"Mick Jagger is about as sexy as a pissing toad"
About this Quote
The intent is social as much as personal. By the late 1960s and 70s, Jagger had become an emblem of transgressive sexuality: louche, androgynous, weaponized charisma. Capote’s swipe reads like a refusal to applaud the new rock priesthood, but it also hints at rivalry over who gets to define “allure” in public life. Capote, the literary stylist and society insider, had his own brand of performance and seduction. Calling Jagger a toad isn’t merely saying “I’m not into it.” It’s saying: your sex appeal is mass-produced, unearned, and vaguely obscene.
The subtext sharpens when you hear Capote’s voice: arch, camp, exquisitely mean, the kind of quip designed to travel. It’s a salon grenade, built for repetition, because the metaphor is so vivid you can’t unsee it. He turns desire into disgust and makes the audience complicit; laughing means you’ve joined his taste regime.
Context matters, too: Capote’s later years were marked by gossip, visibility, and a declining grip on the cultural center. Taking a swing at Jagger is a way to reassert authority in a world pivoting from literary gatekeepers to pop gods. The cruelty is the point; it’s how he keeps himself on the microphone.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sarcastic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Capote, Truman. (2026, January 18). Mick Jagger is about as sexy as a pissing toad. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/mick-jagger-is-about-as-sexy-as-a-pissing-toad-2147/
Chicago Style
Capote, Truman. "Mick Jagger is about as sexy as a pissing toad." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/mick-jagger-is-about-as-sexy-as-a-pissing-toad-2147/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Mick Jagger is about as sexy as a pissing toad." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/mick-jagger-is-about-as-sexy-as-a-pissing-toad-2147/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.









