Most people would be delighted to get comedy advice from a veteran like Seth Rogen, but comics who claim that “comedy’s getting difficult” and complain about “cancel culture” won’t want to hear what the comedian has to say. You might remember when Jerry Seinfeld and a whole slew of other comedians proclaimed that P.C. culture and that the so-called “extreme left” killed comedy. The result of all this, they said, is that comedy just isn’t the same as decades prior. Well, Rogen’s response is, “Duh.”
Seinfeld has since gone back on his harsh statement and publicly says he regrets it, because he came to the same realization that Rogen did. In an interview with Esquire, Rogen shared his thoughts about the state of comedy and those who whine about how difficult it has seemingly gotten to make jokes. The Superbad writer lays it out plain and simple:
“The complaint that comedy’s harder than it used to be is not a valid complaint. Maybe it was too easy before. And why should it be? Why shouldn’t it be hard? I like that my job is hard, because I’m trying to do something that requires a huge amount of resources and people’s time and energy.”
Although the comedian acknowledges that what is considered offensive is shifting, he made the astute observation that the fine line between a laugh and a boo is nothing new for comedy:
“What do you wish you could say? What do you feel has been taken from you? It’s always funny when people are like: Oh, they could never make the Diversity Day episode of ‘The Office’ today. You can still watch it… I’m constantly meeting teenagers who love ‘Superbad’ and who think it holds up, and none of them are like: How f*cking dare you have said that?”
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Say less.
Some might say that comedy will always be in a state of change and that this turbulence is the breeding ground for innovative jokes that keep comedy alive. If comedy were really dead, then how would comedians like Tim Robinson have successful comedy shows and a growing fan base? How could Josh Johnson put out roughly 30 minutes of great new material each week for the past year? Rogen also has a new comedy series in the works called The Studio, that might just give him a chance to expand on these feelings.
People often get caught up in the cultural zeitgeist, thinking comedians’ jokes are concretely tied to world events, but Rogen doesn’t see his comedy career that way, saying:
“It’s not like we sit down, like: alright, new president, what movie do we write? I assume that’s what Adam McKay is doing, but it’s not how we choose what we’re going to work on next.”
It is such a breath of fresh air to hear modern comedians state the obvious fact that so many other comedians who are stuck in the past can’t seem to understand: things change. If you took a joke from the ’80s and said it in the ’60s, people probably would react the way they do today when a comedian tries to recycle their same shtick from a decade ago.
You can view the original article HERE.
