Jerry Seinfeld Backtracks on Controversial "comedy is Ruined" Comments!
Jerry Seinfeld: Walking Back Those "Comedy is Dying" Claims!
Comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld is backtracking on those controversial comments he made about comedy being "ruined." After a super long career in stand-up and his iconic sitcom, Seinfeld, which starred himself in a mostly fictionalized take on his actual New York life. This amazing run was also followed by even more diverse works and experiences, adding to the diverse impact of his many talents, his work as a director—his latest film is the hilariously-titled 2024 Unfrosted (the story of Pop-Tarts creation)—shows his continued creative pursuits. His earlier comments blaming “political correctness” for the decline in comedy sparked serious outrage across multiple parts of society. His recent comments however totally changed how things might now appear!
In an upcoming episode of the Breaking Bread podcast (via The Daily Beast), Seinfeld totally clarifies, stating his initial opinions were wrong. He says that comedians themselves create their standards; making the overall judgment themselves, rather than society imposing restrictions that create a decline. In his own words: “I said that the ‘extreme left’ has suppressed the art of comedy. I did say that. That’s not true. It’s not true. Whatever the culture is, we make the gate. You don’t make the gate, you’re out of the game.”
He argues that aiming for shock value using offensive topics; while the easy choice isn’t what will determine quality. Instead of making easy jokes by offending people and audiences, instead, those are going to fail completely; so avoiding controversial topics becomes critically important in making quality content.
Seinfeld's About-Face: What Does It Mean?
Seinfeld's April comments caused major fallout and stirred debates. Conservatives agreed. Many comedians strongly disagreed. Rob McElhenney (creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) even challenged a joke Seinfeld claimed couldn’t be told today. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (a former Seinfeld star) called his statements a “red flag.” That initial controversial statement clearly puts Seinfeld in the camp of some pretty polarizing figures. It sounds really weird to say this but; changing your opinions; admitting something was previously wrong seems extremely rare these days and really commendable, folks. This demonstrates humility.
McElhenney, responding to Seinfeld's claim, even references an It's Always Sunny character that totally fits Seinfeld's original joke. That really shows that “political correctness” is not hampering comedy; those sensitivities could potentially create new and far more subtle insights. Those approaches just requires the writers and those actors to make that effort to create better jokes and stronger connections for their material, emphasizing a better relationship to their overall audience.
Our Take: Comedy's Still Thriving!
Those points raised by McElhenney and Louis-Dreyfus are critically important to emphasize. Comedy doesn't suck! Those ideas that sensitivity “ruins” comedy is just bad. Shows like Hacks and What We Do in the Shadows are perfect examples. These shows are edgy, funny and often delve into uncomfortable areas without creating any hate; and demonstrating how quality writing actually can succeed in bringing meaningful moments; and highlighting more insightful, interesting comedy that does appeal strongly among wider audiences!
It ultimately boils down to creating smarter, more original jokes that are just brilliantly delivered; instead of resorting to easy offensive jokes! Those easy cheap laughs are just lazy, they are bad and won't work very well; only genuine creativity actually creates memorable comedy that appeals to broader audiences! Seinfeld's retraction is great. It seems he understands: you can be both funny and decent!
Conclusion: Seinfeld's Reassessment Makes Perfect Sense
Seinfeld's initial comments? Definitely controversial. But his retraction? That makes much more sense. Those claims regarding that existing idea of "political correctness" ruining comedy, just never fit; it fails to show an important aspect in creative endeavors, that those are not going to disappear without addressing them. The existence of “political correctness” does not end comedy. It shows instead how comedians can still thrive; adapt to new audience desires; creating far better comedy through being clever and smart.
