"Now we have to hit them from a different angle"
About this Quote
"Now we have to hit them from a different angle" is the kind of line that sounds like a throwaway in the moment and then reveals itself as a whole philosophy of survival. Coming from Shawn Wayans, it carries the Wayans-family signature: comedy as strategy, not just entertainment. The phrasing is blunt, almost tactical. "Hit them" suggests conflict, pressure, opposition; but the verb is softened by the vagueness of "them", which could be critics, gatekeepers, stereotypes, or just the immovable wall of a situation that refuses to respond to the obvious approach.
The key is "different angle". It implies the first angle failed, or was never going to work because the playing field is rigged. In a comedy context, that reads as a creative pivot: if the audience, the industry, or the culture is resisting a message head-on, you shift the delivery. You change the framing, the tone, the format, the joke structure. You sneak the truth in through side doors.
Wayans has built a career in genres that are often dismissed as lightweight parody, which makes the subtext sharper: being underestimated can be leverage. A "different angle" is how you turn dismissal into access, how you use laughter to disarm defensiveness, how you land a critique without triggering the instant shutdown that direct confrontation invites.
It’s also quietly collaborative. "We" doesn’t posture as lone genius; it’s team thinking under pressure. The line isn’t about retreating. It’s about recalculating, then taking the shot again - smarter.
The key is "different angle". It implies the first angle failed, or was never going to work because the playing field is rigged. In a comedy context, that reads as a creative pivot: if the audience, the industry, or the culture is resisting a message head-on, you shift the delivery. You change the framing, the tone, the format, the joke structure. You sneak the truth in through side doors.
Wayans has built a career in genres that are often dismissed as lightweight parody, which makes the subtext sharper: being underestimated can be leverage. A "different angle" is how you turn dismissal into access, how you use laughter to disarm defensiveness, how you land a critique without triggering the instant shutdown that direct confrontation invites.
It’s also quietly collaborative. "We" doesn’t posture as lone genius; it’s team thinking under pressure. The line isn’t about retreating. It’s about recalculating, then taking the shot again - smarter.
Quote Details
| Topic | Vision & Strategy |
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