In a May 17 interview with The Breakfast Club, outspoken comedian Chris Rock shared his thoughts on the cancel culture phenomenon, saying he feels it curtails creative abilities and is also “disrespectful” to both artists and their audiences.
As a veteran in the comedy industry with decades of experience, the 56-year-old explained how it affects their craft. “It’s weird when you’re a comedian because when your audience doesn’t laugh, we get the message. Like you don’t have to cancel us. … They’re not laughing,” Rock said, according to Complex. “Our feelings hurt. … I don’t understand why people feel the need to go beyond that.”
Rock also said he feels it is “disrespectful” for outsiders to determine how audiences should react to a joke as it ends up affecting the relationship creatives have with their fans. That notwithstanding, the Everybody Hates Chris actor also said it’s only human to commit mistakes.
“Honestly to me, it’s people disrespecting the audience,” he said. “What happens is everybody gets safe and nobody tries anything. Things get boring. I see a lot of unfunny comedians, unfunny TV shows, unfunny movies because people are scared to make a move and that’s not a good place to be. We should have the right to fail because failure is a part of art. It’s the ultimate cancel.”
Over the last few years, a handful of creatives and other prominent people have found themselves in hot waters and to some degree “canceled” over their past statements and/or actions some people have deemed to be offensive. Some have even lost endorsements and gigs as a result.
In 2018, comedian Kevin Hart had to step down as host for the 91st Academy Awards after some people called for his head over past homophobic tweets. The said tweets, which he reportedly posted between 2009 and 2011, were resurfaced after he was announced as host. The comedian and actor was granted an ultimatum to either apologize or step down and he opted for the latter. He, however, later apologized.
In the aftermath of the incident, Hart, on a number of occasions, spoke about the negative aspects of the cancel culture phenomenon. Addressing the topic in an interview with Deadline last year, the Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man actor said society is becoming too comfortable with it and people are being allowed to “control and dictate the start and finish of peoples’ lives.”
“I don’t want to be in a world where we forget how to forgive, where we forget how to be people,” he said. “I want to understand the place of feeling, and emotion and love, and that comes from a place of forgiveness.”
Anthony Madu, the 14-year-old Nigerian dancer from Lagos who gained admission to a prestigious ballet…
Actor-host Wayne Brady recently opened up about his early financial struggles in his now thriving…
Mia Arianna, also known as @mia.ariannaa on TikTok, helped her son become an honorary team…
Alvin Gauthier, a Grand Prairie USPS postman, recently went above and beyond to brighten a…
Maj. Gen. Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed is the first female commander of the air force and…
Benjamin E. Mays High School brought together its 272 senior class members for a meeting…
Afrika Owes' emotional response to learning that she had passed the bar exam on her…
A 49-year-old New York attorney was on April 26 sentenced to 10 years in federal…
During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Wednesday, pop legend Cher opened up…
Authorities in Florida said an 11-year-old boy was accidentally shot and killed by his 14-year-old…
The famous Taylor Schlitz family is making headlines once more as the youngest of the…
Sony Pictures Entertainment has appointed Tahra Grant as its Chief Communications Officer. She replaces Robert…
Meet Ashley M. Fox, the founder of Empify and the first in her family to…
Tyra Banks, the iconic former host of Dancing With the Stars, has made a delightful…
A Brazilian woman named Érika de Souza, 42, is under investigation for manslaughter after authorities…