Julia Louis-Dreyfus says complaining about political correctness is a 'red flag' after costar Jerry Seinfeld's comments
Julia Louis-Dreyfus said that comedy can be sensitive without losing its flair.
The actor said that complaining about political correctness in comedy is a "red flag."
Her comments follow Jerry Seinfeld recently saying political correctness is damaging comedy.
"Seinfeld" star Julia Louis-Dreyfus says that comedy can be approached with sensitivity without sacrificing the art — and taking issue with political correctness is a "red flag."
"If you look back on comedy and drama both, let's say 30 years ago, through the lens of today, you might find bits and pieces that don't age well," Louis-Dreyfus said in an interview with The New York Times, published on Saturday. "And I think to have an antenna about sensitivities is not a bad thing. It doesn't mean that all comedy goes out the window as a result."
Louis-Dreyfus, known for her work on shows like "Saturday Night Live," "Seinfeld," and "Veep," was asked to weigh in after fellow comedian and former costar Jerry Seinfeld's recent comments about political correctness in comedy made headlines.
"When I hear people starting to complain about political correctness — and I understand why people might push back on it — but to me that's a red flag, because it sometimes means something else," she said. "I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing."
In a follow-up conversation with The Times, Louis-Dreyfus said that she wanted to clarify her stance on political correctness.
"My feeling about all of it is that political correctness, insofar as it equates to tolerance, is obviously fantastic," the Emmy-winning actor said.
Louis-Dreyfuss added that instead, creativity in art is threatened and hindered by "the consolidation of money and power" through various studios, outlets, streamers, and distributors.
She also said that sensitivity and an awareness of optics don't only apply to comedy.
"I just know that the lens through which we create art today — and I'm not going to just specify it to comedy, it's also drama — it's a different lens," Louis-Dreyfus said. "It really is. Even classically wonderful, indisputably great films from the past are riddled with attitudes that today would not be acceptable. So I think it's just good to be vigilant."
Louis-Dreyfus' comments come weeks after Seinfeld said there are fewer sitcoms because political correctness is ruining comedy.
In an April interview with The New Yorker Radio Hour, Seinfeld said that there's a lack of funny TV nowadays because "of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people."
"Now they're going to see standup comics because we are not policed by anyone," he said. "The audience polices us. 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."
The actor and comedian acknowledged that some "Seinfeld" jokes that have aged poorly and wouldn't be appropriate now.
"Culture — the gates are moving," Seinfeld said. "Your job is to be agile and clever enough that, wherever they put the gates, I'm going to make the gate."
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