this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2024
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politics

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[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 52 points 2 hours ago (3 children)

Hey, good for him. I believe firmly in reformation, or reflection and changing your views and it sounds to me like he thought about it and came around, so good.

[–] jayk@lemmy.ca 17 points 2 hours ago (3 children)

this is the second time he's changed his mind on this particular issue. After a certain point I wonder why we're still listening to him

[–] Notyou@sopuli.xyz 17 points 1 hour ago

I think he was trying to get a buzz for his stand-up by going anti-woke. Then those people didn't show up for him because they are still laughing at Rob Schneider.

After Jerry realized his mistake, he figured he would say he grew and learned to help any damage control. I don't think people really care enough about him for this, but he is rich enough to have people tell him.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 8 points 1 hour ago

Wait, you wonder why we're still listening to Jerry Seinfeld about comedy?

Like, I don't agree with the guy and I don't think everything he does is funny, but... I mean, I'm a contrarian nerd on the Internet and even I would think about that one twice.

For what it's worth, you can change your mind on things as often as you want. Hell, I'll take older rich guys walking back their slow drift rightwards as many times as is necessary.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

To be fair, it's a complicated topic. Some people see humour as a form of therapy or control over dark topics while others see it as a channel to project them. And both are true. Unfortunately many people lack the spark to discern the two and subsequently fall back on the behaviour they are familiar with; picking a side and setting up camp in it.

[–] Hegar@fedia.io 7 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

sounds to me like he thought about it and came around

That's not what it sounds like to me. I think a slightly different kind of absolute nonsense just started coming out of his face:

“I said that the ‘extreme left’ has suppressed the art of comedy... It’s not true. If you’re a champion skier, you can put the gates anywhere you want on the mountain and you’re going to make the gate. That’s comedy. Whatever the culture is, we make the gate. You don’t make the gate, you’re out of the game. The game is where is the gate and how do I make the gate to get down the hill.”

Even you generously interpret that as coherent thought, he's still saying that the left changed comedy and you can't make same jokes anymore. No awareness that risky and 'offensive' comedy is fine and everywhere, no awareness that there's a difference between offensive comedy and racism on a stage, no awareness of the social context of his comments amidst the rise of fascism.

He just repeated his comments, but less coherently and with the strongly negative words taken out.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 7 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

“Does culture change and are their things that I use to say that [I can’t because] people are always moving [the gate]? Yes, but that’s the biggest and easiest target,” Seinfeld added. “You can’t say certain words about groups. So what? The accuracy of your observation has to be 100 times finer than that just to be a comedian…So I don’t think, as I said, the ‘extreme left’ has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy.”

I don't know, seems pretty cogent to me and it seems pretty far from doubling down.

Why are you guys making me defend Jerry Seinfeld? Seriously, sometimes leftie spaces just can't take a win.

[–] Hegar@fedia.io 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I don't think he's doubling down. Just officially taking back his comments with a bunch of meaningless apology waffle that makes it clear this is not a change of heart, only a change in his official position.

I'm glad that he felt he had to officially change his position, but I think it's incorrect to frame this as "he thought about it and came around".

Your quote is just as clear about that as mine. They both have the official position stated clearly: "I said that the ‘extreme left’ has suppressed the art of comedy... It’s not true.", "I don’t think, as I said, the ‘extreme left’ has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy.

But the remaining apology waffle makes no sense:

"You can’t say certain words about groups. So what? The accuracy of your observation has to be 100 times finer than that just to be a comedian" What does it mean that comedians have to be 100 times more accurate than a racial slur? "things that I use to say that [I can’t because] people are always moving [the gate]? Yes, but that’s the biggest and easiest target" Target for what? By whom? This sentence still implies that he wants to make the jokes that he used to but can't anymore.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 0 points 35 minutes ago

I mean, it's not rocket science. He says he has material he used to do that aged poorly and concedes that's part of the job. I think the point about how comedians need to make observations far finer than just racist jokes generalizing about groups of people is well taken, honestly. "If you're good at this moving on with the times shouldn't be a challenge" is not a particularly controversial statement for a comedian. It's not even a waffle. He's conceding the point in its entirety.

Again, why are progressives so reticent to take a win? If anything his old take is vindicated by him walking this aaaaall the way back and finding that people would rather be mad at him than have him agree with them.

I don't think leftists killed comedy, or even edgy comedy, but I do think that online interaction has a stronger reward structure for outrage than understanding and that is fundamentally dysfunctional.

[–] nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 3 points 1 hour ago

Nice try Jerry, but we’re not falling for that.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 80 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

What does Jerry Seinfeld know about being funny anyway? Wasn’t that Larry David’s job?

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 1 points 4 minutes ago

LOL I feel bad for laughing at that one.

[–] OhmsLawn@lemmy.world 1 points 30 minutes ago

I bet he does. That one didn't go over so well.

[–] Fixbeat@lemmy.ml 2 points 55 minutes ago

Extreme left. Who is this extreme left he’s talking about? People who don’t like being insulted?

[–] nemonic187@lemmy.world 27 points 2 hours ago (1 children)
[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 21 points 2 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Hydra_Fk@reddthat.com 16 points 2 hours ago

Your not a highschool girl, I think your fine.

[–] sub_ubi@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Not looking for approval from a zio