One of the world’s most successful comedians and TV producers has held nothing back during a recent press tour for his feature film.
Jerry Seinfeld took the world by storm in the 1990’s and bemoans the cultural shift that he feels has seen political correctness kill comedy.
Seinfeld Says He “Likes a Real Man”
Seinfeld’s latest film “Unfrosted” which bombed horribly, is set in the 1960’s. It is a period Seinfeld has great nostalgia for, specifically citing the era of dominant masculinity he yearns for.
Seinfeld cites figures like Ali, or JFK as the kinds of men he longs for, while admitting he himself ‘never grew up.’
Where Have All the Real Men Gone, Jerry?
According to Seinfeld, masculinity has fallen off along with comedy on TV in general due to political correct extreme liberals.
Seinfeld’s comments became a rallying cry for right wing pundits against ‘wokeness’, with Elon Musk declaring “Make comedy legal again!”
Is Comedy Really Dead?
Rob McElhenny of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” which is very much a descendant of “Seinfeld” commented on Seinfeld’s claims that one of his episodes wouldn’t be green lit today.
McElhenny pointed out that his show pushes similar boundaries but takes them farther, and hasn’t been censored, which suggests that Seinfeld may just be frustrated and out of touch.
What’s the Deal With These Audiences?
It’s been a while since Seinfeld had any type of success, even if he did have generational success over a generation ago. Who didn’t want a movie about pop tarts?!
It’s possible the media landscape has simply passed him by, and his refusal to adjust, pivot, and adapt leaves him with one choice. Blame the culture!
One of the Worst Films of the Decade
“Unfrosted” was Seinfeld’s directorial debut and it didn’t go as well as he’d have hoped. The reviews were scathing.
Jerry claimed he enjoys the bad reviews, reading them exclusively because he finds the hatred of the film funny. Luckily the film didn’t have a theatrical release, and given that there was a tax credit to film in California, Netflix lost a lot less money than they could have. So this failure was a win-win?
A Co-Star Disagrees
Julia Louis-Dryfus co-starred with Seinfeld on his show, and went on to many more personal successes and she did not align with his views.
Dryfus said “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,” in comments to the New York Times
Are Seinfeld’s Complaints a red flag?
Dryfus didn’t stop there, she went on to suggest Seinfeld’s complaints about woke culture were a red flag.
The most damning evidence is that while Seinfeld has struggled to find a hit since his show went off the air, Dryfus has had a few. Maybe her modern holistic approach to comedy is simply more effective.
Entertainment and Free Speech
Dryfus makes an excellent point that the right to free speech means comics can say whatever they want, and nobody is under any obligation to like it or respond in any particular way.
Networks and audiences are always in a position to react to content however they choose, maybe because they feel if it’s offensive its also bad for business.
Free Speech… and Free Market
Is the bigger issue that the corporations controlling content are so bottom line focused? Being hyper-growth and beholden to share holders, the conglomerates that own all major studios want to be as risk averse as possible.
This means they have to pick and choose who and what they back and promote very carefully. Comedy that takes chances, or maybe offends, is an issue in terms of bottom line. Not because a company has actual moral values. Because it’s not woke culture that ‘cancels’ anything. It’s the economy, stupid.
