243 Quotes by Mel Brooks

I also try to surround myself with people I love – make a family out of the company. So I tend to use the same people over and over. There’s a sort of Mel Brooks Repertory Company.

The egg cream is psychologically the opposite of circumcision – it pleasurably reaffirms your Jewishness.

We want to get people laughing; we don’t want to offend anybody.

There’s no such thing as too far. If it works it’s funny, if it doesn’t work it’s too far, it’s stupid. Really there’s no such thing as “too far.” You’re joining the politically correct when you use words like “too far.” You don’t want to join the army of politically correct.

All right, I am often brash, rude and brutally direct. Someday I’m going to die and I don’t have time to toe-dance around the periphery of hatred.

Be interested in everything. You don’t have to adore it. I don’t adore hip-hop, I don’t think it’s great music, but I’m interested, I listen. I watch a lot of new films, I see everything. I still read, I like books, whether they are old books, new books. I’m interested – you gotta stay interested!

I’m always stunned when I find out people like Roosevelt and Tolstoy weren’t Jewish. How could I love them so much?

Immortality is a by-product of good work. Masterpieces are not for artists, they’re for critics. Critics can’t even make music by rubbing their back legs together. My message to the world is ‘Let’s swing, sing, shout, make noise! Let’s not mimic death before our time comes! Let’s be wet and noisy!’

Liebkind: Hitler. There was a painter. He could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon. Two coats!