Alan Ayckbourn on Laughing at Women
on Monday, June 30, 2014Alan Ayckbourn Money Quotation saying women prefer not to be made fun of, but men accept derision if paid well. Alan Ayckbourn said:
“Few women care to be laughed at and men not at all, except for large sums of money” — Alan Ayckbourn
In this quote, British playwright Alan Ayckbourn seems to be commenting on societal attitudes towards public ridicule or embarrassment.
He suggests that while few women are comfortable being laughed at, most men have an even greater aversion to it. However, Ayckbourn notes that for large amounts of money, even men may be willing to endure being laughed at.
The quote conveys Ayckbourn’s perspective that substantial financial compensation can sometimes outweigh pride for some, especially when it comes to tolerating humiliation or mockery that would normally be quite difficult for most people to accept without compensation.
Overall, he appears to be acknowledging that money can potentially motivate individuals to subject themselves to public derision that their gender may typically find very uncomfortable.