Jerry Seinfeld Sounds Off About the ‘Extreme Left and PC Crap’ Hurting Comedy

(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Jerry Seinfeld blamed the “extreme left” and political correctness for limiting how far comics can push the boundaries in 2024.

Seinfeld appeared on The New Yorker Radio Hour with David Remnick to talk about the future of comedy and how much people will always need a good laugh.

“Nothing really affects comedy. They need it, people need it so badly, and they don’t get it,” Seinfeld began, continuing:

It used to be you’d go home at the end of the day, most people would go, “Oh, Cheers is on. Oh, M.A.S.H. is on. Oh, Mary Tyler Moore is on. All in the Family is on.” You’d just expect, there’ll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight. Well, guess what? Where is it?

This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people. When you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands, committees groups — “Here’s our thought about this joke” — Well, that’s the end of your comedy. They move the gates, like in skiing. Culture — the gates are moving. Your job is to be agile and clever enough that wherever they put the gates, I’m gonna make the gate.

Seinfeld starred in his eponymous television show for nine seasons on NBC, and became one of the most popular shows of the 1990s. Most recently, he appeared alongside comedy writer Larry David for the final episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Watch the clip above via The New Yorker Radio Hour.