Jerry Seinfeld turns 70, starts complaining about wokeness | Comic says the 'extreme left' have ruined TV comedy

Jerry Seinfeld turns 70, starts complaining about wokeness

Comic says the 'extreme left' have ruined TV comedy

Jerry Seinfeld has blamed the  ‘extreme left’ for ruining TV comedy.

The comedian, who turned 70 yesterday, has toured the end of big TV comedies such as Cheers and M*A*S*H – saying it’s down to ‘political correctness’.

Speaking to the  New Yorker’s Radio Hour, Seinfeld said ‘people always need [comedy].  They need it so badly and they don’t get it. Well, guess what? Where is it? Where is it?

‘This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap and people worrying so much about offending other people.’

He laid blamed the fact TV shows are now run by committees – and said that was why stand-up had more freedom.

Seinfeld said :  ‘When you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups — "Here’s our thought about this joke: — well, that’s the end of your comedy.

‘With certain comedians now, people are having fun with them stepping over the line, and us all laughing about it. But again, it’s the stand-ups that really have the freedom to do it because no one else gets the blame if it doesn’t go down well. He or she can take all the blame [themselves].’

Seinfeld did not speak about the proliferation of other one entertainment options in the 42 years since  Cheers began or the 52 years since M*A*S*H started.

Thanks for reading. If you find Chortle’s coverage of the comedy scene useful or interesting, please consider supporting us with a monthly or one-off ko-fi donation.
Any money you contribute will directly fund more reviews, interviews and features – the sort of in-depth coverage that is increasingly difficult to fund from ever-squeezed advertising income, but which we think the UK’s vibrant comedy scene deserves.

Published: 30 Apr 2024

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.