Russell Peters on 'cancel culture,' political correctness and comedy | W5 Extended
Summary
TLDRIn this candid discussion, a comedian reflects on his 33-year career, his Canadian upbringing, and the shift from modest goals to striving for more. He shares insights on modern sensitivities, cancel culture, and free speech, particularly in comedy, emphasizing that people today lack coping mechanisms for adversity. The comedian criticizes the tendency to get easily offended, stating that offense doesn't always equate to being right. He praises Dave Chappelle's controversial stand-up for addressing topics others fear, while advocating for humor as a means to tackle serious issues without stifling free speech.
Takeaways
- đ The speaker never expected to be as successful as they are today, growing up with a Canadian mindset focused on meeting basic needs.
- đ Over time, they realized there was potential to achieve more and began focusing on standing out rather than blending in.
- đ¶ Their current focus is influenced by being a 52-year-old with four children, ranging from ages 3.5 to 30, which presents new challenges and concerns about the future.
- đ They acknowledge that the sensitivities of younger generations are a result of the older generation, particularly in creating political correctness.
- đ€ The speaker avoids sharing certain content on social media to avoid negative reactions from people who donât understand their work.
- đ They believe that being offended doesnât necessarily make someone right, and people need to develop better coping mechanisms for adversity.
- đ Many comedians, including the speaker, avoid performing at universities due to restrictions on free speech and fear of offending sensitive audiences.
- đ The speaker feels cancel culture doesnât affect them, as those wanting to cancel them werenât their audience to begin with.
- đ€ They enjoy pushing the boundaries in their comedy but know how to toe the line without crossing into truly offensive territory.
- đ€ The speaker is friends with Dave Chappelle and praised his ability to address sensitive topics in comedy, despite public criticism.
Q & A
What was the interviewee's mindset when they started their career 33 years ago?
-The interviewee had a Canadian mindset, which focused on just getting enough to meet their needs. Over time, they realized the possibility of achieving more and started focusing on standing out rather than blending in.
How has the interviewee's life changed in the past four years, and how has that impacted their perspective?
-The interviewee now has four children, with two biological and two stepchildren, aged 30, 28, 12, and 3.5 years. This shift has made them more concerned about the future and the sensitivities of younger generations.
How does the interviewee feel about the sensitivities of the younger generation?
-The interviewee believes that the younger generation lacks coping mechanisms and that their sensitivities are a result of the previous generation, which introduced political correctness.
Why does the interviewee hesitate to post clips on social media?
-The interviewee hesitates to post clips because they donât want to deal with criticism from people who donât understand their humor, especially younger individuals acting as 'social warriors.'
What is the interviewee's stance on offense and humor?
-The interviewee believes that just because someone is offended doesn't mean they are right. If something bothers an individual, it's their problem, not the world's, and people need to learn to cope with adversity.
Why do comedians, including the interviewee, avoid performing at university campuses?
-Comedians avoid university campuses because they believe that the environment has become overly sensitive and restrictive, particularly with free speech, making it difficult for them to perform their material.
What is the interviewee's opinion on cancel culture?
-The interviewee thinks cancel culture is ineffective in impacting their career, as the people trying to cancel them were never going to support them in the first place. They focus on performing for their existing audience rather than bowing to cancel culture.
How does the interviewee describe their approach to pushing boundaries in their performances?
-The interviewee enjoys toeing the line, making the audience think they might go too far before pulling back. Their goal is to make people laugh and feel a little uncomfortable without being malicious.
What does the interviewee think about Dave Chappelle's controversial statements on 'Saturday Night Live'?
-The interviewee supports Chappelle, believing that he articulated what many people are afraid to say. They donât think his comments crossed the line, arguing that acknowledging certain realities (like the presence of Jews in Hollywood) isnât inherently negative.
What is the interviewee's overall view on humor and people's ability to laugh at themselves?
-The interviewee believes that society's increasing inability to laugh at itself leads to a bleak future. They think that humor, even dark humor, is essential and that people need to be less serious and more open to laughter.
Outlines
đ€ Reflecting on Success and Ambition Over Time
The speaker reminisces about starting their career 33 years ago, initially driven by a modest Canadian mindset of just achieving what was necessary. However, as they progressed, they realized the potential for more success and sought to stand out rather than blend in. Even today, they focus on elevating their craft and life, particularly as a 52-year-old man navigating the challenges of having four children ranging from ages 30 to 3.5. The speaker notes the generational sensitivities created by their own generation, reflecting on political correctness and its unintended consequences.
đ The Challenges of Criticism and Social Media
The speaker expresses frustration with social media, specifically avoiding posting certain clips to avoid backlash from those who donât understand their intent. They criticize younger generations for their hypersensitivity and lack of coping mechanisms, contrasting this with their own generationâs influence on creating political correctness. They also discuss the limitations this sensitivity places on comedy, especially on university campuses, where comics no longer perform due to constraints on free speech.
