Current:Home > MarketsJulia Louis-Dreyfus rejects claims it's 'impossible' for comedians to be funny today -MarketLink
Julia Louis-Dreyfus rejects claims it's 'impossible' for comedians to be funny today
SafeX Pro View
Date:2025-04-08 10:57:33
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is continuing to reject complaints about the modern comedy landscape.
The "Seinfeld" star, 63, pushed back against the idea that comedians can't be funny today during an interview on Monday's episode of the "On with Kara Swisher" podcast.
"I personally don't buy the conceit that this is an impossible time to be funny," she said. "Maybe some people aren't laughing at your jokes, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be made."
In fact, Louis-Dreyfus argued it's a "ripe time" for comedy, adding, "Comedy is risky, and it can be offensive, but that's what makes it so enjoyable — not that it's offensive, but that it's risky. It can be very truth-telling."
Louis-Dreyfus' comments come after she recently told The New York Times that it's a red flag when comedians complain about political correctness ruining comedy.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"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," she said. "I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing. I don't know how else to say it."
Julia Louis-Dreyfuscalls PC comedy complaints a 'red flag' after Jerry Seinfeld comments
That stance stood in contrast to that of her former "Seinfeld" co-star Jerry Seinfeld, who in April told The New Yorker that there is barely any comedy on television anymore because of "the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people."
Seinfeld also suggested some of the storylines from "Seinfeld" would not be allowed today.
Julia Louis-Dreyfusis having her movie-star moment: 'I'm down for the ride and I'm digging it'
"We did an episode of the series in the '90s where Kramer decides to start a business of having homeless pull rickshaws because, as he says, they're outside anyway," the comedian said. "Do you think I could get that episode on the air today?"
Louis-Dreyfus, though, told the NYT that "political correctness, insofar as it equates to tolerance, is obviously fantastic," and the bigger threat to comedy is the "consolidation of money and power" and "all this siloing of studios and outlets and streamers and distributors."
She expanded on this on the "On with Kara Swisher" podcast, saying she is "worried about the corporatization of arts" and concerned that A24 is "one of the very few, if not the last," remaining independent studios making "unusual" films like her dramatic new movie "Tuesday."
Louis-Dreyfus starred as Elaine Benes on "Seinfeld" and later played Selina Meyer in the HBO political satire "Veep," which aired from 2012 to 2019 and frequently shocked viewers with its edgy jokes.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has turned down hosting the Oscars 'a few times'
Meanwhile, Louis-Dreyfus also appeared on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast Monday and revealed she has turned down hosting the Oscars "a few times," noting doing so would "scare" her.
"You have to really want to do it, and I don't really want to do it," the Emmy winner said. "You have to go out there and be really just delighted to be hosting the Academy Awards, and I cannot say that I would have that feeling."
She added, "No offense to everyone."
veryGood! (824)
Related
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Summers Are Getting Hotter Faster, Especially in North America’s Farm Belt
- Beijing adds new COVID quarantine centers, sparking panic buying
- ‘We Must Grow This Movement’: Youth Climate Activists Ramp Up the Pressure
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- WHO renames monkeypox as mpox, citing racist stigma
- Today’s Climate: August 18, 2010
- How a deadly fire in Xinjiang prompted protests unseen in China in three decades
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Harry Potter's Miriam Margolyes Hospitalized With Chest Infection
Ranking
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Natalee Holloway family attorney sees opportunity for the truth as Joran van der Sloot to appear in court
- The rules of improv can make you funnier. They can also make you more confident.
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $250 Crossbody Bag for Just $59
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Today’s Climate: August 12, 2010
- Francia Raisa Pleads With Critics to Stop Online Bullying Amid Selena Gomez Drama
- This $28 Jumpsuit Has 3,300+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews and It’s Available in Sizes Ranging From Small to 4X
Recommendation
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Hurricane Season 2018: Experts Warn of Super Storms, Call For New Category 6
Sorry Gen Xers and Millennials, MTV News Is Shutting Down After 36 Years
Dangerous Contaminants Found in Creek Near Gas Wastewater Disposal Site
Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
Today’s Climate: August 18, 2010
See pictures from Trump indictment that allegedly show boxes of classified documents in Mar-a-Lago bathroom, ballroom
Baltimore Sues 26 Fossil Fuels Companies Over Climate Change