“Any comedian that doesn’t understand that dynamic, you’re finished.”
Veteran comedian Jerry Seinfeld has weighed in on the James Gunn situation following the director’s high profile firing from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
Gunn was dismissed by Disney in late July after a series of offensive tweets that he posted in the past resurfaced.
Despite the best efforts of the Guardians cast to return Gunn to the fold, it seems that the surprise blockbuster franchise will indeed move forward without him.
Many have debated the nature of Gunn’s sacking, with some arguing that his tweets, while undeniably crass and offensive, spoke to a different person than the one he would become in the following years.
Some have described the situation as an orchestrated takedown of the director in response to how vocal and critical Gunn has been of the Donald Trump administration.
Others believe the punishment is just, and have pointed to the likes of Rosanne Barr’s removal from her own show for similar social media behaviour, as something approaching balance.
In a new interview with The New York Times, veteran comedian Jerry Seinfeld has given his two cents.
“I didn’t read the jokes, but if they’re jokes, it doesn’t matter,” offered Seinfeld when asked for his take.
“I guess Roseanne Barr thought she was being funny, but it wasn’t funny — and if it’s offensive and not funny, then it’s not a joke,” he continued.
“But any comedian that doesn’t understand that dynamic, you’re finished anyway.”
Seinfeld, whose 90s sitcom of the same name is rightly regarded as one of the best in TV history, also discussed his own attitude towards Twitter and why you’re unlikely to ever see him throw out some gags of his own.
“I don’t hear the laugh,” he said.
“Why waste my time? It’s a horrible performing interface. I can’t think of a worse one. I always think about people that write books. What a horrible feeling it must be to have poured your soul into a book over a number of years and somebody comes up to you and goes, ‘I loved your book,’ and they walk away, and you have no idea what worked and what didn’t.
“That to me is hell. That’s my definition of hell.”
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
