Jerry Seinfeld Does Not Care About Gender Or Racial Diversity In Comedy
"People think it's the census or something, it's gotta represent the actual pie chart of America. Who cares?".
Well, this is disappointing. Currently riding a wave of enthusiastic Seinfeld reunion-related press, Jerry Seinfeld sat down for an interview with Buzzfeed overnight to discuss the whole thing. Unfortunately, the comedian took offense when the reporter asked him why his web series ‘Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee’ features so many white males.
“This really pisses me off,” Seinfeld answered. “People think it’s the census or something, it’s gotta represent the actual pie chart of America. Who cares?”
“Funny is the world that I live in. You’re funny, I’m interested. You’re not funny, I’m not interested,” he continued. “I have no interest in gender or race or anything like that. But everyone else is with their little calculating, ‘Is this the exact right mix?’ To me, it’s anti-comedy. It’s more about PC nonsense, than are you making us laugh or not.”
Of the 23 episodes of his series to date, only four have featured people who aren’t white men — Mario Joyner, Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock and Tina Fey. That’s not a great batting average, so the criticism’s justified, especially when you consider the endless editorials that Lena Dunham copped for the same issue during Girls‘ initial 10-episode run.
Dunham instantly acknowledged her show’s shortcomings; here’s hoping Jerry goes back and reflects on the whole thing in one of his signature “What is the deeeeeeeeal?” bits, and tries to play a part in reducing the traditional disparity in the industry instead of just discounting the criticisms out of hand, like an angry Frank Costanza (“Serenity now!”).