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I ain’t running for office. I ain’t running for nothing.

Bernie Mac

When I hit my 20s, I struggled to make it. I got married at 19, and my daughter, Je’Niece, was born a year later. I worked blue collar jobs during the day and comedy clubs at night, and I was earning about $25 a year doing stand-up.
BERNIE MAC

Daughter Jobs Later Married Mother
Whatever you hear at the barber shop, stays at the barber shop.
BERNIE MAC

Barbers Hear Shop Stay
I don’t need to pat myself on the back until my arm breaks. I don’t need any of that.
BERNIE MAC

Arms Break Needs
I want to speak directly to the audience, to say, ‘I’m like you – I’m frustrated, I’m not an expert, I don’t have a manual on parenting, I make mistakes, I’m selfish too.’
BERNIE MAC

Directly Frustrated Manual Mistake Selfish
I think a lot of TV insults the audience.
BERNIE MAC

Insult Television Thinking
I’m an ordinary guy with an extraordinary job.
BERNIE MAC

Extraordinary Guy Jobs Ordinary
Stand-up is what I am; stand-up is what made me.
BERNIE MAC

Made Stand
I know doing movies is where I need to be. That’s where my audience wants to see me.
BERNIE MAC

Audience Needs Want
You’re never going to see me playing a buffoon.
BERNIE MAC

Buffoons Going Playing
I can’t build myself by beating somebody down.
BERNIE MAC

Build Myself Somebody
I took my sports experience to my life on stage. That’s why I’m so disciplined. Playing sports, I was always underestimated. I was never picked first to do anything. This always helped me. It taught me how to push myself.
BERNIE MAC

Anything Firsts Help Push Sports Taught
I have Glocks, .45s, Berettas, Remingtons. I like the marksmanship and the discipline that it takes to be a gun owner. I like the machinery. Being able to take it out and clean it is even more fascinating than having the gun.
BERNIE MAC

Able Discipline Gun Machine Onwer
I don’t ever watch myself. By watching, you try to perfect yourself, become a robot.
BERNIE MAC

Perfect Robot Trying
That’s the whole key to anything: Don’t be afraid to fail. And is not afraid to fail.
BERNIE MAC

Afraid Anything Fail Failing Keys
I came up in the community center. I used to be physical director of the South Central Community Center in Chicago on 83rd. It’s still there. It used to be around there when I was a kid.
BERNIE MAC

Center Community Director Kids
My family are police officers, detectives. My brother Mitch is FBI. Mitch is like that – a stern enforcer.
BERNIE MAC

Brother Detectives Police
I came from a place where there wasn’t a lot of joy.
BERNIE MAC

Joy Lot Place
People like rumors. They’re going to say things like, ‘You was at the club with Lil’ Kim, and you and Kanye West got into a fist fight.’ You can’t get upset. You’ve got to keep hope alive.
BERNIE MAC

Alive Fighting People Upset
America…Do not touch my TV, my DVD, my stereo, my dual-deck VCR. Do not touch my old school, my new school, my slow jams, my party jams, my happy rap, and you better not touch…My James Brown.
BERNIE MAC

Country Party Rap School Touch
I was a street performer for two years.
BERNIE MAC

Performs Streets Two Years
It’s a pleasure to work with someone who is just as strong as you are.
BERNIE MAC

Just Pleasure Someone Strong
You know you poor when you eatin’ breakfast food late. You fryin’ toast? At nine o’clock at night? With bacon? You’re broke.
BERNIE MAC

Breakfast Food Night Nine
I’m not a politician, I’m a comedian. I know my limitations.
BERNIE MAC

Comedian Knows Limitation Politician
When it comes to raising children, I believe in give and take. I give orders and they take ’em.
BERNIE MAC

Believe Children Inspirational
I want people to say at the end of my day, you know, like I used to say about Sidney Poitier and James Cagney and Joan Crawford and Red Skelton and those guys and Bill Cosby. They did quality and substance. You always remember them.
BERNIE MAC

Guy Like People Quality
When I go onstage, I want to relieve your mind, your pressures.
BERNIE MAC

Mind Onstage Pressure Want
I was born October 5, 1957, on the South Side of Chicago, in the Woodlawn area, a neighborhood that hasn’t changed much in forty-five years. Our house was on 66th and Blackstone, but the city tore it down when the rats took over.
BERNIE MAC

Cities House Neighbourhood South Years

I ain’t running for office. I ain’t running for nothing.

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I ain’t running for office. I ain’t running for nothing.

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Popular Authors

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