Legendary comedian Jon Lovitz reflected on America’s current “cancel culture” and said that “it’s no different than McCarthyism,” a tool used to attack a person’s character in public.
“I’ll just say it, it’s no different than McCarthyism,” the 63-year-old comedian and actor shared during a recent interview with Page Six. (RELATED: Katt Williams Shuts Down Idea Of ‘Cancel Culture,’ Says Comedians Worried About It Should Find New Gig)
The term ‘McCarthyism’ refers to the Red Scare in the 1940s when movie executives, under public pressure, created blacklists that barred suspected radicals from employment, History.com noted. Allegations of subversive activity against the U.S. government were investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee and former Republican Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
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The “Rat Race” star said his job is to “satirize what’s going on in society and point out the hypocrisies” and cancel culture has made it difficult for him and other comedians to do their job. (RELATED: ‘I Don’t Care What You Think Of Me’: Kelly Osbourne Criticizes Cancel Culture)
“As soon as you say to a comedian like me, ‘You can’t say that,’ the first thing in my head is, ‘Oh, and now I have to,'” Lovitz explained, while he noted that there is “a difference between making jokes and being outright mean.”
“If you don’t have the ability to laugh at yourself, don’t go to a comedy club,” he added. “I’m not changing my act. If you’re watching TV and you don’t like the show, change the channel. It’s very simple.”
Fellow comedian Chris Rock recently ripped cancel culture and said people are “scared” to speak out.
“I see a lot unfunny comedians, I see unfunny TV shows, I see unfunny award shows, I see unfunny movies ’cause no one’s — everybody’s scared to, like, you know, make a move,” Rock shared during his appearance on “The Joe Rogan” podcast.
“You know, that’s not a place to be,” he added. “We should have the right to fail. Because failure is a part of art.”