Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has shared her thoughts on political correctness in comedy.
Speaking to The New York Times, the actor addressed the current debate about sensitivity in comedy towards some subjects.
When asked to respond to former co-star Jerry Seinfeld’s comments about political correctness, Louis-Dreyfus gave a somewhat contrasting view.
“It doesn’t mean that all comedy goes out the window as a result,” she said. “When I hear people starting to complain about political correctness — and I understand why people might push back on it — to me that’s a red flag, because it sometimes means something else.”
She continued: “I believe being aware of certain sensitivities is not a bad thing. I don’t know how else to say it.”
In April, the Seinfeld star and creator gave his thoughts on the general state of comedy, and shared some controversial thoughts about the developing impact of political correctness.
He said that the downfall of television comedy is “the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people.”
He continued: “Now they’re going to see standup comics because we are not policed by anyone. The audience polices us. We know when we’re off track. We know instantly and we adjust to it instantly.”
Seinfeld then referred to an episode of the hit 1990s sitcom in which a “Kramer decides to start a business of having homeless people pull rickshaws because, as he says, ‘They’re outside anyway’”.
“Do you think I could get that episode on the air today?” he asked.
Rob McElhenney, the creator and star of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia also responded to Seinfeld’s comments, suggesting that television shows with controversial references are still made today.
He responded to an X post about Seinfeld’s interview quote with the one-word answer: “Probably.” Alongside the response he posted a photo of one of the sitcom’s long-running characters, Matthew “Rickety Cricket” Mara, whose arc spirals downward from being a priest to a homeless drug addict.
Fans supported McElhenney’s response, with one user writing on X: “Seinfeld walked so Rickety Cricket could run”.
Elsewhere, Michael Richards, who played Kramer on Seinfeld has addressed his infamous N-word tirade in 2006, saying: “I’m not racist”.