“Seinfeld” alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus contrasted Jerry Seinfeld’s view about political correctness in comedy and said there’s a way to find balance between sensitivity and complete censorship.
The famous actress shared her perspective on the recent debate on comedic content during a recent interview with The New York Times published June 8. Louis-Dreyfus’ statements were in response to Seinfeld’s interview with The New Yorker, in which he spoke out about the impact of political correctness on the comedic landscape. He said the downfall of television comedy was “the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people.” (RELATED: ‘Truly The Wild West’: Comedy Is On The Brink Of An Edgy New Era, And Liberal Scolds Are Powerless To Stop It)
“When I hear people starting to complain about political correctness — and I understand why people might push back on it — to me that’s a red flag, because it sometimes means something else,” she told The New York Times.
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The famous actress noted that the topic was a fully-loaded one that requires proper insight and understanding.
“I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing. I don’t know how else to say it,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “It doesn’t mean that all comedy goes out the window as a result.”
The interviewer asked her if she believed sensitivity made comedy “better” by making comedians more aware of the content they put out and how it will be received.
“I can’t judge if it’s better or not. 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. It really is.”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 07: Honoree Julia Louis-Dreyfus attends the NRDC “Night of Comedy” Benefit, honoring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, presented in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, on June 7, 2022 at Neuehouse, Los Angeles, California (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for NRDC)
Louis-Dreyfus suggested this reflected an evolving society in every way.
“Even classically wonderful, indisputably great films from the past are riddled with attitudes that today would not be acceptable,” she said. “So I think it’s just good to be vigilant.”
Seinfeld has his own solution, saying, “now they’re going to see standup comics because we are not policed by anyone. The audience polices us. We know when we’re off track. We know instantly and we adjust to it instantly,” according to The New Yorker.
