The right to ridicule is far more important to society than any right not to be ridiculed because one in my view represents openness - and the other represents oppression. Rowan Atkinson More Quotes by Rowan Atkinson More Quotes From Rowan Atkinson To Be Successful You Don't Need Beautiful Face And Heroic Body, What You Need is Skillful Mind And Ability To Perform Rowan Atkinson successful mind beautiful I'm not a naturally funny man. I find that I can only be funny, if I become someone else. Rowan Atkinson funny-men ifs men The clear problem of the outlawing of insult is that too many things can be interpreted as such. Criticism, ridicule, sarcasm, merely stating an alternative point of view to the orthodoxy, can be interpreted as insult. Rowan Atkinson sarcasm sarcastic views To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. Rowan Atkinson race religious law But I always feel that whatever I do, I could do better. I suppose it is perfectionism. Rowan Atkinson perfectionism feels I'm as poor as a church mouse, that's just had an enormous tax bill on the very day his wife ran off with another mouse, taking all the cheese. Rowan Atkinson wife money funny I want to express myself in a different way. I have a performing inclination. Rowan Atkinson different want way The older you get, the more you realise how happenstance... has helped to determine your path through life. Rowan Atkinson happenstance determine path Art is something that nobody laughs at and nobody makes any money out of is the attitude, which I would dispute. Rowan Atkinson attitude laughing art The path of my life is strewn with cow pats from the devil's own satanic herd! Rowan Atkinson satanic devil cows What is wrong with inciting intense dislike of a religion if the activities or teachings of that religion are so outrageous, irrational or abusive of human rights that they deserve to be intensely disliked? Rowan Atkinson atheist teaching fear Your services might be as useful as a barbershop on the steps of a guillotine. Rowan Atkinson sarcastic might funny I've no desire to hang around with a bunch of upper-class delinquents, do twenty minutes' work and then spend the rest of the day loafing about in Paris drinking gallons of champagne and having dozens of moist, pink, highly experienced French peasant girls galloping up and down my - hang on. Rowan Atkinson upper-class girl drinking You're about as useful as a one-legged man at an arse kicking contest. Rowan Atkinson sarcastic men funny Funny things tend not to happen to me. I am not a natural comic. I need to think about things a lot before I can be even remotely amusing. Rowan Atkinson funny-things needs thinking Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious figures from my own Christian background, I am aghast at the notion that it could, in effect, be made illegal to imply ridicule of a religion or to lampoon religious figures. Rowan Atkinson careers religious christian I think I have an inner confidence that my tastes are pretty simple, that what I find funny finds a wide audience. I'm not particularly intellectual or clever or minority-focused in my creative instincts. And I'm certainly not aware of suppressing more sophisticated ambitions. Rowan Atkinson ambition simple clever I like to juggle with one ball at a time. Then I put the ball down and do nothing for extended periods of time. Rowan Atkinson down-and balls periods I can be reasonably funny and light-hearted when I'm in the company of good friends, but I'm not a jokesmith. I tend to be quite serious. Rowan Atkinson good-friend serious light I would never wish to say that I've finally waved goodbye to any character, it's just that the emphasis tends to shift. Rowan Atkinson wish goodbye character
