Jerry Seinfeld has walked back on comments he made about how the "extreme left" has ruined comedy.
The comedian sparked controversy earlier this year when, during an interview with The New Yorker, he reflected on how comedy once was, and how the current cultural climate has changed it.
“It used to be you would go home at the end of the day, most people would go, 'Oh, 'Cheers' is on. Oh, 'M*A*S*H' 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," he told the outlet in April.
"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.
On Tuesday, Seinfeld took back what he said.
During an appearance on an episode of the "Breaking Bread" podcast, Seinfeld admitted that he "got it wrong" and that it is "not true" that the extreme left has suppressed comedy, according to CNN. Seinfeld also used the opportunity to dispel rumors that he does not perform at colleges because students are too politically correct.
"Not true … I never said it … I play colleges all the time," he said.
Seinfeld went on to liken comedy to skiing,
“If you're [Olympic skier] Lindsey Vonn, if you're a champion skier, you can put the gates anywhere you want on the mountain — she's gonna make the gate. That's comedy," he said.
"Whatever the culture is, we make the gate. You don't make the gate, you're out of the game. The game is, 'Where is the gate, how do I make the gate and get down the hill the way I want to?'
"Does culture change? And are there things I used to say that I can't say?" he asked. "Yeah. But that's the biggest, easiest target, you know — you can't say certain words, whatever they are, versus about groups, so what? The accuracy of your observation has to be a hundred times finer than that to just be a comedian."
Seinfeld added that it doesn't matter if comedians agree with cultural changes; their job is simply to "play the game" according to what is considered acceptable.
"I don't think the … extreme left has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I'm taking that back now officially. They have not. Do you like it? Maybe, maybe not — it's not my business to like or not like where the culture is at," he continued. "It's my business to make the gate, to stay with my skiing analogy… you make the gate or you're out."
Seinfeld noted that, while it may be hard so is making comedy.
"Comedy is hard. Big, giant period … You want to make a fabulous living making people giggle? That sure sounds great — it's gonna take a lot," he added.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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