catchphrase / said by James and Jimmie
We're assholes, not scumbags
What does "We're assholes, not scumbags" mean on Small Town Murder?
The show's disclaimer slogan: the hosts will make cruel jokes about small towns, police forces and murderers, but never about the victims or their families. James says it near the start of almost every episode, usually in the opening disclaimer, and Jimmie sometimes joins in or delivers it himself.
- Kind
- catchphrase
- Usually said by
- James and Jimmie
- First heard
- Episode 19, 24 May 2017
The story behind the phrase
Where did "We're assholes, not scumbags" come from?
It takes shape in the opening disclaimer of episode 19, where James says the show never makes jokes at the expense of victims or their families: "we're assholes, but not scumbags, that's us folks". The recording is garbled and he seems to find the wording as he goes.
It draws the line for a comedy show about real murders. The jokes are aimed at small towns, bumbling police forces and murderers who did something stupid, never at the people who were killed or their families. By episode 23 James calls it "a good slogan" that they have said a lot.
How is "We're assholes, not scumbags" used now?
It stayed in the opening disclaimer for years. James often sets it up as a question, "why is that, James?", and answers "because we're assholes but we're not scumbags", and Jimmie sometimes answers or backs him up. It is also the show's short explanation of how true crime and comedy go together.
When was "We're assholes, not scumbags" first said?
It was first heard in episode 19, "Two Deaths, One Unexpected Murderer", on 24 May 2017, at about 0:03:44.
"We're assholes but assholes, but smalltown murder."
In the opening disclaimer James says the show is 'assholes but ... not scumbags', adding 'that's us folks'. Speech recognition splits and garbles the line ('smalltown murder souls'), but it is the slogan being coined on the spot: he is drawing the line at joking about victims and their families, and by 023 he calls it 'a good slogan' that they have said a lot.
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