--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The phrase 'I just turn on my monkey and…" description: "\"The phrase 'I just turn on my monkey and it makes me feel good' sounds very dirty, but I can't explain why. It's great to try to use expressions like t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/stephan-pastis-9455_complaining_the-phrase-i-just-turn-on-my-monkey-and_2049170.png" --- # The phrase 'I just turn on my monkey and it makes me feel… ![“The phrase 'I just turn on my monkey and it makes me feel good' sounds very dirty, but I can't explain why. It's great to try to use expressions like that on the comics page. People want to complain but they can't, because they can't figure out quite what they should be complaining about.” quote by Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/stephan-pastis-9455_complaining_the-phrase-i-just-turn-on-my-monkey-and_2049170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/stephan-pastis-9455_complaining_the-phrase-i-just-turn-on-my-monkey-and_2049170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/stephan-pastis-9455_complaining_the-phrase-i-just-turn-on-my-monkey-and_2049170.png) > “The phrase 'I just turn on my monkey and it makes me feel good' sounds very dirty, but I can't explain why. It's great to try to use expressions like that on the comics page. People want to complain but they can't, because they can't figure out quite what they should be complaining about.” [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using absurd imagery like “turn on my monkey” adds humor but may feel crude. **In simple terms:** Silly expressions can be funny yet edgy. Key Takeaway Use humor wisely. Themes humor absurdity expression Mood playful provocative Type comic satire When to use this quote - daily cartoons - stand‑up - social media Key Concepts comics language play Questions to Reflect On - When is edgy humor appropriate? - How does absurdity affect message? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating audience exists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Monkeys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monkeys/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) ## Related quotes > [“But why bother trying to turn a monkey into a goat?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/but-why-bother-trying-to-turn-a-monkey-into-a-goat/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [An old monkey never makes a pretty face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/an-old-monkey-never-makes-a-pretty-face/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [The whole idea of comedy, there is nothing normal about going up on stage to make strangers laugh. 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Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/) > [I like writing a joke, and I like when a joke works, and I like other comics who tell jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/i-like-writing-a-joke-and-i-like-when-a-joke-works-and-i-like-other/) [Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/) > [People often say, 'I like your comics, even though I don't know enough math to get all of them,' as if it's some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/people-often-say-i-like-your-comics-even-though-i-don-t-know-enough/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [ \[Being a good comedian\] is a skill, but it's also a weird thing that only certain people can do. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/i-d-like-to-see-the-comics-style-expanded-i-d-like-to-see-artists/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [I like comics like Janeane Garofalo who is very stream of conscious in an honest way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-kreischer/i-like-comics-like-janeane-garofalo-who-is-very-stream-of-conscious/) [Bert Kreischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-kreischer/) > [People, they think that animation is a style. Animation is just a technique. It's like, people, they think that comics is a style, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/people-they-think-that-animation-is-a-style-animation-is-just-a/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) ## More by Stephan Pastis > [For me, going to Minneapolis is like going to Mecca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/for-me-going-to-minneapolis-is-like-going-to-mecca/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [I have days where the only words I say are to the person making my sandwich at the grocery store.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/i-have-days-where-the-only-words-i-say-are-to-the-person-making-my/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [“Humility is what you strive for when you've failed at everything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/humility-is-what-you-strive-for-when-you-ve-failed-at-everything-else/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [A comic strip has a rhythm and a pattern, and you got to get in and out quick. So you set up a joke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/a-comic-strip-has-a-rhythm-and-a-pattern-and-you-got-to-get-in-and/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [I like characters who have blind spots and are full of themselves, but there also needs to be vulnerability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/i-like-characters-who-have-blind-spots-and-are-full-of-themselves-but/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [If you put me in 'South Park,' that audience is going to fall asleep in five minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/if-you-put-me-in-south-park-that-audience-is-going-to-fall-asleep-in/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [When you can't draw chameleons and you can't draw blenders, it's a bad idea to write strips where chameleons become blenders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/when-you-can-t-draw-chameleons-and-you-can-t-draw-blenders-it-s-a-bad/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [Thomas, my 15-year-old, is effectively my editor, I've always trusted his voice, more than anybody, on the strip for years. He has one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/thomas-my-15-year-old-is-effectively-my-editor-i-ve-always-trusted/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [I think it might surprise the average person how angry people can get over the comics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/i-think-it-might-surprise-the-average-person-how-angry-people-can-get/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [You can't just count on becoming a syndicated cartoonist. I actually tried to calculate the odds once, and the best I could come up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/you-can-t-just-count-on-becoming-a-syndicated-cartoonist-i-actually/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [A stand-up comedian faces the audiences and gets their immediate feedback. I hide behind the comic strip, and unless people write to me, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/a-stand-up-comedian-faces-the-audiences-and-gets-their-immediate/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [“I know that if I am to move forward like the professional that I am, I must first see the past with mature eyes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/i-know-that-if-i-am-to-move-forward-like-the-professional-that-i-am-i/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [“Perhaps it is a secret yearning of all Hallmark employees to use the phrase 'you big fat pain in the butt' in an anniversary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/perhaps-it-is-a-secret-yearning-of-all-hallmark-employees-to-use-the/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [It seems so absurd to get really mad with a cartoonist over a comic strip. It's sort of like getting in a fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/it-seems-so-absurd-to-get-really-mad-with-a-cartoonist-over-a-comic/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [I know I can always draw, but I actually love the writing the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/i-know-i-can-always-draw-but-i-actually-love-the-writing-the-most/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) [Explore all 72 Stephan Pastis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) ## More Complaining quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? 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Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [They have no right to complain! If women were cool with knowing their man is cheating on them then they have no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-williams/they-have-no-right-to-complain-if-women-were-cool-with-knowing-their/) [Eric Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-williams/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [But if people will laugh at my work and keep a sound roof over my head, who am I to complain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-burke/but-if-people-will-laugh-at-my-work-and-keep-a-sound-roof-over-my/) [Billie Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-burke/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You shouldn't get to live in society and give nothing back. People complain about their taxes, yet they do nothing for the community. 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Because, you know, as I've been speaking about it, sure, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naheed-nenshi/i-ll-tell-you-that-the-dog-whistle-politics-is-badly-missing-the-mark/) [Naheed Nenshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naheed-nenshi/) Browse all 1,994 Complaining quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The phrase 'I just turn on my monkey and it makes me feel good' sounds very dirty, but I can't explain why. It's great to try to use expressions like that on the comics page. 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