Seth Rogen seems to think that comedy is supposed to be “harder than it used to be”.
The comic challenged the idea that comedy has become more difficult due to modern social norms. In a recent interview with Esquire magazine, the actor and comedian dismissed concerns that political correctness has made it harder for comedians to be funny.
“The complaint that comedy’s harder than it used to be is not a valid complaint,” Rogen said. “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.”
His comments come in response to a broader debate sparked by Jerry Seinfeld, who previously claimed that TV comedy had been stifled by political correctness and the extreme left. Seinfeld later walked back his remarks, admitting that his statement was “not true.”
Rogen acknowledged that the boundaries of acceptable humor continue to evolve but emphasized that this has always been the case in comedy.
“What do you wish you could say?” he questioned. “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—— dare you have said that?”
Even with political shifts, Rogen remains unconcerned about the future of comedy.
“It’s not like we sit down like, all right, new president, what movie do we write?” he said. “I assume that’s what Adam McKay is doing, but it’s not how we choose what we’re going to work on next.”
Seinfeld’s remarks last year sparked a widespread discussion among comedians, with many weighing in on whether political correctness has limited comedy’s impact. His Seinfeld co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus also addressed the topic during an appearance on the On With Kara Swisher podcast, where she strongly disagreed with the notion that comedy has suffered.
“There’s a lot of talk about how comics can’t be funny now,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “I think that’s bullshit. Physical comedy and intellectual comedy and political comedy, I think, has never been more interesting, because there’s so much to do.”
With comedians like Rogen and Louis-Dreyfus pushing back, the debate over comedy’s evolution in today’s social climate remains ongoing.
