Here’s something of a riddle: What’s the gloomiest thing you can talk about in comedy?
The answer: The state of comedy.
It’s a touchy subject, especially in a more modern, restrictive, and “politically correct” climate that legendary comedians like Ricky Gervais have long railed against due to how much it restricts comedy.
And while he didn’t go nearly as far as Gervais typically does, you can add longtime Hollywood star Vince Vaughn as yet another person who is not a fan of this restrictive, overly-PC environment.
In a wide-spanning interview with Variety, Vaughn broached the topic of the comedy climate, and he made his feelings perfectly clear.
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Speaking about some of his past works, specifically with director Craig Zahler, Vaughn mentioned: “Look how much that has resonated, because there’s something that feels provocative, in the sense that it’s allowing itself to be what it wants to be.
“It’s not worrying about offending anyone.
“Like [author] Kurt Vonnegut said, ‘If you open a window and try to please everyone, you’ll catch pneumonia.’
“I think the stuff that does resonate is always things that at least feel like they’re being authentic to the piece.
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“They’re not trying to code it in a way that feels responsible. That feels like a snoozefest to me; a responsible comedy feels like a time to take a nap.”
Elsewhere, Vaughn suggested that Hollywood outfits should let the new generation of directors make movies without constant nagging.
“I think that’s a big problem now — you’ve got to let young people go make a movie and leave them alone,” the actor explained.
Vaughn, who has starred in a number of legendary comedies, like “Swingers,” “Wedding Crashers” and “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” didn’t broach the subject elsewhere in the lengthy interview, but it clearly left a big impression on Variety.
Despite being a relatively small part of the piece, Variety’s headline reads: “Vince Vaughn Says ‘Responsible’ Comedies Are a ‘Snoozefest’: Hollywood Should ‘Let Young People Go Make Movies and Leave Them Alone,’” so his remarks clearly resonated.
And that’s hardly a surprise, given the rising pushback against comedy restrictions.
Just in March, comedian Conan O’Brien and “The Office” actor Zach Woods both lamented the state of comedy on a podcast.
“I mean, so many things need skewering, on both sides of the spectrum,” O’Brien said.
