Dan Aykroyd, who played Dr. Raymond Stantz in the original Ghostbusters, said offensive, hurtful comedy should be canceled. The actor, 69, first found fame as a comedy performer on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s. Along with his close friend John Belushi, the two regulars eventually entered Hollywood with a feature film version of their recurring sketch, The Blues Brothers. The actor has a long career in the industry, including an Oscar-nominated supporting role in 1989's Driving Miss Daisy.
Conversations regarding 'canceling' comedians and programs for outdated and offensive material have been ongoing. Many shows have faced retroactive backlash campaigns, causing them to either be removed or the creators to apologize for the content. Recently, Dave Chappelle caused waves with his Netflix special The Closer, which contained a slew of hurtful and harmful remarks about transgender people. The public backlash was met with a shrug from Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, who refused to remove or condemn the special. This led to a walkout staged by Netflix employees and a cascade of think pieces about the topic of cancel culture. Now, Aykroyd weighs in on the debate with some hard truth about humor and so-called cancellation.
In an interview with THR ahead of the anticipated sequel, Aykroyd explained his opinions on comedy and cancel culture. The actor believes the comedy spectrum means that "you don't have to go pulling any divisive cards to get a laugh." Speaking about the controversial 'cancel culture' surrounding dated comedy and edgy routines, the former SNL member said, "there is more intelligent writing that can happen if you stay away from the offensive material." Going into specifics about his own experiences, Aykroyd points out, "Can I do my James Brown imitation? He was one of my best friends. I do his voice pretty good. But maybe I shouldn't anymore." See the full interview quote below:
“There is enough range in humor where you don’t have to go scatological and you don’t have to go pulling any divisive cards to get a laugh. There is so much in the world to comment on that is outside the realm of offensiveness. As a writer, you can go to other areas and have successful creative endeavors. Scatological humor is fun. It’s easy laughs. But there is more intelligent writing that can happen if you stay away from the offensive material that should be rightly canceled for its hurtfulness. Who can be the subject of an impression today? That’s an area of discussion. Can I do my James Brown imitation? He was one of my best friends. I do his voice pretty good. But maybe I shouldn’t anymore.”
Aykroyd's career isn't slowing down any time soon; he's recently been attached to a Blues Brothers Docuseries being developed about the making of the hit comedy. The actor also narrated Travel's ghostly reality series Hotel Paranormal. Many fellow comedians and creatives have come out in recent years to lambast the trends of 'cancel culture,' often citing that some of the best comedies couldn't get made in today's more socially conscious society. It's refreshing to see Aykroyd push back against that stance, and remind other comedians that there are plenty of ways to get a laugh without hurting other people in the process.
Audiences can rest assured Aykroyd knows what he's talking about as an experienced comedy writer and actor. The star argues that comedy is a multi-faceted medium, with options beyond offensiveness and division. The specific point he raises about impressions and race is even more relevant as audiences see formerly white-voiced caricatures such as Apu on The Simpsons getting replaced by racially accurate voice actors. Aykroyd has a simple stance and believes there are better ways to make people laugh.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
