-ebert-655_arguing_there-are-two-things-you-can-t-argue-in_3026398.jpg) > “There are two things you can't argue in film: comedy and eroticism. If something doesn't make you laugh, no one can tell you why it's funny, and it's difficult to reason someone out of an erection.” [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues that comedy and eroticism are inherently subjective, resisting logical analysis and relying on personal reaction. **In simple terms:** Comedy and eroticism defy rational critique. Key Takeaway Accept subjectivity in humor and desire. Themes subjectivity film aesthetics Mood witty analytical Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - movie reviews - creative writing - media education Key Concepts psychology cultural studies Questions to Reflect On - Why are some experiences unexplainable? - How can critics discuss subjective art? A Different Perspective It may dismiss constructive criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [The worst thing you can do to a filmmaker is to walk out of his film and go, 'That was a nice movie.' But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-to-a-filmmaker-is-to-walk-out-of-his-film/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [My favorite kind of film is serious comedy. Comedy with serious underpinning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/my-favorite-kind-of-film-is-serious-comedy-comedy-with-serious/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I'd have to say that my favorite kind of film is serious comedy. Comedy with serious underpinning. 'Little Miss Sunshine' is like that. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-d-have-to-say-that-my-favorite-kind-of-film-is-serious-comedy/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [As for Tenacious D, of course it could work as a full length movie; all it requires is a great writer and great director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/as-for-tenacious-d-of-course-it-could-work-as-a-full-length-movie-all/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [Feature-length film comedy is harder to pull off than the episodic sitcom - it doesn't have the same factory machinery up and running, teams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/feature-length-film-comedy-is-harder-to-pull-off-than-the-episodic/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [I don't see a film as comedy or thriller or any other genre. 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Comedy has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-like-things-that-are-funny-in-everyday-conversation-in-incidents/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [My inspiration for film comedy comes from here. Spend a day on the Madurai streets and you will be amused at the way these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek/my-inspiration-for-film-comedy-comes-from-here-spend-a-day-on-the/) [Vivek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek/) > [I'd like to do an action film, a full-on comedy film, family dramas and a soulful romantic film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/i-d-like-to-do-an-action-film-a-full-on-comedy-film-family-dramas-and/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everyone follows the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wooding/real-life-is-a-story-too-only-much-more-complicated-it-s-still-got-a/) [Chris Wooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wooding/) ## More by Roger Ebert > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I am, beneath everything else, a fan. I was fixed in this mode as a young boy and am awed by people who take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-beneath-everything-else-a-fan-i-was-fixed-in-this-mode-as-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“We’d had a revelation. This was the direction American movies should take: into idiosyncratic characters, into dialogue with an ear for the vulgar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/we-d-had-a-revelation-this-was-the-direction-american-movies-should/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“Most courtroom movies feel it necessary to end with a clear-cut verdict. But 12 Angry Men never states whether the defendant is innocent or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/most-courtroom-movies-feel-it-necessary-to-end-with-a-clear-cut/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. 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It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though you might agree or disagree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-politics-it-s-usually-good-or/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It is human nature to look away from illness. We don't enjoy a reminder of our own fragile mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-human-nature-to-look-away-from-illness-we-don-t-enjoy-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [ Gene \[Siskel\] often mentioned something François Truffaut once told him: the most beautiful sight in a movie theater is to walk down to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/gene-siskel-often-mentioned-something-fran-ois-truffaut-once-told-him/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-is-not-about-what-it-is-about-it-is-about-how-it-is-about-it/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [James Cameron's films have always been distinguished by ground-breaking technical excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/james-cameron-s-films-have-always-been-distinguished-by-ground/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Friends don't let Jackasses drink and drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/friends-don-t-let-jackasses-drink-and-drive/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I think we have to get beyond the idea that we have to categorize people. We can now have action movies with two stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-think-we-have-to-get-beyond-the-idea-that-we-have-to-categorize/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) [Explore all 427 Roger Ebert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## More Arguing quotes > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. Hatred is still manifested between Sunni and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/fasting-is-required-staying-away-from-fighting-and-arguing-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/) [David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [There's crucial distinction that has to be drawn between the Shari'a, which is this hugely expansive vision of cosmic order that I've been describing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/there-s-crucial-distinction-that-has-to-be-drawn-between-the-shari-a/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) Browse all 1,908 Arguing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are two things you can't argue in film: comedy and eroticism. 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