“Comedy is more challenging” in the current political climate

Ben Stiller calls on comedians to continue pushing boundaries.

During a recent interview with Radio TimesThe “Severance” director said comedy faces unprecedented challenges in the current political climate. However, he urged workers in this type not to back down in the face of external pressures.

“We live in a world where it’s more difficult to take risks with comedy,” Stiller said. “You see this front and center in our country. But I think it’s important that comedians keep doing what they’re doing, speaking truth to power, and being free to say what they want. That’s the most important thing.”

Free speech in comedy has been at the forefront of Hollywood’s minds since Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily pulled from ABC after the late-night host made on-air comments about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC has suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on September 17, and the network rebroadcast the show on September 22.

Stiller went on to point out another threat to comedy: social media. He fears that the hyperactive nature of platforms like TikTok and Instagram has corrupted audience attention and weakened the craft of comedians.

“You have things that reach large audiences very quickly,” Stiller said. “I think we’ve underestimated it a little bit. I feel lucky to have grown up in the analog world.”

Stiller was one of Hollywood’s most successful comedy men of the late 1990s and early 2000s, having appeared in films such as “Happy Gilmore,” “Meet the Parents,” “Zoolander,” “Anchorman,” “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” and “Tropic.” “Thunder”.