Seinfeld actor John O’Hurley says we lost ‘ability to be silly’

Seinfeld actor John O’Hurley has joined Jerry Seinfeld in criticizing the state of comedy, arguing that people in the modern age have lost the “ability to be silly.”

Seinfeld commented in a recent interview that there are no longer any comedy television programs due to “the extreme Left” and politically correct culture being too concerned about offending people. O’Hurley, who played entrepreneur John Peterman in the Seinfeld comedy series, was asked if there was any chance for comedy to make a return, to which he replied that it was an “interesting” question. 

“And the problem is that we have lost our ability to be silly,” O’Hurley said on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime. “That’s a sad thing when you think about it. Just let the shoulders go loose and say something silly about yourself.”

O’Hurley noted how many people of differing ethnicities have historically sought to be included in the realm of comedy but that it is no longer possible in the modern age. He added that the demand to be included is no longer present, but rather that “there’s a select group of those who know better” who believe they should be excluded from being the butt of a joke.

“Our comedy is no longer silly, it’s not about that,” O’Hurley said. “It’s mocking and it’s sarcasm, and that’s not comedy.”

The comedian’s comment prompted host Jesse Watters to encourage people to “Make America Silly Again,” a play on former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Seinfeld, in criticizing the modern state of comedy, argued that many people are turning to stand-up comedians because of how unfiltered they are. He added that stand-up comedians are able to tell their type of comedy rather than having it go through multiple different editors.

Seinfeld’s criticism of modern comedy shows comes as a contradiction to several other shows still on the air, such as South Park and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, both of which are getting new seasons and delve into dark comedy.

Related articles

Share article

Latest articles