Comedian Jerry Seinfeld made news this week as he commented on his disdain for young people's emerging reactionary attitudes, particularly on college campuses. He told ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd a few days ago that he (and other famous comics) avoid performing at colleges because today's teenagers don't know how to find humor in life, and always seem to be on the lookout for opportunities to respond with "-isms" to show their displeasure. He said, in a rare use of adult language, that young people today, who have never actually lived during a time of real racial or gender discrimination, "don't know what the f--- they're talking about." They simply enjoy throwing around important-sounding words like "racist," "sexist," or "prejudice."
Seinfeld continued the conversation by penning and publishing a letter to his wife describing his exasperation with excessive sensitivity and the burden of political correctness. He has repeatedly stated, in interviews and on his fun web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, that he doesn't care about most politically-charged gender, racial, or other social issues--he cares about what's funny. And he's saddened that so many other comedians have gotten caught up in trying to appease people's obsession with cultural concerns that they don't focus on comedy.
He writes, "It's up to people like me to stay strong and keep fighting for what we believe in: our right to say whatever we want, no matter how unthreatened or undisputed or lucrative to us it may be."
Seinfeld is exactly correct on this issue, as he is about nearly all of his famous observations. As someone who spends most of his waking hours on a college campus, the sensitivity of today's young adults is shocking and saddening. To think the future leaders of the free world are so thin-skinned should cause major concern. College is where ideas should flow freely, so that we may root out bad ones through debate and discussion, rather than on a battlefield with weapons and war. College is where learning how to deal with differences is almost as important as working on your major. College is where reflection of the mind and growth of the soul occurs, and that is only possible when one is challenged with ideas that are uncomfortable and even, at times, offensive.
It's disappointing to see that comics as talented as Seinfeld want nothing to do with colleges today. It's particularly ironic that as one of the most mild comedians in show business, even he feels threatened by the potential for campus backlash if he happens to take a misstep. I was able to see Seinfeld live several years ago during his tour through Phoenix, and he was great. His "nothings" are worth so many somethings. It's a shame that college students today have to venture to an off-campus venue to learn interesting things about the world.
Seinfeld continued the conversation by penning and publishing a letter to his wife describing his exasperation with excessive sensitivity and the burden of political correctness. He has repeatedly stated, in interviews and on his fun web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, that he doesn't care about most politically-charged gender, racial, or other social issues--he cares about what's funny. And he's saddened that so many other comedians have gotten caught up in trying to appease people's obsession with cultural concerns that they don't focus on comedy.
He writes, "It's up to people like me to stay strong and keep fighting for what we believe in: our right to say whatever we want, no matter how unthreatened or undisputed or lucrative to us it may be."
Seinfeld is exactly correct on this issue, as he is about nearly all of his famous observations. As someone who spends most of his waking hours on a college campus, the sensitivity of today's young adults is shocking and saddening. To think the future leaders of the free world are so thin-skinned should cause major concern. College is where ideas should flow freely, so that we may root out bad ones through debate and discussion, rather than on a battlefield with weapons and war. College is where learning how to deal with differences is almost as important as working on your major. College is where reflection of the mind and growth of the soul occurs, and that is only possible when one is challenged with ideas that are uncomfortable and even, at times, offensive.
It's disappointing to see that comics as talented as Seinfeld want nothing to do with colleges today. It's particularly ironic that as one of the most mild comedians in show business, even he feels threatened by the potential for campus backlash if he happens to take a misstep. I was able to see Seinfeld live several years ago during his tour through Phoenix, and he was great. His "nothings" are worth so many somethings. It's a shame that college students today have to venture to an off-campus venue to learn interesting things about the world.