Cancel Culture is where comedians find themselves in three different camps.
- Some don’t address the subject at all. Perhaps they think it doesn’t apply to them, or they hope the woke mob won’t knock on their door for past or present jokes.
- Another group is Chrissie Mayr (Tyler Fischer), Ryan Long and JP Sears. They actively oppose the censorious trend.
- A third sub-section suggests it’s a figment of our imagination.
This video features a variety of left-leaning stars such as Jon Stewart and Marc Maron, along with David Cross.
The Arrested DevelopmentVox.com interviewed the alum about the topic. Cross and Cross shared their dislike for partisan comedy (with or without irony) during the wide-ranging discussion.
After that, the interview moved into Cancel Culture. Cross, clearly recalling how Lenny Bruce suffered serial arrests for telling dirty jokes, suggested the cultural trend isn’t impacting comedians.
“That’s bulls***,” Cross says of the notion that some comedians can no longer find work:
If we think about it in less histrionic terminology, there’s certainly a reality now where if you say something and if you don’t apologize and you double down and then you triple down, then you’re going to have a segment of your fan base react. And you’re going to have lots of people who didn’t care about you in the first place doing that whole performative outrage thing. They’re just showing their weight as consumers. It’s not that different from people saying, “We’re going to boycott this thing because they advertise on Tucker Carlson and I don’t like what he said.”
He’s wrong, of course.
Many of those “outraged” by comedians aren’t actually fans of the performers in question. They likely wouldn’t buy his or her next comedy album or tour ticket.
They would like them to be removed from comedy or other entertainment. Period. Ask Mayr. He said that some comedians have a list of stand-ups who are supportive of President Donald Trump.
Cross also blames capitalism, pointing out that comics are losing their fan bases. He’s not being forthcoming here, either. He’s not being forthcoming here either.
So people aren’t getting canceled. They’re either getting their tickets refunded or trying to shame people [emphasis added] from going to see somebody’s live show. Who knows what kind of effect that’ll have? It’s unlikely.
Is he asking fellow comedians for their opinions? He approves of shameful comedians telling jokes that offend a very limited group. Do you understand what it is like for comedians to fear of offending any one or more people? Doesn’t that diminish their creativity, their art?
“I don’t know anybody that’s not able to do standup anymore because they said something offensive,” he added, clearly unfamiliar with the name Roseanne Barr.
This sitcom star shared a tweet that was racially charged about former Obama Administration official. It caused her to lose her job. Barr apologized immediately and suggested she didn’t realize Valerie Jarrett, the target of her ugly Tweet, was black.
There is no problem.
ABC took away her beloved show, along with the millions of dollars it was still making from it. She hasn’t worked in traditional Hollywood since. It’s possible she will never work in Hollywood again.
It sounds like Cross was canceled. Cross was Cross unable to make it through the huge news cycle that Cross created?
Cross also confuses artists who use racist and misogynistic humors with people who challenge social norms. Dave Chappelle clearly doesn’t hate transgender people. One trans comic was his last friend.
His humor also explores elements of the trans community. He is currently under fire for this. The Cancel Culture shadow may prevent him from distributing his comedy documentary.
Plus, the insidious nature of Cancel Culture often can’t be pinned down. Comics are known to self-censor in order to protect their work. The stars of Showtime’s Desus & MeroYou can admit that you did it.
They aren’t alone.
Cross could be accused of making unflattering jokes during his tenure. Arrested Development? One of the show’s story arcs involved a cross-dressing Cross, a bit dubbed transphobic by a gay and lesbian publication at the time.
The show’s marketing team even leaned into that sentiment.
Is there any other troubling jokes from his past? What if they “resurface,” especially if he ever expresses an opinion the woke mob loathes?
If that happens, chances are he’ll have an entirely different outlook on Cancel Culture. But it might be too late.
[Cross-posted from Hollywood in Toto]
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