When you look at comedians who complain that political correctness is ruining comedy, it’s typically said by older white men. They just believe that comedy is dying because you can’t knowingly offend people. And so they blame the younger generation for being too “woke.” And recently, the comedian who has been on the forefront of that sort of messaging is none other than Jerry Seinfeld. During a podcast interview, he warned people about the “extreme left and PC crap.” Now, we have one of his “Seinfeld” co-stars pushing back against that sort of comment.
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In an interview with the New York Times, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss was asked about comedians who complain about “PC crap.” And her response seems to be one of the best explanations for why sensitivity is perfectly okay in comedy.
“If you look back on comedy and drama both, let’s say 30 years ago, through the lens of today, you might find bits and pieces that don’t age well,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “And I think to have an antenna about sensitivities is not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean that all comedy goes out the window as a result.”
She added, “When I hear people starting to complain about political correctness — and I understand why people might push back on it — but to me that’s a red flag because it sometimes means something else. I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing. I don’t know how else to say it.”
While she didn’t name Jerry Seinfeld and tear him apart, you can tell that she sits on the other side of the argument than her sitcom co-star. And Louis-Dreyfuss knows a thing or two about comedy, having experienced quite a bit of comedic success in recent years, highlighted by the award-winning “Veep.”
Even though it’s clear that Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss sit on opposite sides of the “culture war” argument, we can all agree that those are better positions than where Michael Richards currently stands, attempting to apologize and make a comeback after his racist tirade.