--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was really gifted at being able to…" description: "\"I was really gifted at being able to construct a joke, but it's like they weren't even memorable, my first jokes, because they were so about nothing.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/wanda-sykes-3827_able_i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-con_1008046.jpg" --- # I was really gifted at being able to construct a joke, but… ![“I was really gifted at being able to construct a joke, but it's like they weren't even memorable, my first jokes, because they were so about nothing.” quote by Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/wanda-sykes-3827_able_i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-con_1008046.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/wanda-sykes-3827_able_i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-con_1008046.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/wanda-sykes-3827_able_i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-con_1008046.jpg) > “I was really gifted at being able to construct a joke, but it's like they weren't even memorable, my first jokes, because they were so about nothing.” [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Crafting jokes without substance leads to forgettable humor; depth matters. **In simple terms:** Jokes need meaning to stick. Key Takeaway Add substance to humor. Themes comedy creativity meaning Mood humorous reflective Type comedic educational When to use this quote - Writing a sitcom script - performing a set - teaching comedy Key Concepts writing storytelling audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - What topics give your jokes weight? - How can you blend wit with insight? A Different Perspective Humor without depth may not resonate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Construct Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/construct-joke-2172511/) [Constructs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constructs/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Gifted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gifted/) [Joke Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke-like-667539/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Memorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorable/) [Memorable Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorable-jokes-2172512/) [Really Gifted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-gifted-1700499/) [Weren Memorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weren-memorable-233293/) ## Related quotes > [My first lessons in comedy, how to construct a joke, I learned from Eileen Brennan, who had unbelievable timing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/my-first-lessons-in-comedy-how-to-construct-a-joke-i-learned-from/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [Evolution has programmed our brains to find two things particularly interesting, and therefore memorable: jokes and sex - and especially, it seems, jokes about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/evolution-has-programmed-our-brains-to-find-two-things-particularly/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Poetry reminds us of the truths about life and human nature that we knew all along, but forgot somehow because they weren't yet in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/poetry-reminds-us-of-the-truths-about-life-and-human-nature-that-we/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [I'm not lazy. I'm just really gifted, only instead of being good at music or math I'm good at sleeping late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-jane-howard/i-m-not-lazy-i-m-just-really-gifted-only-instead-of-being-good-at/) [Elizabeth Jane Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-jane-howard/) > [A lot of people play to impress, but the really gifted ones play to move. That's the greatest point of ever doing this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gill/a-lot-of-people-play-to-impress-but-the-really-gifted-ones-play-to/) [Vince Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gill/) > [So many actors who are really gifted and talented just don't get the opportunity. I happened to get that opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margo-martindale/so-many-actors-who-are-really-gifted-and-talented-just-don-t-get-the/) [Margo Martindale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margo-martindale/) > [I Am Really Gifted To Play Under The Leadership Of MS Dhoni.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hussey/i-am-really-gifted-to-play-under-the-leadership-of-ms-dhoni/) [Michael Hussey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hussey/) > [ \[John Hurt\] just really gifted, and I had a great time working with him and \[am\] very lucky to have worked with him. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/john-hurt-just-really-gifted-and-i-had-a-great-time-working-with-him/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [I have so many really gifted friends, actors who I thought deserved as much as I did to get an agent or a job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-davies/i-have-so-many-really-gifted-friends-actors-who-i-thought-deserved-as/) [Jeremy Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-davies/) > [I will never again attempt to tell any young person what to do - the really gifted don't need advice and the others can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/i-will-never-again-attempt-to-tell-any-young-person-what-to-do-the/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [We always joke now like, you know, the more experienced we get making stuff, we're like, "Never leave set without a shot of each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-duplass/we-always-joke-now-like-you-know-the-more-experienced-we-get-making/) [Mark Duplass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-duplass/) > [People come up to me on the street and make some little joke - like they'll say, 'Excuse me, sir, what time is it?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teller/people-come-up-to-me-on-the-street-and-make-some-little-joke-like/) [Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teller/) > [A lot of the comedians don't even tell the joke. Like only three tell the joke, the rest of them dissect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/a-lot-of-the-comedians-don-t-even-tell-the-joke-like-only-three-tell/) [Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/) > [“Your ass is flapping in the breeze,” Maddox warned with what felt like his first real laugh since this whole thing started. “Shut up.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabeth-albert/your-ass-is-flapping-in-the-breeze-maddox-warned-with-what-felt-like/) [Annabeth Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabeth-albert/) ## More by Wanda Sykes > [If you don't believe in same-sex marriage, then don't marry somebody of the same sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/if-you-don-t-believe-in-same-sex-marriage-then-don-t-marry-somebody/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [There are just so many more laws and rules that apply with marriage that do not come with domestic partnership and also to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/there-are-just-so-many-more-laws-and-rules-that-apply-with-marriage/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I hate when women compare men to dogs. Men are not dogs. Dogs are loyal. I've never found any strange panties in my dog's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-hate-when-women-compare-men-to-dogs-men-are-not-dogs-dogs-are-loyal/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I have a funny family, but none of them are remotely in show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-have-a-funny-family-but-none-of-them-are-remotely-in-show-business/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I have a well-balanced show. It's 50/50 on men/women, and also African-American/white writers, it's the same thing. I have four African-American writers, and four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-have-a-well-balanced-show-it-s-50-50-on-men-women-and-also-african/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [A woman would pitch a joke. Nothing. Then a guy would pitch it and everybody would laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/a-woman-would-pitch-a-joke-nothing-then-a-guy-would-pitch-it-and/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [The government shouldn't be involved in this because it's very simple. If you don't believe in same-sex marriage, then don't marry somebody of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/the-government-shouldn-t-be-involved-in-this-because-it-s-very-simple/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [When my parents send me emails the first 3 are blank.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/when-my-parents-send-me-emails-the-first-3-are-blank/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [It's easier to rip somebody to shreds while you're making them laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/it-s-easier-to-rip-somebody-to-shreds-while-you-re-making-them-laugh/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [Yeah, I had top-secret clearance and everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/yeah-i-had-top-secret-clearance-and-everything/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I knew something was wrong with the economy when the shampoo girl at my salon closed on a six bedroom house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-knew-something-was-wrong-with-the-economy-when-the-shampoo-girl-at/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [If you're passionate about your work, it makes the people around you want to be involved too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/if-you-re-passionate-about-your-work-it-makes-the-people-around-you/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I watch Jay. I watch 'Letterman'. I flip back and forth between 'Conan' and 'Letterman', especially the top of the show for those guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-watch-jay-i-watch-letterman-i-flip-back-and-forth-between-conan-and/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I always had one goal, and that was to be a real funny stand-up comic, and that's pretty much what I'm doing. And everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-always-had-one-goal-and-that-was-to-be-a-real-funny-stand-up-comic/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I watched a lot of comedy growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-watched-a-lot-of-comedy-growing-up/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) [Explore all 121 Wanda Sykes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [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/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was really gifted at being able to construct a joke, but it's like they weren't even memorable, my first jokes, because they were so about nothing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wanda Sykes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-construct-a-joke-but-it-s-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-construct-a-joke-but-it-s-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/wanda-sykes-3827_able_i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-con_1008046.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/wanda-sykes-3827_able_i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-con_1008046.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/wanda-sykes-3827_able_i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-con_1008046.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was really gifted at being able to construct a joke, but it's like they weren't even memorable, my first…” — Wanda Sykes", "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": "Wanda Sykes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was really gifted at being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-construct-a-joke-but-it-s-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-was-really-gifted-at-being-able-to-construct-a-joke-but-it-s-like/#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 } } ] } ```