Julia Louis-Dreyfus, too, has an opinion on political correctness in comedy: ‘It’s just good to be vigilant’
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — Move over, Jerry. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has entered the chat.
Last month, comedian Jerry Seinfeld sparked discourse online when he told the New Yorker in an interview that he felt there isn’t any “funny stuff” to watch on TV anymore, complaining that it was “the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people.”
Asked to respond to her former “Seinfeld” co-star’s much-talked-about comments during a recent interview with the New York Times, Louis-Dreyfus replied thoughtfully, saying “I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing.”
“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,” she said.
Without name-checking her former co-star, Louis-Dreyfus added, “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.”
The “Veep” star followed up her initial thoughts in a second call with the reporter, according to the Times.
Political correctness, she later said, “insofar as it equates to tolerance, is obviously fantastic.” She added that she still reserves the right to “boo anyone who says anything that offends me, while also respecting their right to free speech.”
“I think it’s just good to be vigilant,” she added.
The bigger problem, she said, is the “consolidation of money and power” as it pertains to the “siloing” of Hollywood’s studios, streamers and distributors, which she looks at as the real “threat to art.”
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