Jerry Seinfeld says woke is killing comedy.
In a recent discussion with David Remnick on the New Yorker Radio Hour, the notable comedian and creator of the eponymous sitcom “Seinfeld” shared his insights on the evolving landscape of comedy within the television industry.
Mr. Seinfeld expressed a sense of nostalgia for a time when iconic shows were all over TV.
“Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. They need it so badly and they don’t get it,” Mr. Seinfeld said. “It used to be, you would go home at the end of the day, most people would go, ‘Oh, “Cheers” is on. Oh, “MASH” is on. Oh, “Mary Tyler Moore” is on. “All in the Family” is on.’”
“You just expected there’ll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight. Well, guess what—where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people,” he said.
“We did an episode of [‘Seinfeld’] in the 90s where Kramer decides to start a business of having homeless people pull rickshaws because, as he says, ‘They’re outside anyway,’” he continued. “Do you think I could get that episode on the air today?”
“We wouldn’t do that joke. We’d come up with another joke. They move the gates like in the slalom. Culture — the gates are moving. Your job is to be agile and clever enough that, wherever they put the gates, I’m going to make the gate,” Mr. Seinfeld said.
So much has changed in the world of television, he said.
“When you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups – ‘Here’s our thought about this joke’ – well, that’s the end of your comedy,” he said. “With certain comedians now, people are having fun with them stepping over the line, and us all laughing about it.”
“But again, it’s the stand-ups that really have the freedom to do it because no one else gets the blame if it doesn’t go down well. He or she can take all the blame,” Mr. Seinfeld said.
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