--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have always had gross humor. But we…" description: "\"We have always had gross humor. But we try for funny, not gross.\" — Shawn Wayans" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/shawn-wayans-25126_gross_we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-tr_1722426.jpg" --- # We have always had gross humor. But we try for funny, not… ![“We have always had gross humor. But we try for funny, not gross.” quote by Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/shawn-wayans-25126_gross_we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-tr_1722426.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/shawn-wayans-25126_gross_we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-tr_1722426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/shawn-wayans-25126_gross_we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-tr_1722426.jpg) > “We have always had gross humor. But we try for funny, not gross.” [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor should aim for wit and cleverness rather than crude or offensive jokes. **In simple terms:** Aim for clever jokes, not crude ones. Key Takeaway Choose wit over vulgarity. Themes comedy humor taste creativity Mood playful reflective Type observational advice When to use this quote - writing jokes - performing stand‑up - editing scripts - teaching comedy - media production Key Concepts social norms audience perception ethical comedy Questions to Reflect On - What makes a joke feel clever rather than cheap? - How do you balance edge with respect? A Different Perspective Some audiences may still find subtle humor unfunny or too safe. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [I learned that on kids' shows, you have to eat a lot of stuff. A lot of the humor comes from food and gross-out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/i-learned-that-on-kids-shows-you-have-to-eat-a-lot-of-stuff-a-lot-of/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [I have a black sense of humor. You try living my life, see what color yours turns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-have-a-black-sense-of-humor-you-try-living-my-life-see-what-color/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [In 2006 or something, I was recording the voices for this short, 'The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti.' I was having fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-roiland/in-2006-or-something-i-was-recording-the-voices-for-this-short-the/) [Justin Roiland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-roiland/) > [So-called defense now absorbs sixty per cent of the national budget, and about twelve per cent of the Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/so-called-defense-now-absorbs-sixty-per-cent-of-the-national-budget/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Do yourself a favor and dont inbox me saying dirty freaking stuff. Its plain gross and keep it to yourself.You're like an immature five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/do-yourself-a-favor-and-dont-inbox-me-saying-dirty-freaking-stuff-its/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [His element is so fine Being sharpened by his death, To drink from the wine-breath While our gross palates drink from the whole wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/his-element-is-so-fine-being-sharpened-by-his-death-to-drink-from-the/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Only by being suspended aloft, by dangling my mind in the heavens and mingling my rare thought with the ethereal air, could I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/only-by-being-suspended-aloft-by-dangling-my-mind-in-the-heavens-and/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/love-is-a-gross-exaggeration-of-the-difference-between-one-person-and/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I'm such a fitness freak that I eat so plain, it's gross. I have oatmeal in the morning and then I have chicken breasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-such-a-fitness-freak-that-i-eat-so-plain-it-s-gross-i-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mommies can't look gross!' J.J. protested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-waite-clayton/mommies-can-t-look-gross-j-j-protested/) [Meg Waite Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-waite-clayton/) > [There was but one question he left unasked, and it vibrated between his lines: if gross miscalculations of a person's value could occur on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/there-was-but-one-question-he-left-unasked-and-it-vibrated-between/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [GROSS, why the fuck I say these things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/childish-gambino/gross-why-the-fuck-i-say-these-things/) [Childish Gambino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/childish-gambino/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) ## More by Shawn Wayans > [You are hot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/you-are-hot/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [We pay homage to the people who came before, doing satires, like Mel Brooks; we're just carrying the torch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-pay-homage-to-the-people-who-came-before-doing-satires-like-mel/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [“What a beautiful chocolate man!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/what-a-beautiful-chocolate-man/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [We all write, but the script is a blueprint. We can lose whole scenes when we're shooting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-all-write-but-the-script-is-a-blueprint-we-can-lose-whole-scenes/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [Any time something does that well, you gotta follow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/any-time-something-does-that-well-you-gotta-follow-up/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [They'll say, That's funny, but you can't do that on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/they-ll-say-that-s-funny-but-you-can-t-do-that-on-tv/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [For Scary Movie 2, we had a due date and had to work fast. And though there's a lot of pressure, as artists, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/for-scary-movie-2-we-had-a-due-date-and-had-to-work-fast-and-though/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [Now we have to hit them from a different angle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/now-we-have-to-hit-them-from-a-different-angle/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [We like writing with each other; it's fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-like-writing-with-each-other-it-s-fun/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [We still have that same burn, to get that same kind of laughs. So whether the studio wants us to or not, we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-still-have-that-same-burn-to-get-that-same-kind-of-laughs-so/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [I knew when I was 6. I just knew it; I didn't care about nothing else. If I didn't make it in this world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/i-knew-when-i-was-6-i-just-knew-it-i-didn-t-care-about-nothing-else/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [We definitely have our finger on the pulse. You have to keep up. We decide what to watch by what's funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-definitely-have-our-finger-on-the-pulse-you-have-to-keep-up-we/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [You lose your privacy, and sometimes, people don't see you as human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/you-lose-your-privacy-and-sometimes-people-don-t-see-you-as-human/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [“Im sorry it's just a little case of PMS that's all...Im just one big emotional wreck...Could you guys go get me some Midol and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/im-sorry-it-s-just-a-little-case-of-pms-that-s-all-im-just-one-big/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) > [You have to step up to the plate, and then hit one out of the park.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/you-have-to-step-up-to-the-plate-and-then-hit-one-out-of-the-park/) [Shawn Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) [Explore all 23 Shawn Wayans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) [Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have always had gross humor. But we try for funny, not gross.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shawn Wayans" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-try-for-funny-not-gross/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-try-for-funny-not-gross/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/shawn-wayans-25126_gross_we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-tr_1722426.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/shawn-wayans-25126_gross_we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-tr_1722426.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/shawn-wayans-25126_gross_we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-tr_1722426.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have always had gross humor. But we try for funny, not gross.” — Shawn Wayans", "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": "Shawn Wayans", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-wayans/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have always had gross humor....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-try-for-funny-not-gross/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-wayans/we-have-always-had-gross-humor-but-we-try-for-funny-not-gross/#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 } } ] } ```