âïž Crossing the Line: Offense vs. Humor
In this segment, the speaker tackles the issue of crossing the line between being funny and offensive. They assert that just because someone is offended, it doesnât mean they are right, emphasizing that personal offense is an individualâs problem, not societyâs. The speaker critiques how the new generation lacks the resilience to handle adversity and humor, lamenting the negative impact on free speech and comedy performances. They reference Chris Rock's refusal to perform on university campuses as an example of how political correctness stifles creativity.
đ« Cancel Culture and Comedy
The speaker delves into cancel culture and its impact on comedy, explaining that attempts to 'cancel' them wouldnât affect their audience because those individuals were never fans in the first place. They argue that bowing to cancel culture would alienate their base, making them lose their authentic voice. The speaker mentions their deliberate approach to humor, often teasing the audience into thinking theyâll cross a line but pulling back just before doing so. They emphasize the importance of playing to the people who appreciate their style.
đ Navigating Offensive Humor and Friendships in Comedy
The speaker shares insights about their friendship with Dave Chappelle and defends Chappelleâs controversial SNL appearance, particularly regarding accusations of legitimizing anti-Semitism. The speaker appreciates Chappelleâs ability to articulate sensitive topics that others are afraid to address, noting that these conversations are valid despite attempts to shut them down. They emphasize that being funny should not be restricted by sensitivities, much like how individuals can avoid content they donât enjoy, such as horror movies.
đ Comedy, Dark Humor, and the Future of Laughter
In this final section, the speaker discusses the bleak future that could arise if people continue to take themselves too seriously, losing the ability to laugh at their own flaws. They emphasize that comics have a dark sense of humor and often exchange jokes privately about tragic events. These jokes, though never public, reflect the coping mechanisms within the comedic community. The speaker fears that societyâs growing seriousness could threaten the freedom of comedy and the lightheartedness essential to its craft.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄCanadian mindset
đĄCancel culture
đĄPolitical correctness
đĄOffense vs. right
đĄFree speech
đĄCoping mechanisms
đĄStand out
đĄComedy and sensitivity
đĄGenerational responsibility
đĄComedic boundaries
Highlights
The speaker reflects on the mindset of 'getting enough' versus 'wanting to stand out' as they progressed in their career.
The speaker discusses their experience of having children at different ages and the challenges of raising them with different needs and sensitivities.
The speaker talks about generational differences in sensitivities and how their generation contributed to the rise of political correctness.
The speaker expresses concerns about the lack of coping mechanisms in the younger generation and the impact this has on society.
The speaker emphasizes that being offended does not necessarily mean being right and that it is the individual's responsibility to deal with their own feelings.
The speaker addresses the issue of free speech and how comedians are increasingly avoiding university campuses due to restrictive environments.
The speaker argues that cancel culture is ineffective because those who seek to 'cancel' were never their target audience anyway.
The speaker explains their approach to comedy, aiming to challenge perceptions without crossing into offensive territory.
The speaker reflects on the importance of catering to their existing audience rather than changing to appease potential critics.
The speaker shares insights on maintaining authenticity in comedy, emphasizing the need to balance sensitivity with humor.
The speaker expresses support for fellow comedian Dave Chappelle, appreciating his willingness to address controversial topics.
The speaker defends Chappelle's remarks, suggesting that difficult conversations are necessary and should not be shut down.
The speaker criticizes the misuse of power by some minority groups, advocating for open dialogue rather than censorship.
The speaker suggests that people should simply avoid content they find offensive, rather than trying to silence it.
The speaker emphasizes the role of humor in coping with difficult situations and the camaraderie among comedians in sharing dark humor privately.
