Actor, comedian, and filmmaker Seth Rogen thinks that comedians should accept it when their jokes age terribly. The 39-year-old has encountered his fair share of big laughs as well as controversy over the years, but his brand of comedy has never come off as particularly mean-spirited. This is arguably one of the reasons why Rogen has managed to remain relevant in recent years, unlike some comedians who have complained about cancel culture.
To be fair, Rogen hasn’t focused on stand-up comedy for years. In 2019, during an episode of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Rogen revealed that he thought he wanted to be a stand-up comedian until he came to L.A., where he watched stand-ups who really wanted to be professional comedians. None the less, Rogen’s comedy found other avenues – namely hit films like Superbad, Pineapple Express and This Is the End, which he wrote along with his creative partner Evan Goldberg. In recent years, however, there’s been no shortage of well-established comedians such as Seinfeld, Bill Burr, and Dave Chappelle who have complained that cancel culture is ruining comedy and that if a joke makes people laugh, then it’s funny – no more, no less.
During a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain (via Mediaite), Rogen stated his belief that comedians should accept it when a joke they’ve told doesn’t age well. The idea might seem like an obvious one to most, but it’s a potentially controversial opinion for some comedians and the fact that it comes from Rogen might rub some the wrong way. Admitting that jokes aren’t necessarily "built to last" and that some of those jokes can be found in past films he’s made, Rogen explained:
There are certain jokes that for sure have not aged well, but I think that’s the nature of comedy. I think conceptually those movies are sound, and I think there’s a reason they’ve lasted as far as people still watching and enjoying them today. Jokes are not things that necessarily are built to last. To me when I see comedians complaining about this kind of thing, I don't understand what they're complaining about. If you’ve made a joke that’s aged terribly, accept it. And if you don’t think it’s aged terribly, then say that.
The statement marks further evidence of an evolution of sorts in Rogen’s career. Over the course of the past decade there’s been a perceptible shift away from the stoner-bro sort of comedy that was originally his bread and butter. This isn’t to say that Rogen’s abandoned his roots, but he’s also publicly stated that he won’t work with James Franco for the time being and that their relationship has changed in light of Franco’s sexual misconduct allegations. It seems that Rogen is maturing as a celebrity, while actively working to ensure that his work is inclusive and respectful of all. At the same time, he’s aware that he’s been a part of some projects that may not have lived up to those standards.
While Seth Rogen’s recent remarks may not jibe with what some comedians believe about the nature of comedy, he’s got the right idea. Being a famous comedian doesn’t mean there’s no best before date on material, and particularly in recent years, there’s been some significant moments that have altered perspectives on a variety of very serious issues. There’s nothing wrong with comedy being respectful, and Rogen’s thoughts on this subject will be much appreciated by many.
Source: Good Morning Britain (via Mediaite)