Julia Louis-Dreyfus is pushing back after Jerry Seinfeld asked “what’s the deal” with political correctness in comedy.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, the veteran actress challenged Seinfeld’s controversial stance that political correctness is a concern for those who “can’t think.”
“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,” the 63-year-old told the outlet.
“And I think to have an antenna about sensitivities is not a bad thing,” Louis-Dreyfus added. “It doesn’t mean that all comedy goes out the window as a result.”
The Seinfeld star acknowledged that she understands why some people may resist political correctness.
“But to me, that’s a red flag because it sometimes means something else,” she reasoned. “I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing. I don’t know how else to say it.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Clarifies Her Stance on Political Correctness
A few days later, after reflecting further on her initial response, Louis-Dreyfus revisited political correctness.
“I wanted to make sure that I answered this whole idea of political correctness correctly, and I can’t really remember what I said. So I wanted to go back to that and be very clear about where I stand,” she clarified.
“My feeling about all of it is that political correctness, insofar as it equates to tolerance, is obviously fantastic,” she added. “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?”
Louis-Dreyfus highlighted the “bigger problem” as the “consolidation of money and power.” The Veep star argues that the “siloing of studios and outlets” along with “streamers and distributors” poses a significant threat to the “creative voice.”
“So that’s what I want to say in terms of the threat to art,” she added.
However, she admitted she can’t determine if political correctness enhances or detracts from comedy. “I just know that the lens through which we create art today — and I’m not going to just specify it to comedy, it’s also drama — it’s a different lens. It really is,” she explained.
She added, “Even classically wonderful, indisputably great films from the past are riddled with attitudes that today would not be acceptable. So I think it’s just good to be vigilant.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s remarks on political correctness followed Seinfeld’s reflections in April. The 70-year-old comedy legend argued that political correctness frequently results in “stupid mistakes” that can be “offensive.”
He provided guidance on how to steer clear of any trouble with the PC police. “Pick up a paper, find out what’s going on, and just navigate around it,” he told Page Six.