"Before I do anything, I think, well what hasn't been seen. Sometimes, that turns out to be something ghastly and not fit for society. And sometimes that inspiration becomes something that's really worthwhile"
About this Quote
The line about something “ghastly and not fit for society” isn’t just a gag. It’s a confession about the raw material of invention: intrusive thoughts, grotesque images, taboo gestures. Carrey’s best work has always flirted with that edge. His face and body turn into cartoons, and cartoons can get away with cruelty, panic, and absurd violence because they’re “not real.” He’s naming the bargain comedy makes: push into the uncomfortable, then translate it into something an audience can metabolize as play.
The subtext is also about restraint as craft, not censorship. He’s not celebrating the ghastly; he’s acknowledging it as a necessary draft stage. Worthwhile inspiration, in his telling, isn’t the first spark. It’s what remains after you test the boundary, discard what’s merely shocking, and shape the residue into something people recognize as truth - even if it arrives wearing a rubber mask and a grin.
Quote Details
| Topic | Art |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Carrey, Jim. (2026, January 17). Before I do anything, I think, well what hasn't been seen. Sometimes, that turns out to be something ghastly and not fit for society. And sometimes that inspiration becomes something that's really worthwhile. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/before-i-do-anything-i-think-well-what-hasnt-been-31940/
Chicago Style
Carrey, Jim. "Before I do anything, I think, well what hasn't been seen. Sometimes, that turns out to be something ghastly and not fit for society. And sometimes that inspiration becomes something that's really worthwhile." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/before-i-do-anything-i-think-well-what-hasnt-been-31940/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Before I do anything, I think, well what hasn't been seen. Sometimes, that turns out to be something ghastly and not fit for society. And sometimes that inspiration becomes something that's really worthwhile." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/before-i-do-anything-i-think-well-what-hasnt-been-31940/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.





