--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a very short walk to go from making…" description: "\"It's a very short walk to go from making jokes to getting on a soapbox and going on a diatribe.\" — Wyatt Cenac" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/wyatt-cenac-7700_comedy_it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making_2393310.jpg" --- # It's a very short walk to go from making jokes to getting… ![“It's a very short walk to go from making jokes to getting on a soapbox and going on a diatribe.” quote by Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/wyatt-cenac-7700_comedy_it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making_2393310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/wyatt-cenac-7700_comedy_it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making_2393310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/wyatt-cenac-7700_comedy_it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making_2393310.jpg) > “It's a very short walk to go from making jokes to getting on a soapbox and going on a diatribe.” [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Transitioning from humor to serious protest is easy, but can quickly become ranting. **In simple terms:** Jokes to rants is a short leap. Key Takeaway Use humor wisely, avoid slipping into endless diatribes. Themes politics media communication Mood critical humorous Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - social media commentary - public debates - activist speeches - online forums Key Concepts satire activism rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - When does a joke become a rant? - How can you keep satire effective? A Different Perspective Humor can be lost if the rant dominates, reducing impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ## Related quotes > [I don't do a lot of political jokes. Too many are getting elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/i-don-t-do-a-lot-of-political-jokes-too-many-are-getting-elected/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [My mother is very short - four-eleven. She could walk under tables and never hit her head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/my-mother-is-very-short-four-eleven-she-could-walk-under-tables-and/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Life is short. From here to that old car you know so well there is a stretch of twenty, twenty-five paces. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/life-is-short-from-here-to-that-old-car-you-know-so-well-there-is-a/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [Life is a short walk. There is so little time and so much living to achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver-killens/life-is-a-short-walk-there-is-so-little-time-and-so-much-living-to/) [John Oliver Killens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver-killens/) > [Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave - and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-childress/life-is-just-a-short-walk-from-the-cradle-to-the-grave-and-it-sure/) [Alice Childress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-childress/) > [Go for a short walk in a soft rain - lovely - so many wild flowers startling me through the woods and a lawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/go-for-a-short-walk-in-a-soft-rain-lovely-so-many-wild-flowers/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [“By the end of a short walk, the septic tip of a cane probably collects enough germs to destroy a small city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/by-the-end-of-a-short-walk-the-septic-tip-of-a-cane-probably-collects/) [Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/) > [“And Grant Campbell was about to take a short walk off a high cliff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/and-grant-campbell-was-about-to-take-a-short-walk-off-a-high-cliff/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [It is a short walk from the hallelujah to the hoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/it-is-a-short-walk-from-the-hallelujah-to-the-hoot/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [There's only a short walk from the hallelujah to the hoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kennedy/there-s-only-a-short-walk-from-the-hallelujah-to-the-hoot/) [William Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kennedy/) > [Sometimes the space between knowing what to do and actually doing it is a very short walk. Other times it is an impossible expanse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/sometimes-the-space-between-knowing-what-to-do-and-actually-doing-it/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I think all art - even one as lowly as making jokes about celebrities - is there to make a connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-think-all-art-even-one-as-lowly-as-making-jokes-about-celebrities/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [Most young comedians would be lying to say that they weren't huge Weird Al fans when they were kids. 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I know what it's like to not be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/after-i-left-the-daily-show-i-was-kind-of-sitting-out-for-five-years/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [Sometimes I feel I'm being animated, but it comes off differently. Unfortunately, I was cursed with these sleepy eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/sometimes-i-feel-i-m-being-animated-but-it-comes-off-differently/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [There are plenty of people I've seen and thought that person is funny, or that person is really talented, and they've got something, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/there-are-plenty-of-people-i-ve-seen-and-thought-that-person-is-funny/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [Policing of the disabled and how many deaf people get shot by cops is sort of insane. And it's not talked about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/policing-of-the-disabled-and-how-many-deaf-people-get-shot-by-cops-is/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [I think hard work is definitely a huge thing, but there is something, if you want to call it luck or whatever - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/i-think-hard-work-is-definitely-a-huge-thing-but-there-is-something/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [I went to an all-boys Catholic school in Dallas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-in-dallas/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [I know for myself, every now and again on HBO, they'll show some of the young comedian specials from the '80s and early '90s,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/i-know-for-myself-every-now-and-again-on-hbo-they-ll-show-some-of-the/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [When I worked on 'The Daily Show,' we had some puppets made of myself, John Oliver, and Jon Stewart. When I left the show,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/when-i-worked-on-the-daily-show-we-had-some-puppets-made-of-myself/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [When you put comedy in the room it's supposed to be in, you start learning it's a process. Not everything is a home run.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/when-you-put-comedy-in-the-room-it-s-supposed-to-be-in-you-start/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [I can't be manic without it feeling false to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/i-can-t-be-manic-without-it-feeling-false-to-me/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [At 'The Daily Show,' we were satirizing a news program. You put somebody in a suit, you put 'em behind a desk, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/at-the-daily-show-we-were-satirizing-a-news-program-you-put-somebody/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [There are 18,000 police agencies in this country. There's no network requiring them to operate according to the same guidelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/there-are-18-000-police-agencies-in-this-country-there-s-no-network/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [I enjoy doing standup, but when I'm 50, I don't know if I'll still enjoy doing standup. It might be one of those things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/i-enjoy-doing-standup-but-when-i-m-50-i-don-t-know-if-i-ll-still/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [One of the things that I was kind of holding on to from 'The Daily Show' was there was an exhaustion that I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/one-of-the-things-that-i-was-kind-of-holding-on-to-from-the-daily/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) > [Monsters aren't as scary if you start shining lights on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/monsters-aren-t-as-scary-if-you-start-shining-lights-on-them/) [Wyatt Cenac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) [Explore all 88 Wyatt Cenac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/) ## 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": "It's a very short walk to go from making jokes to getting on a soapbox and going on a diatribe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wyatt Cenac" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making-jokes-to-getting-on-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making-jokes-to-getting-on-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/wyatt-cenac-7700_comedy_it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making_2393310.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/wyatt-cenac-7700_comedy_it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making_2393310.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/wyatt-cenac-7700_comedy_it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making_2393310.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a very short walk to go from making jokes to getting on a soapbox and going on a diatribe.” — Wyatt Cenac", "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": "Wyatt Cenac", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyatt-cenac/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's a very short walk to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making-jokes-to-getting-on-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyatt-cenac/it-s-a-very-short-walk-to-go-from-making-jokes-to-getting-on-a/#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 } } ] } ```