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Julia Louis-Dreyfus has defended the idea of political correctness in comedy, speaking out against her views. Seinfeld Co-star Jerry Seinfeld.
The actress said she doesn’t think being sensitive about certain subjects is threatening to comedy, but that complaining about it is a “red flag” because it “means something else.”
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be aware of sensitivities,” she said. The New York Times Currently appearing interview When asked to respond to Seinfeld’s comments about political correctness in comedy.
“That doesn’t mean all comedy is ruined. When I hear people start complaining about political correctness, I understand people rebel against it, but to me it’s a red flag, because it can mean something else. I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing. I don’t know how else to say it.”
Louis-Dreyfus and Seinfeld rose to fame in the 1990s. SeinfeldThe wildly popular sitcom “” created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David aired on television.
The show was a fictionalized version of Seinfeld, with Louis-Dreyfus playing his ex-girlfriend, Elaine.
Seinfeld said in a recent interview. New Yorker The “far left and PC idiots” killed comedy, which is why there’s now a comedy shortage on TV.
“In the past, most people would come home at the end of the day and say, ‘Oh. cheers It’s on. Ah, mash It’s on. Ah, Mary Tyler Moore It’s on. All in the Family “I thought there was going to be an interesting show on TV tonight,” he said. “Where do you think it is?”
“This is a result of far-left and PC bullshit, and people who care too much about offending others. Now, audiences come to see stand-up comedians because we’re not being watched by anyone; it’s the audience that watches. We know right away when we’re off track. We know right away, we adapt right away. But when you write a script and it goes through four or five different hands, committees, groups, ‘Here’s our idea of this joke,’ and that’s the end of your comedy.”
In a later interview The New York TimesLouis-Dreyfus elaborated on her position, explaining that for her, the threat to creative expression comes from money and power being entirely in the hands of studios and streamers.
“Political correctness is obviously a good thing insofar as it leads to tolerance,” she said.
“Of course I reserve the right to boo people who say things that offend me, but at the same time I respect their right to free speech. But the bigger issue, and the real threat to art and artful creation, is the concentration of money and power. I don’t think all of this siloing of studios, outlets, streamers, distributors is good for creative voices. That’s what I want to say about threats to the arts.”
On whether she thinks sensitivity and a new lens in writing comedy makes it better, the actress said she doesn’t want to limit herself to comedy but that all art is written with the same intention now.
“I can’t judge whether it’s better or not, but I do know that the lens through which we create art today — not just comedy, but drama as well — is a different lens, it really is,” she said.
“Even classically great, indisputably great films of the past are full of attitudes that just wouldn’t be acceptable today. So I think it’s good to be vigilant.”
