I don't get no respect. I told my landlord I want to live in a more expensive apartment. He raised the rent.

This line comes from Rodney Dangerfield’s long-running “I don’t get no respect” persona, a stand-up character he developed and popularized in the 1960s–1980s. Dangerfield’s act often consisted of short, self-deprecating one-liners in which everyday situations—marriage, work, money, landlords—turn against him in absurd ways. The landlord/rent joke fits that template: even when he tries to improve his circumstances, he’s treated as someone to be exploited rather than helped. The phrasing and rhythm are characteristic of his nightclub and television appearances, where he delivered rapid-fire gags built around the theme of chronic disrespect.

The joke hinges on a reversal: asking to live in a “more expensive apartment” is normally a request for better quality, but the landlord interprets it literally and simply raises the rent. Dangerfield’s persona is trapped in a world where language and institutions are hostile—his intentions are ignored, and he’s reduced to a revenue source. The humor comes from exaggerating a real anxiety about rent and power imbalance between tenant and landlord. It also reinforces the central motif of his comedy: disrespect isn’t just social rudeness; it’s systemic, showing up in transactions where the speaker has little leverage.

I don’t get no respect. I told my landlord I want to live in a more expensive apartment—he raised the rent.
I don’t get no respect. I told my landlord I wanted a more expensive apartment. He raised my rent.
I don’t get no respect. I asked my landlord for a more expensive apartment. He raised the rent.