"Never get into an argument with a schizophrenic person and say, "Who do you think you are?""

Ray Combs’ remark, “Never get into an argument with a schizophrenic person and say, ‘Who do you think you are?’” relies on wordplay and social commentary to provoke both laughter and thought. The humor is rooted in the literal and figurative aspects of the phrase “Who do you think you are?” In everyday conversation, this question is rhetorical, challenging someone’s authority or ego. However, Combs twists this by referencing schizophrenia, a mental illness sometimes marked by altered perceptions of reality, disorganized thinking, or fragmented identities.

The implication is that directing such a rhetorical question at someone with schizophrenia could result not in the usual indignation or defensiveness, but in a genuinely complicated or unexpected response, as the person might struggle with issues of identity or perceive themselves as more than one personality. The punchline leverages a stereotype: the association between schizophrenia and “multiple personalities,” which is actually a misconception, dissociative identity disorder is characterized by multiple personalities, while schizophrenia typically involves delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thought. By referencing this, the joke highlights how mental health conditions are misunderstood or misrepresented in popular culture.

At a deeper level, the joke underscores the pitfalls of using combative language and metaphors that make light of serious mental illness. It inadvertently points to how society often regards mental health with confusion or ignorance, using it as comic fodder. The humor arises from the clash between expected conversation and the potential complexity of mental disorders. Combs isn’t necessarily mocking the individual with schizophrenia, but rather the futility and awkwardness that would arise from applying typical social scripts in situations where they simply don’t apply. The joke is a commentary on both communication, a seemingly harmless phrase loses its meaning when context changes, and on the ways mental health is trivialized in everyday interactions. It asks the audience to recognize the absurdity in their assumptions while eliciting an uncomfortable laugh.