Jerry Seinfeld has walked back his statement earlier this year that the “far left” is killing comedy. And the iconic funnyman also revised other words of his own in a surprising interview that aired Tuesday.
Tom Papa'sbreak bread'' podcast, the host pointed out that Seinfeld had recently “made a lot of news” about what comedians are allowed and not to say, and then asked Seinfeld to explain what he said. We asked people what they believed to be true and what they believed to be false.
“So, like I said, I don't think the far left has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I'm officially taking it back now.”
“Here's what I did wrong,” Seinfeld began. “I didn't know people cared about what comedians said. It literally came to me as news. Who the hell cares what comedians think about anything?”
He continued, “So there were two things I said that I regret and I had to take back.”
“One of them is, I didn't say it, but people think I said it. … I said I wouldn't play in college because kids are too PC and their Because you can't do comedy for the sake of it,” Seinfeld said. “It's not true. Number one, I never said that, but if you think I said it, it's not true. I've always played in college. I've always played in college. I never said that. There's nothing wrong with doing that. In fact, I was just in college at Indiana University, Kentucky, and we did that. [the University of Texas]. I mean, I always play in college, so the perception that I don't play in college is wrong. ”
In fact, Seinfeld said this on ESPN in 2015. interview “I don't play in college, but I hear a lot of people tell me, 'Stay away from college, college is very PC.'” Seinfeld's views have changed over the years, but the statement “They're so PC” certainly refers to what others have said to him, not what he himself said. It seems so.
Additionally, on the Breaking Bread podcast, Seinfeld mentioned his second “regret,” which was “referring to an interview with The New Yorker in which I realized that the far left was a comedy… “They have suppressed art,” he said. did Please say so. That's not true. That's not true. … If you're Lindsey Vonn, you're a champion skier, you can put a gate anywhere on the mountain you want. She's going to build a gate. It's a comedy. Whatever the culture, we build gates. If you can't pass the gate, you're out of the game. The game is “Where is the gate?'' How can you go through the gate and go down the slope as you like? ”
Seinfeld continued: “Did I ever say that cultures change and we can't all just keep moving?” [acceptability standards that apply to them]?Yeah, but that's the biggest and easiest goal. … “Don't say certain words…whatever it is…about a group.” So what? The accuracy of your observations must be 100 times finer than simply making them. Get used to it comedian. …So, like I said, I don't think the far left has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I am officially withdrawing this. They are not. do you like it? Maybe not. It is none of my business whether I like or dislike the state of the culture. Using a ski analogy, my job is to build the gate. If you don't pass the gate, you're out. ”
Later in the conversation, Seinfeld brought up another comment he made earlier this year about missing the “hegemonic masculinity” in the culture.
“That's probably not the best thing to say,” Seinfeld confessed to his dad. “What I really meant was, I miss great people. That's what I miss,” he said, referring to figures like Muhammad Ali, Sean Connery and Howard Cosell. “They were all people I wanted to be like as a kid. … I wanted to have that kind of authority and style. That's what it was.” It's really a matter of style. Just follow it so you don't offend anyone. I miss George C. Scott. Because when I was younger, I thought it tasted great. And then it became a hot topic on the news. day. ”
What caused Seinfeld's reversal?
It's unclear what led Seinfeld to retract his statement. He certainly has more than enough power and wealth to avoid outside pressure to revise his views.
But it's interesting to note that Seinfeld's co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who used his last name and dominated television for much of the 1990s on the sitcom, is also known for Seinfeld's anti-PC stance. He made headlines himself.
of new york times In an interview with Louis-Dreyfus published in early June, the newspaper said, “Your former co-star Jerry Seinfeld has recently been in the news for talking about political correctness in comedy. I’m curious what you think.” About that. ”
Dreyfus did not mention Seinfeld by name, but told the Times:
If you look back at both comedies and dramas from, say, 30 years ago through today's lens, you might find things that never get old. And I don't think it's a bad thing to have an antenna for sensitivity. Not all comedy disappears into the background as a result. When I hear people start complaining about political correctness, I can understand why people are repulsed by it, but to me that's a red flag. Because sometimes it has a different meaning. I don't think it's a bad thing to be conscious of certain sensitivities. I don't know what else to say.
She did not say what that “something else” was, nor did the Times follow up with questions about what that “something else” was.
What else?
Seinfeld has been very active on the sociopolitical front over the past year.
Seinfeld spoke out about “hegemonic masculinity” in an interview with Bari Weiss in May, discussing the anti-Israel sentiment fueling protests on college campuses and how protesters were targeting him. I also mentioned Iruka. In early May, some Duke University graduates walked out of Seinfeld's commencement speech.
“That's so ridiculous. “It's really ridiculous. In fact, sometimes when people go to protests, I love to say to the audience, 'You know, I don't want these young people to get involved in politics. I love trying to…we just have to fix the purpose.'' a bit a bit. ”
When Weiss said she saw a video of Seinfeld calling him “Nazi scum” and being shocked when Seinfeld smiled back and waved back, Seinfeld replied, “That's so ridiculous. “I want to express my sincere and intense anger, but it's still a little off the mark.” …So it's a comedy to me. ”
Also, at one point, when Weiss asked Seinfeld about his trip to Israel after the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the comedian called the visit “the most intense experience of my life,” so… Unusually, I had to fight hard to hold back my tears. my life. ”
Seinfeld also responded to anti-Israel heckles at several shows earlier this year.
You can check out Seinfeld's related quotes in the podcast “Breaking Bread” below.
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