Transcripts
did you ever think when you were
starting out
33 years ago that you'd be where you are
today no not on any day
I was um
you know you grew up with a Canadian
mindset the Canadian mindset is uh if I
could just get enough to have what I
need I'm good
but as I started doing it I was like
wait there's a possibility to do more
than what I'm doing or get more than I'm
getting and I started focusing on that
more and I was like you know what I
really want to take this to another
level I don't just want to blend in
I want to stand out
and uh that's what I focused on doing I
I still do that to my to this day
what's your material now what's your
focus on now I'm dealing with more with
uh with where I'm at in life you know
I'm 52 year old man four years ago I had
one child now I have four you know one
two I made and two my wife made you know
so I'm dealing with a different range of
kids 30 28 12 and three and a half you
know so I've got this whole this is a
different world I'm dealing with now and
I'm and I'm con you know I'm I I'm
focused on being concerned about the
future
uh and and and the sensitivities and I'm
you know that we complain about the
sensitivities of of the young people
nowadays but you know when you become
introspective you start to realize that
their sensitivities
are because of our generation My
Generation caused that that
My Generation created political
correctness right so so this was our
little our little attempt and then it
blew up in our face
I put Clips on my Instagram
and a lot of times I don't put the clips
on because I'm like I don't want to hear
from people that don't know that don't
understand what I'm doing you know I
want these I don't want these
Knuckleheads to get on them like oh you
know that's not you know so you got
these these young people that are trying
to be these social Warriors and you're
like get the out of my face with
your
okay is there a point where you can
cross the line into being offensive as
opposed to making fun of someone who
gets it and doesn't mind the fact that
you're you're poking fun at them
um I have this line in my ACT I said
just because you're offended doesn't
mean you're right
there's plenty of things that offend me
on a daily basis but doesn't mean I'm
right and it doesn't mean that it's at
somebody else's problem if something
bothers you that becomes your problem it
shouldn't become the world's problem and
it shouldn't become the like it it's for
you to deal with and the problem is we
have a new generation of kids that have
no coping mechanisms
they don't know how to cope with any
adversity
but then didn't Chris Rock say he
doesn't like going to University
campuses none of us do yeah no comic
will do it anymore
because we don't we're not going to play
by their rules you're you're ruining
free speech that's why when they're
trying to cancel the past you can't
cancel the past you can't erase history
all you can do is learn from it because
if you cancel it and you erase it it's
going to repeat itself well Archie
Bunker really pushed the envelope right
yeah but we all knew
nobody was like this is terrible we all
knew people like that the problem is
people people hate mirrors
nobody wants to look at themselves you
look at yourself you go what the is
that and people hate to be reminded that
that's who they are
so the whole idea of cancel culture that
hasn't affected anything you're doing
the people that want to would be
interested in canceling me we're never
going to buy a ticket to see me
so and the people that do buy tickets
come and see me want to hear what I do
now if I'm going to bow down to these
invisible people of cancel culture I'm
gonna lose my base and I'm not going to
gain them so what is the what's the end
game here who am I playing this guy I
gotta I got to service the people that
want to hear what I have to say you know
I know what I can and cannot say
oh yeah and I don't say the things that
I like to toe the line okay I like to
make you think I'm gonna do go there and
I go just go there and I turn right
around just you know it's like throwing
fake punches at somebody you're not
gonna hit them so you've got a a little
person inside your head who censors you
just yeah but I mean at the same time
I'm not devious in my mind you know I'm
not trying to my goal is to make you
laugh my goal is to make you squirm a
little
oh did he oh no he didn't thank goodness
and I'm like or did I you know that's
really I want to leave it up to that you
know
are you friends with Dave Chappelle I am
I've been I've known Dave for 27 years
okay and you saw his schnick on SNL yeah
it was fantastic okay interesting you
should say that because a whole group
out there say he's legitimized he's made
anti-semitism
legitimate
what do you say to that I mean I sent
him a text after it happened I said Dave
on behalf of all the comics we all quit
you nailed it
because because he articulated exactly
what people are afraid to say and why
should we be afraid to say something
that I mean listen like to say the Jews
were in Hollywood isn't a bad thing it's
not like they run it in there and
they're looking it up I mean I wouldn't
want anybody else to run it
clearly they're doing a fantastic job
why would I take this away from them I
want I get mad if I look at my team my
at my agency and I go why do I not have
enough Jewish guys or women on this team
why why I need more if I had more I'd
probably be doing better right now okay
and then his comments on the trans
community and Ricky Gervais comments as
well do you think they cross the line no
what did he say that was so bad Dave
will you tell me why do you think
there's such a fuss over what he's
because we got we got a minority here
with way too much wielding a lot of
power
and and not afraid to use it
and just because you try to shut
somebody up doesn't mean what they're
saying isn't valid
people really got to get out of their
head out of their ass and it's one of
those things where it's like listen
funny is funny
if you're soft don't look at it
if it's not listen I don't like horror
movies I don't watch them yeah it's
pretty simple it's really a basic
thought process it's as simple as that
horror movies don't scare me they bother
me
you know what I do I don't watch them
but do you think that we're living in an
environment now where people aren't able
to laugh at themselves as much as they
used to well then that's not my problem
that that then we're looking very at a
very Bleak future
the the more serious people get the
worse the future looks
I'm all about what's funny you know in
comics we have a dark sense of humor
yeah it doesn't matter
like as soon as a bad thing happens we
immediately have jokes written about it
we'll never do them in public but we'll
text each other if you were ever in a
comedian's chat room you'd be like wow
this is dark and this now that's
cancelable yeah like we're all like man
have anybody ever saw what we say to
each other we would be done
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