After comedian Jerry Seinfeld told ESPN radio that political correctness on college campuses was hurting comedy, Wednesday’s CBS This Morning was the only network news broadcast to report on the topic. Fill-in co-host Jeff Glor declared: “Jerry Seinfeld thinks young people today are too politically correct for his comedy....The former sitcom star is raising some controversy, calling out millennials for not being able to laugh.”
In the full report that followed, correspondent Vladimir Duthiers began: “What's the deal with millennials? That's what Jerry Seinfeld wants to know. The 61-year-old comic legend said last week political correctness is running amok among young people.”
A soundbite ran of Seinfeld telling ESPN: “I don't play colleges, but a lot of people tell me, ‘Don't go near colleges. They're so PC.’ They just want to use these words. ‘That's racist. That's sexist. That’s prejudice.’ They don’t even know what they’re talking about.”
Proving Seinfeld’s point, Duthiers raised accusations of the star’s sitcom lacking diversity: “Seinfeld famously avoided vulgar and offensive humor. But he was criticized for the lack of diversity on his long-running TV show....As well as his web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which featured no women and just one black comic during its first season.”
Duthiers noted: “Seinfeld addressed that criticism in a CBS This Morning BuzzFeed Brews segment last year.” In a clip of the 2014 appearance, Seinfeld pushed back: “To me it's anti-comedy. It's more about, you know, PC nonsense than are you making us laugh or not?”
Launching a defense of millennials, Duthiers claimed: “And yet those so-called humorless millenials are still able to laugh at the edgy jokes of Comedy Central stars like Key & Peele and Amy Schumer.”
He also shoe-horned in a defense of incoming Daily Show host Trevor Noah: “Just a few months ago the new host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah came under fire for some years-old tweets that some people found offensive.”
Noah also joked that America was worse than Apartheid South Africa.
Seinfeld appeared on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Myers on Tuesday – aired early Wednesday morning – and elaborated on his comments: “I can imagine a time when people say, 'Well, that's offensive to suggest that a gay person moves their hands in a flourishing motion, and you now need to apologize.' I mean, there's a creepy PC thing out there that really bothers me."
Here is a full transcript of the June 10 CBS This Morning segment:
7:43 AM ET
JEFF GLOR: Jerry Seinfeld thinks young people today are too politically correct for his comedy. He says this time there is something wrong with that. The former sitcom star is raising some controversy, calling out millennials for not being able to laugh. Vladimir Duthiers of our digital network CBSN is outside the Comedy Cellar in New York. That’s where Seinfeld filmed much of his 2002 documentary Comedian. Vlad, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: All Kidding Aside; Seinfeld Says He Won’t Perform on College Campuses]
VLAD DUTHIERS: Good morning. Jerry Seinfeld still travels around the country doing stand up and he's known to make some surprise appearances here at the Comedy Cellar, but his latest comments about young people [they] didn't find funny.
What's the deal with millennials? That's what Jerry Seinfeld wants to know. The 61-year-old comic legend said last week political correctness is running amok among young people.
JERRY SEINFELD: I don't play colleges, but a lot of people tell me, “Don't go near colleges. They're so PC.” They just want to use these words. “That's racist. That's sexist. That’s prejudice.” They don’t even know what they’re talking about.
DUTHIERS: Comedian Mark Norman says college students have complained about his jokes.
MARK NORMAN: Do you ever go to a town so small they're still racist towards certain white people? You know? They’re like, “Hey, watch out over there, that's where the dirty Irish live.” I was like, Jesus [bleep].
DUTHIERS: He thinks much of the anger is fake outrage.
NORMAN: “Oh, look how cultured and interesting I am. I’m angry.” No, you’re not, you’re an idiot.
DUTHIERS: Seinfeld famously avoided vulgar and offensive humor. But he was criticized for the lack of diversity on his long-running TV show.
JASON ALEXANDER [AS GEORGE COSTANZA]: You know what would be a great? If he could just see me with some of my black friends.
SEINFELD: Yeah, except you don't really have any black friends. Outside of us, you don't really have any white friends either.
SEINFELD [COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE]: Hi, I'm Jerry Seinfeld.
DUTHIERS: As well as his web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which featured no women and just one black comic during its first season.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Who are the Brookyln hipsters that are taking over?
SEINFELD: Oh, these people see here. As I say, if they were really hipsters, how could there be so many of them?
MAN: Yeah, exactly.
DUTHIERS: Seinfeld addressed that criticism in a CBS This Morning BuzzFeed Brews segment last year.
SEINFELD: To me it's anti-comedy. It's more about, you know, PC nonsense than are you making us laugh or not?
DUTHIERS: Seinfeld joins Chris Rock and Larry the Cable Guy in avoiding colleges. And yet those so-called humorless millenials are still able to laugh at the edgy jokes of Comedy Central stars like Key & Peele and Amy Schumer.
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS [INSIDE AMY SCHUMER]: Are you that girl from the television who talks about her [bleep] all the time?
AMY SCHUMER: Yes! Yes, that – thank you.
NORMAN: These are jokes. Grow up. Get a life. Get off you’re computer, go out and get some sun, you fat loser. Print it, alright.
DUTHIERS: Just a few months ago the new host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah came under fire for some years-old tweets that some people found offensive. But in a radio interview, Jerry Seinfeld insisted that political correctness hasn’t cowered him from delivering his jokes. He said, “I talk about the subjects I talk about because for some reason I can make them funny. The ones I can't make funny, you don't hear.” Gayle?
GAYLE KING: I think Jerry Seinfeld's humor has always been very relatable.
CHARLIE ROSE: Absolutely.
GLOR: Yeah, and if you want to play college campuses, play college campuses, right?
KING: There's nothing wrong with that. Vlad, we thank you.
