---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You could waterboard me for days - for…"
description: "\"You could waterboard me for days - for years - and I would still be cracking jokes about how bad Rachel Maddow is.\" — Tim Kennedy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/tim-kennedy-9370_bad_you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-yea_1543236.jpg"
---

#  You could waterboard me for days - for years - and I would…

![“You could waterboard me for days - for years - and I would still be cracking jokes about how bad Rachel Maddow is.” quote by Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/tim-kennedy-9370_bad_you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-yea_1543236.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/tim-kennedy-9370_bad_you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-yea_1543236.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/tim-kennedy-9370_bad_you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-yea_1543236.jpg)

> “You could waterboard me for days - for years - and I would still be cracking jokes about how bad Rachel Maddow is.”

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Enduring humor despite extreme hardship highlights resilience and the power of satire to cope with oppression.

**In simple terms:** Humor survives even under severe pressure.

Key Takeaway

Use humor to maintain resilience.

Themes

resilience humor political critique coping satire

Mood

defiant wry hopeful

Type

motivational satirical

When to use this quote

- political activism
- personal stress
- public speaking
- media criticism

Key Concepts

psychological resilience social commentary cognitive coping

Questions to Reflect On

- How can humor be used constructively in serious contexts?
- When does satire become counterproductive?

A Different Perspective

Humor may not change systemic issues; it can be dismissed as trivial.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [Some movies run off the rails. This one is like the train crash in The Fugitive. I watched it in mounting gloom, realizing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/some-movies-run-off-the-rails-this-one-is-like-the-train-crash-in-the/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [“A person who has a good nose for arguments or jokes may have a bad head for facts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-ryle/a-person-who-has-a-good-nose-for-arguments-or-jokes-may-have-a-bad/)

[Gilbert Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-ryle/)

> [Wherever there's something that people don't feel comfortable talking about, that's where the good jokes are...A bad comic follows his audience, catering to whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/wherever-there-s-something-that-people-don-t-feel-comfortable-talking/)

[Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/)

> [There are a lot of veterans out there who would not think their wounds would be the source of poor jokes in bad taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-crenshaw/there-are-a-lot-of-veterans-out-there-who-would-not-think-their/)

[Dan Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-crenshaw/)

> [If you were on the phone with me and Tommy right now, we would probably forget you were there, we'd just be cracking jokes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/if-you-were-on-the-phone-with-me-and-tommy-right-now-we-would/)

[Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/)

> [I have a lot of people in my life who are truly ridiculous characters, and they're very, very funny people, but they don't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-hirsch/i-have-a-lot-of-people-in-my-life-who-are-truly-ridiculous-characters/)

[Emile Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-hirsch/)

> [“Did you just make a joke, Tris? We should have you on painkillers more often if your going to start cracking jokes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/did-you-just-make-a-joke-tris-we-should-have-you-on-painkillers-more/)

[Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/)

> [Really, I'm pretty laid-back, always cracking jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chace-crawford/really-i-m-pretty-laid-back-always-cracking-jokes/)

[Chace Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chace-crawford/)

> [I'm a fun person. I like cracking jokes and being completely nerdy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-christensen/i-m-a-fun-person-i-like-cracking-jokes-and-being-completely-nerdy/)

[Helena Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-christensen/)

> [Women who are not living ought to spend all their time cracking jokes. In a rotten society women grow witty; making a heaven while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-richardson/women-who-are-not-living-ought-to-spend-all-their-time-cracking-jokes/)

[Dorothy Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-richardson/)

> [I don't walk into a place, start cracking jokes and become the centre of attraction. You will always find me in a corner with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/i-don-t-walk-into-a-place-start-cracking-jokes-and-become-the-centre/)

[Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/)

> [I keep cracking jokes a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jwala-gutta/i-keep-cracking-jokes-a-lot/)

[Jwala Gutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jwala-gutta/)

> [Adam Sandler would always be cracking jokes; he's really great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-schnapp/adam-sandler-would-always-be-cracking-jokes-he-s-really-great/)

[Noah Schnapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-schnapp/)

