Political correctness. Conservatives across America say it’s killing us. And in many aspects, I totally disagree with this outdated mindset. The individuals that speak out against specific hateful rhetoric aimed towards them usually have every reason to speak out and, dare I say it, require our society to be a little more politically correct. Don’t worry; being “PC” is not going to diminish us into a country of crybabies. Instead, we should aim our focus on making this nation as inclusive as possible so that certain groups, like Muslims, African Americans, Hispanics, you know, non-white people, feel that they are no longer scapegoats for every single problem our great nation encounters.
There is one realm, however, where political correctness is stomping on creativity and really hindering a beloved art: comedy. Of course, I believe that some comedic material can completely step over the line and really offend a certain group, and most of this mockery is aimed towards minorities. Again, ANYBODY THAT’S NOT WHITE. But in 2016, I feel like comedians are constantly walking on eggshells, tip toing through the issues just so they don’t offend anybody. And to be honest, I truly feel that, no matter what the one-liner or sketch, somebody will get offended in some way, shape, or form.
Colleges and comedians used to go hand-in-hand. A place where differing opinions were more bountiful than the student-to-STD ratio, comedians would entertain these students, bringing them together for a synchronized laugh. But now, it seems to be a breeding ground for political correctness. On a recent ESPN podcast, one of the world’s most well-known comedians, Jerry Seinfeld, voiced his opinion on performing his stand up at colleges: “There’s a creepy political correctness thing that really bothers me.” Seinfeld used to be labeled as a “clean” comedian, and yet he is still getting booed off stage at college performances. Maybe Seinfeld flopped at college campuses because his last commercial success was Bee Movie. Remember Bee Movie? Of course you don’t. The entire premise of the movie is that a successful adult woman who owns a flower shop falls in love with a talking bee. Forget political correctness, maybe he’s just losing his mind. But, the point is, if a legendary comedian like Seinfeld can’t perform at colleges anymore, how can we expect comedy newcomers to?
There seems to be a fine line between something being funny and something hurting our feelings. Besides the occasional celebrity roasts of superstars that have gone off the rails, insult comedy is almost nonexistent. Some may say there is not even a category labeled insult comedy anymore because everyone seems to be hurt by regular, generalized comedy. The classic Dean Martin Roasts that are legendary pieces of comedy revolving around the art of a comedic insult. An apology never came out of Dean Martin’s mouth for commenting about alcoholism. Charlie Chaplin never said, “I’m sorry” to the homeless he poked fun at. But today, if you make one controversial comment towards a specific sex, race, or demographic in your material, you will be pushed to make a comment apologizing all in the same breath, and your career will be in jeopardy.
Of course I understand that a comment can just be too much. A comedian can really go below the belt and, let’s face it, be sexist. Or racist. Or xenophobic. If a comedian’s only material falls under these three characters, maybe they should try another career. Like a Republican senator or something. I don’t know. But isn’t comedy supposed to shine a light on social issues and stereotypes and make them more relaxed? If we cannot talk about them in a lighthearted way or comment on them, then when can we talk about them? You should be able to hear Amy Schumer’s standup or watch an episode of SNL and feel calm and cheerful. However, we have an inherited trigger in us to overact. It’s like we are waiting on the edge of our seats for something to set us off. We are inhibiting comics to push the envelope and develop their material by dismissing them and labeling them as offensive for one joke. So if we can’t laugh at ourselves, then who can?
