Jerry Seinfeld Says Stand-Up Comedians Have ‘Freedom’ That TV Writers Don’t
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jerry Seinfeld is sharing his thoughts on how “cancel culture” is driving comedy fans away from sitcoms and towards stand-up comedian performances.
“Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. They need it so badly and they don’t get it,” Seinfeld said in a recent interview.
The comedian and actor explained that the lack of good comedy programming on TV these days is because of “people worrying so much about offending other people.”
Seinfeld then pointed out that people are now going to see stand-up comedians “because we are not policed anymore.”
“The audience polices us,” he continued. “We know when we’re off track. We know instantly and we adjust to it instantly. But 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.”
He emphasized that today’s comedians “really have the freedom” to push boundaries in a way that TV writers don’t.
Movieguide® previously reported on Seinfeld’s thoughts on the state of comedy today:
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld says modern, politically correct culture ruins sitcoms.
“When we did my show in the 90s, it was so easy to make fun of things. It was so easy,” Seinfeld told Amy Schumer.
“You know exactly where their head is at,” Seinfeld said of older sitcoms. “We don’t know where anybody’s head is at now. In terms of 300 million people. Where’s their head at?”
This is not the first time Seinfeld called out PC culture.
“I have no interest in gender or race or anything like that. But everyone else is kind of, with their calculating—is this the exact right mix? I think that’s—to me it’s anti-comedy,” Seinfeld said in 2015.
“Funny is the world that I live in. You’re funny, I’m interested. You’re not funny, I’m not interested. I have no interest in gender or race or anything like that,” Seinfeld said in 2014. “It’s more about PC nonsense than ‘Are you making us laugh or not?’”
Seinfeld is currently promoting his latest movie, UNFROSTED: THE POP-TART STORY, which tells the story of the invention of the Pop-Tart. The movie marks his directorial debut; Seinfeld produced and co-wrote the movie as well.
“There are elements of truth, obviously quite a bit is also fabricated,” he said of the movie’s inspiration. “I would say 99% is fabricated, which was the fun of it. But I love the idea of serious people working on cereal and with suits and ties and talking about Pop-Tarts and cereal and eating cereal. I’ve always loved cereal.”
He spoke further about his involvement with UNFROSTED in an interview with GQ, joking that the reason he said yes was “Because they wouldn’t put me in MAD MEN.”
“I love that kind of comedy,” Seinfeld continued. “I love office comedies. I love stupid people in suits. And it was Covid. I had nothing to do. So I got talked into it. It wasn’t my idea. SEINFELD wasn’t my idea either. I keep getting dragged into things and surrounded by the most amazing people. These movie people are unbelievable.”
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