> [“I went to school to be a comedian. I was always cracking jokes in class. And after they were cracked, the teacher would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-went-to-school-to-be-a-comedian-i-was-always-cracking-jokes-in/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [I suppose the common idea of me is that I'm going to be someone who's hyper and cracking jokes all the time, but people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/i-suppose-the-common-idea-of-me-is-that-i-m-going-to-be-someone-who-s/)

[Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/)

## More by Tim Kennedy

> [What's the definition of terrorism? It's to achieve an objective through the use of force and fear. These are just nasty, evil, disgusting human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/what-s-the-definition-of-terrorism-it-s-to-achieve-an-objective/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I'm an eight-year Green Beret, Ranger, sniper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-m-an-eight-year-green-beret-ranger-sniper/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I have no problem putting on a kit, carrying a big sniper rifle, and running a few thousand meters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-have-no-problem-putting-on-a-kit-carrying-a-big-sniper-rifle-and/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [When you're in Ranger School, it sucks. You're not eating; you're not sleeping. You're marching miles - for months at a time. It's horrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/when-you-re-in-ranger-school-it-sucks-you-re-not-eating-you-re-not/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I always have that nagging feeling of wanting to go back and getting my long gun back and be a sniper on a Special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-always-have-that-nagging-feeling-of-wanting-to-go-back-and-getting/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [Peacetime Special Forces are different than wartime Special Forces. And I'm just not sure I was born to be in peace time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/peacetime-special-forces-are-different-than-wartime-special-forces/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [Fighting is a very independent thing, and it's not a team sport, and it's not the NFL, you know, because we don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/fighting-is-a-very-independent-thing-and-it-s-not-a-team-sport-and-it/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I love the idea of what America is. America is a bunch of people that do these incredible, thankless, selfless jobs that nobody really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-love-the-idea-of-what-america-is-america-is-a-bunch-of-people-that/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I hit hard, and I'm hard to take down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-hit-hard-and-i-m-hard-to-take-down/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [There are some parallels between 'Zombieland' and 'Range 15,' except 'Zombieland,' with Woody Harrelson, there's this pleasurable fun in every scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/there-are-some-parallels-between-zombieland-and-range-15-except/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I think the most rewarding thing is going over and being deployed and having done meaningful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-think-the-most-rewarding-thing-is-going-over-and-being-deployed-and/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I don't need MMA, but I love fighting. Those are very different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-don-t-need-mma-but-i-love-fighting-those-are-very-different-things/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [No matter what I do, it's all about the workouts. When I travel, I make sure I get my workout in first. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/no-matter-what-i-do-it-s-all-about-the-workouts-when-i-travel-i-make/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I'm competitive when I fight, but I don't get emotionally involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-m-competitive-when-i-fight-but-i-don-t-get-emotionally-involved/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [I'm not hard to find unless you're ISIS - then, it's a rough night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-m-not-hard-to-find-unless-you-re-isis-then-it-s-a-rough-night/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

[Explore all 73 Tim Kennedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

## More Bad quotes

> [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/)

[Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/)

> [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/)

[Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/)

> [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/)

[Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/)

> [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/)

[Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/)

> [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/)

[Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/)

> [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/)

[Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/)

> [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/)

[Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/)

> [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/)

[Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/)

> [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/)

[Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/)

> [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/)

[Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/)

> [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/)

[David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/)

> [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/)

[Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/)

Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You could waterboard me for days - for years - and I would still be cracking jokes about how bad Rachel Maddow is.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tim Kennedy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-years-and-i-would-still-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-years-and-i-would-still-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/tim-kennedy-9370_bad_you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-yea_1543236.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/tim-kennedy-9370_bad_you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-yea_1543236.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/tim-kennedy-9370_bad_you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-yea_1543236.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You could waterboard me for days - for years - and I would still be cracking jokes about how bad Rachel…” — Tim Kennedy",
                "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": "Tim Kennedy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You could waterboard me for days...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-years-and-i-would-still-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/you-could-waterboard-me-for-days-for-years-and-i-would-still-be/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
