Legendary comedian Bobcat Goldthwait said there’s no “cancel culture,” but he will “defend people’s freedom of speech,” even if it’s something he doesn’t agree with.
During the 59-year-old performer’s interview with the Guardian in a piece published Monday, he reflected on how people say the late comedian George Carlin “‘couldn’t do his act today'” and wonder what he “would he say about all this?'”
“You know what he’d say?” Goldthwait replied. “I know exactly what he’d say. He’d say something hilarious and cutting about your fucking bullshit. There is no cancel culture. It only exists if you’re a whistleblower or a victim.” (RELATED: Katt Williams Shuts Down Idea Of ‘Cancel Culture,’ Says Comedians Worried About It Should Find New Gig)
Or maybe it’s originally from here:https://t.co/A9XvkLiyQh
— Dana Gould (@danagould) October 25, 2021
“Every subject should be allowed,” he added. “I will defend people’s freedom of speech even when I don’t agree with what they have to say. But at the end of the day, the question is whether it’s funny.” (RELATED: ‘It’s No Different Than McCarthyism’: Jon Lovitz Torches ‘Cancel Culture’)
Bobcat then talked about fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who he said went on a “tear” about him on “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” Seinfeld said Bobcat was “not funny” and said he had “no f—ing act,” the Syracuse.com noted.
“When Jerry [Seinfeld] makes a homophobic joke, that’s just pandering to the status quo,” the comedian explained. “He’s not even being edgy. I never had any axe to grind with Seinfeld. Then on his show, he went on that weird tear against me.”
And now, comedians in coffee shops spilling tea, featuring @JerrySeinfeld and @bridgeteverett. pic.twitter.com/gmrBVHtgXc
— Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) July 17, 2019
“In an interview, I saw him say that that was his favorite part of that season,” he added. “He’s a sore winner. I felt like I was in a scene in a western, where the gunslinger has put down his pistols, but then Seinfeld rolls into town, and he’s got to take his Colt 45 off the wall for one last showdown. ‘You really want to get into shit-talking with me?'”
The comedian adds his voice to a growing list of famous people who have reacted to cancel culture, with people like Chris Rock ripping it and saying people “are scared” to speak. Others like Seth Rogen defend cancel culture and say comedians should stop complaining about it and “accept it” if their jokes “have not aged well.”