--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If something becomes mean-spirited and…" description: "\"If something becomes mean-spirited and hurtful, it's not funny.\" — Tom Green" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/tom-green-3027_becomes_if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-h_1488062.jpg" --- # If something becomes mean-spirited and hurtful, it's not… ![“If something becomes mean-spirited and hurtful, it's not funny.” quote by Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/tom-green-3027_becomes_if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-h_1488062.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/tom-green-3027_becomes_if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-h_1488062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/tom-green-3027_becomes_if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-h_1488062.jpg) > “If something becomes mean-spirited and hurtful, it's not funny.” [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor that turns cruel or harmful loses its comedic value; jokes should uplift, not degrade. **In simple terms:** Mean jokes aren't funny; humor should be kind. Key Takeaway Avoid jokes that hurt others. Themes humor ethics communication empathy Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - media commentary - online interaction - personal relationships Key Concepts social sensitivity comedy standards public speaking Questions to Reflect On - How can you make humor inclusive? - What boundaries should comedians respect? A Different Perspective Even if intended as satire, mean‑spirited jokes can alienate audiences and reduce impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Becomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becomes/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Hurtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurtful/) [Hurtful Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurtful-funny-5436405/) [Mean spirited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-spirited/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Spirited Hurtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirited-hurtful-5436404/) ## Related quotes > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“I wanted to let go, drop him, anything to get him out of my arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-bodeen/i-wanted-to-let-go-drop-him-anything-to-get-him-out-of-my-arms/) [S.A. Bodeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-bodeen/) > [Honest and sincere acts mislead the wicked and cause them to lose their path to their own goals, because mean-spirited people usually believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/honest-and-sincere-acts-mislead-the-wicked-and-cause-them-to-lose/) [Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/) > [Harmony can not thrive in a climate of mistrust, cheating, bullying; mean-spirited competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/harmony-can-not-thrive-in-a-climate-of-mistrust-cheating-bullying/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I never could tell a joke. I just started talking to the audience, and when the drunks would yell, "Hey, when do the broads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-never-could-tell-a-joke-i-just-started-talking-to-the-audience-and/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“we are living in an era when much of the feminism on display to the public is petty, mean-spirited, obsessed with trivialities, man-hating and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/we-are-living-in-an-era-when-much-of-the-feminism-on-display-to-the/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [I think you can be conservative and fight for what you believe in without being mean-spirited or bash people or be ugly about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gallagher/i-think-you-can-be-conservative-and-fight-for-what-you-believe-in/) [Mike Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gallagher/) > [“for the next week we endured what can only be described as verbal abuse from anti-equality Christians. Truly, not all of those opposing marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-c-heath/for-the-next-week-we-endured-what-can-only-be-described-as-verbal/) [Emily C. Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-c-heath/) > [The young come in many guises: vigorous and passionate, vindictive and mean-spirited. And not every person over 65 is dozing in a retirement home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/the-young-come-in-many-guises-vigorous-and-passionate-vindictive-and/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [ If they \[liberals\] didn't believe we were mean spirited they couldn't stay liberal. They have to believe they mean better than us, but we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/if-they-liberals-didn-t-believe-we-were-mean-spirited-they-couldn-t/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [I'm often asked why I left politics and went to Halliburton and I explain that I reached the point where I was mean-spirited, short-tempered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-m-often-asked-why-i-left-politics-and-went-to-halliburton-and-i/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I've always been extremely conservative, but I've never been mean-spirited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-salmon/i-ve-always-been-extremely-conservative-but-i-ve-never-been-mean/) [Matt Salmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-salmon/) > [These days I am a teetotal, mean-spirited, right-wing, narrow-minded, conservative Christian bigot, but not a racist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-russell/these-days-i-am-a-teetotal-mean-spirited-right-wing-narrow-minded/) [Jane Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-russell/) > [“Certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/certainly-clumsy-embarrassing-unprincipled-and-mean-spirited-things/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [We, the United States, have to be guilty. We have to be guilty. We have to be underperforming. We have to be not showing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-the-united-states-have-to-be-guilty-we-have-to-be-guilty-we-have/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Tom Green > [Most of the people - either returned home to the south or found housing near the shelter they were staying at](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/most-of-the-people-either-returned-home-to-the-south-or-found-housing/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [It's nice to go skating in a parking lot and hang out with people who aren't talking about their next movie role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/it-s-nice-to-go-skating-in-a-parking-lot-and-hang-out-with-people-who/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I don't watch a whole lot of television, to be honest, but I do miss music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-don-t-watch-a-whole-lot-of-television-to-be-honest-but-i-do-miss/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I'm a different guy on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-m-a-different-guy-on-stage/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [Everybody gets inspired by different things. I grew up wanting to go up the street with a video camera because I liked watching David…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/everybody-gets-inspired-by-different-things-i-grew-up-wanting-to-go/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I've always found success in sort of separating myself from the pack mentality things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-ve-always-found-success-in-sort-of-separating-myself-from-the-pack/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I was happy to be turning 40. It was a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-was-happy-to-be-turning-40-it-was-a-good-one/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [Technology can't eliminate the need for people going to want to go out and see theater and standup comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/technology-can-t-eliminate-the-need-for-people-going-to-want-to-go/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [All of my old videos and the things I did on MTV, my old public access show - it was sort of all made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/all-of-my-old-videos-and-the-things-i-did-on-mtv-my-old-public-access/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I was a huge fan of Tom Snyder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-was-a-huge-fan-of-tom-snyder/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [There is something romantic about the world being a diverse place, where every place has a Starbucks and Denny's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/there-is-something-romantic-about-the-world-being-a-diverse-place/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I want people to know that I'm not just this crazy person flailing around. A lot of thought goes into what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-want-people-to-know-that-i-m-not-just-this-crazy-person-flailing/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [Within the last year or two, there have been some quality big men. There's been a little more emphasis placed on that center position,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/within-the-last-year-or-two-there-have-been-some-quality-big-men/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I have a different perspective on the world than the way I looked at the world when I was 20. I was kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-have-a-different-perspective-on-the-world-than-the-way-i-looked-at/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [I found myself trying to work within the Los Angeles system. I had an agent and a manager, which I still do, and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/i-found-myself-trying-to-work-within-the-los-angeles-system-i-had-an/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) [Explore all 142 Tom Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) ## More Becomes quotes > [Hollywood is very much an industry town. Your life becomes caught up in all of the parties and this list and that list. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-johnson/hollywood-is-very-much-an-industry-town-your-life-becomes-caught-up/) [Don Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-johnson/) > [If you have more downforce, everything becomes much easier. Drivers drive better, engineers they have more room for setup, the tyres are working better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kubica/if-you-have-more-downforce-everything-becomes-much-easier-drivers/) [Robert Kubica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kubica/) > [I think being on a TV show is amazing but also, people get kind of used to seeing you a certain way and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/i-think-being-on-a-tv-show-is-amazing-but-also-people-get-kind-of/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [For someone who works in theatre, the rehearsal is where you discover everything. It is where magic happens, where the script enters you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-fazal/for-someone-who-works-in-theatre-the-rehearsal-is-where-you-discover/) [Ali Fazal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-fazal/) > [We spend millions of dollars to remove pain from our lives. It's why so many people get hooked on painkillers. The body becomes addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/we-spend-millions-of-dollars-to-remove-pain-from-our-lives-it-s-why/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [As artists, we can't help but infuse our art with our own experience, so your experience becomes informative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/as-artists-we-can-t-help-but-infuse-our-art-with-our-own-experience/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [As politics is disconnected from its ethical and material moorings, it becomes easier to punish and imprison young people than to educate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/as-politics-is-disconnected-from-its-ethical-and-material-moorings-it/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [It becomes dangerous for somebody who doesn't want their boss to know their sexual preference to use online networks to push for laws supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/it-becomes-dangerous-for-somebody-who-doesn-t-want-their-boss-to-know/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [When you try to become a good cook, in the beginning, most likely the dish is not going to be good. But you keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jannik-sinner/when-you-try-to-become-a-good-cook-in-the-beginning-most-likely-the/) [Jannik Sinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jannik-sinner/) > [It's interesting how sleepwalking in a certain way becomes an accumulation of your outside stimuli that's actually there and what's happening in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/it-s-interesting-how-sleepwalking-in-a-certain-way-becomes-an/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [What actor do you really take seriously who becomes a singer? It's kind of ridiculous. I can't think of anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/what-actor-do-you-really-take-seriously-who-becomes-a-singer-it-s/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [You don't really write a hit song - you write a great song, and then, if the public decides it's a hit, they take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-bettencourt/you-don-t-really-write-a-hit-song-you-write-a-great-song-and-then-if/) [Nuno Bettencourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-bettencourt/) > [When an accident or a crime happens, there's a period of time before the yellow tape goes up, before the official response becomes formalized.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gilroy/when-an-accident-or-a-crime-happens-there-s-a-period-of-time-before/) [Dan Gilroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gilroy/) > [Our society is so obsessed with working out to be skinny, and none of that has a purpose. I love that my daughter sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-price/our-society-is-so-obsessed-with-working-out-to-be-skinny-and-none-of/) [Megyn Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-price/) > [It's easier for me to act in Spanish, but as soon as I get the lines in English and I know them by heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-la-reguera/it-s-easier-for-me-to-act-in-spanish-but-as-soon-as-i-get-the-lines/) [Ana de la Reguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-la-reguera/) [Browse all 1,096 Becomes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becomes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If something becomes mean-spirited and hurtful, it's not funny.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-hurtful-it-s-not-funny/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Becomes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-hurtful-it-s-not-funny/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/tom-green-3027_becomes_if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-h_1488062.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/tom-green-3027_becomes_if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-h_1488062.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/tom-green-3027_becomes_if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-h_1488062.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If something becomes mean-spirited and hurtful, it's not funny.” — Tom Green", "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": "Tom Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If something becomes mean-spirited and hurtful,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-hurtful-it-s-not-funny/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/if-something-becomes-mean-spirited-and-hurtful-it-s-not-funny/#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 } } ] } ```