Jerry Seinfeld Regrets His Comments About the “Extreme Left” Ruining Comedy: “It’s Not True”

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As a gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but draw parallels between Jerry Seinfeld‘s comedy career and the evolving landscape of video games. Just as comedy must adapt to changing cultural norms, so too must our favorite pastime.

Jerry Seinfeld retracted his statements made about the “extreme left” stifling comedy this week, expressing remorse over his word choice since he acknowledges that it’s not accurate.

On Tom Papa’s Breaking Bread podcast, Seinfeld stated that the ‘extreme left’ has stifled comedy. However, he clarified that this statement is not accurate.

In April, the mastermind behind “Seinfeld” expressed to “The New Yorker” that excessive political correctness from the radical left was causing difficulties for comedians.

When multiple people edit a script, it often leads to various committees or groups offering their suggestions on jokes. According to him, this collaborative process usually spells the death knell for comedy.

Seinfeld’s remarks sparked much discussion, and many other comedians shared their thoughts on the topic. At one point, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who starred in Seinfeld, told The New York Times, “I believe having an awareness of sensitivities isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It doesn’t mean that all humor is discarded because of it.

This week, Seinfeld informed Papa that he hadn’t realized “that audiences pay attention to a comedian’s remarks.” Laughing, he said, “I must admit, I was genuinely surprised by this revelation.

He went on to say he regrets what he said and noted, “If you’re Lindsay Vonn, if you’re a champion skier, you can put the gates anywhere you want on the mountain and she’s going to make the gate. That’s comedy. 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 and how do I make the gate to get down the hill.”

As a fan, I’d rephrase it like this: “Seinfeld went on, ‘Is culture evolving, and do some phrases I once used no longer fly due to shifting social norms? Yes, but that’s the simplest criticism. You can’t joke about certain groups, whatever they are. So what? The nuance of your humor needs to be incredibly precise to be a comedian… Therefore, as I stated earlier, I don’t believe the ‘radical left’ has stifled comedy in any significant way. I take that back now, unequivocally.’

In another part of the podcast, Seinfeld refuted assertions that he had declared he wouldn’t perform at colleges due to students seeking political correctness. “Firstly,” he clarified, “I never stated such a thing, but if you believe I did, it’s incorrect.” He continued, “Contrary to the rumors, I frequently play at colleges. In fact, I recently performed at Indiana University, University of Kentucky, and UT – I often perform at colleges.

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2024-10-16 00:55