Julia Louis-Dreyfus, known for her work in “Seinfeld” and “Veep” told The New York Times in a profile published Saturday that political correctness doesn’t hurt comedy.
“If you look back on comedy and drama both, let’s say 30 years ago, through the lens of today, you might find bits and pieces that don’t age well,” said Louis-Dreyfus. “And I think to have an antenna about sensitivities is not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean that all comedy goes out the window as a result. 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. I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing. I don’t know how else to say it.”
Louis-Dreyfus was asked about the subject in regards to her former “Seinfeld” co-star, Jerry Seinfeld, when he told The New Yorker in April that comedy has been ruined by “the extreme left and P.C. crap.”
Louis-Dreyfus continued with her thoughts on political correctness, telling the Times that “as it equates to tolerance,” it’s “obviously fantastic.”
“And of course I reserve the right to boo anyone who says anything that offends me, while also respecting their right to free speech, right,” she said. “But the bigger problem — and I think the true threat to art and the creation of art — is the consolidation of money and power. All this siloing of studios and outlets and streamers and distributors — I don’t think it’s good for the creative voice. So that’s what I want to say in terms of the threat to art.”
People on social media praised Louis-Dreyfus for her take, with some calling her “mother,” and saying this is why she’s had a successful career post-“Seinfeld.”
Before his remarks on political correctness, Seinfeld said on a podcast that he misses “dominant masculinity” and that he likes a “real man.”
“I really thought, when I was in that era, again, it was JFK, it was Muhammad Ali, it was Sean Connery, Howard Cosell ― you can go all the way down there,” Seinfeld told “Honestly” host Bari Weiss in a podcast episode.