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Fish-isms
- Greg Germann starred as Richard Fish, the money-hungry
senior partner for the Boston law firm of Cash/Fish Associates on
the quirky legal drama ALLY MCBEAL/FOX/1997-2002.

Richard's stated philosophy on the law was:
"Let me tell you something, I didn't
become a lawyer because I like the law, the law sucks. It's
boring, but it can also be used as a weapon. You want to bankrupt
somebody? Cost him everything he's worked for? Make his wife leave
him, even make his kids cry...yeah, we can do that."
During his day-to-day conversation Richard drops cute little
words of wisdom which he likes to call Fish-isms. The following is
a list of some of his thoughts:
- "After women marry and have kids, they don't want any
part of a man's penis. The bigger it is, the more of him she
doesn't want, that's all. Fish-ism."
- "The bigger it is, the more of him she doesn't want, that's
all. Fishism."
- "Everyone is alone. It's just easier to take in a
relationship."
- "For whatever reason, people would never trust me, so I
started being unscrupulous on purpose, and that way, I felt in
control of people's reactions."
- "Friction, friction, orgasm. Fishism.
- "Helping others is never more beneficial than when it's in
your own self-interest."
- "I'm nothing if not redundant! I also repeat myself."
- "I can't do anything about it, but I'd be happy to
sympathize."
- "I couldn't help but overhear, probably because I was
eavesdropping."
- "I didn't become a lawyer because I like the law. The law
sucks. It's boring. But it can also be used as a weapon. You
want to bankrupt somebody, cost him everything he's worked for,
make his wife leave him, even cause his kids to cry? We can do
that."
- "I don't mind losing, it's high profile losing that is not
good."
- "I plan to have character one day, great character, but if
you want to be rich you better get the money before the scruples
set in."
- "If you don't kiss a girl on the first date, you're a
gentleman. If you don't kiss her on the second date, you're
gay!"
- "Is that your two cents? I'd be looking for change."
- "It's not my style to care about others, but what's going
on?"
- "It's not winning, it's winning ugly that matters."
- "Lend me your shoe, Georgia. If I wanted to sell this, better
to have you model this or me? Everything is about presentation,
same for restaurants as for shoes. What's inside doesn't count,
its how they look. Fish-ism."
- "Make enough money and everything else will follow. Quote
me. That's a Fish-ism."
- "Men love any woman they want to sleep with. It's the ticket
to admission."
- "Nelle, remember how you hate people talking behind your
back? I can't do that while you're in the room."
- "New firm policy, listen up! Anybody who sues this firm or
me, personally, we all drop whatever cases we are working on. We
devote all of our intellectual and creative efforts to ruining
that person's life. Are we clear? I don't want to stop short
with just getting even. Retribution is not strong enough. Ruin,
that is the goal. Irreversible, irreparable, irrational ruin!
New firm policy!"
- "Never trust second thoughts. Next thing you know there'll
be a third and a fourth...you'll be thinking forever!"
- The outside world just doesn't get the joke. Fish-ism.
- "Parenting is nothing if not selfless."
- "Personal questions don't bother me. I just lie."
- "Personally, I hate sexual harassment laws. The original
force behind them were disgruntled lesbians who felt they were
not given the same opportunities - along with ugly women, who
were jealous of pretty women who got all the breaks in the work
force. My cause to action is simple, women are victims. They
need special help. Look, at the evolution of these sexual
harassment laws. What we are really saying is women really
should qualify under the Federal Disability Act. They are less
able. They cannot cope with romance in the office. They cannot
contend with having to do a job and have a man smile at them. It
is too much. Look where we use to be, first quid pro quo, then
hostile environment, and now Seinfeld episodes. Women can't take
it; they bruise too easily. The laws are here to protect the
weak and most vulnerable in society. She is woman, protect her!"
- "Piles and piles of money. If I help some along the way
great, but mainly I'm in the this for the piles, heaps, the
really big piles."
- "Quiet! Let me ignore you one at a time."
- "Sex for men: when it's right, it's right; when it's wrong,
it's still right."
- "There's no embarrassing way to earn money."
- "True love means short refractory time."
- "You've got to remember, you're not who you are. You're only
what other people think of you."
- "We have an excellent chance to boost our profile and erode
the First Amendment in the process. It's not often we get a case
where principle coincides with profit, and I'm not about to take
time out just because I've breached some trust thing you and I
had going!"
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