College Student to Jerry Seinfeld: Sir, I Shall Now Endeavor to Explain Comedy to You

At the Huffington Post, because of course it's at the Huffington Post. (Though I guess Vox could also do a story, Actually, politically correct humor is the funniest of all humor and here's why.)

Dear Jerry Seinfeld,

Recently, I've heard about your reluctance to perform on college campuses because of how "politically correct" college students are....

As a college student that loves and appreciates offensive, provocative comedy, I'm disheartened by these comments.

While I do agree with you that college students today are more sensitive to issues of race and gender politics, it's simply because that's our job as learners. As college students who are engaged in a myriad of social, economic, and political issues, it's our duty to be actively engaged and educated about issues of sexism, racism and prejudice....

But, I'd like to refocus the conversation to the state of comedy that you feel like we would call "racist" or "sexist."

We need to talk about the role that provocative comedy holds today in a progressive world.

It isn't so much that college students are too politically correct (whatever your definition of that concept is), it's that comedy in our progressive society today can no longer afford to be crass, or provocative for the sake of being offensive. Sexist humor and racist humor can no longer exist in comedy because these concepts are based on archaic ideals that have perpetrated injustice against minorities in the past.

Provocative humor, such as ones dealing with topics of race and gender politics, can be crass and vulgar, but underlying it must be a context that spurs social dialogue about these respective issues. There needs to be a message, a central truth behind comedy for it to work as humor.

Take Amy Schumer for example...

While it's not the sole role of comics to be social commentators on every issue through their comedy, I believe there is a responsibility, especially when a well-known comic is talking about sensitive topics like race and gender politics, to have an underlying message to be said.

...

You can be crass, you can be vulgar, and it's not about worrying about offending people. Fuck offending people. Offend the right fucking people. Don't let this fake argument that makes you not want to grow [as a comedian] and say, 'Oh, you're always going offend somebody.'...

So, yes, Mr. Seinfeld, we college students are politically correct. We will call out sexism and racism if we hear it. But if you're going to come to my college and perform in front of me, be prepared to write up a set that doesn't just offend me, but has something to say.

There's no reason you can't do what other comics are doing.

...

Sincerely,
College Student

The comics approvingly cited (I've edited the shit out of the piece, because he's a terrible, timid writer) are all hardcore politically correct progressives -- Amy Schumer, Louis CK, the dead George Carlin, the very politically correct and not very funny Todd Glass.

Seriously, Mr. Seinfeld, don't be afraid to grow as a comic and do the same thing that other comics are doing.

Love,

Your empty-headed, idiot quavering religious maniac wack-a-doo Identity Politics robot fan

Update: What a card.

@AceofSpadesHQ Author of the "That's not funny" piece in Puffho: pic.twitter.com/kFqh7C6G1v

— Gary Crant (@Beefsteak101) June 10, 2015

posted by Ace at 12:30 PM

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