Image Credit: Ian Gavan / Getty Images
Comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb will soon be joining forces once again, with the final series of Peep Show set to air on November 11th on Channel 4. As such, the pair are doing the press rounds in order to advertise the upcoming show, and during a conversation with the press (via Digital Spy) the hot topic of our current so-called “outrage culture” was brought up.
With both Mitchell and Webb having been on the UK comedy scene for quite some time now, they had some comments to make regarding how the online reaction to comedy has altered the way in which many react to jokes, with Mitchell in particular saying that Twitter has negatively impacted the medium.
Mitchell noted how “we’re going through a bad patch in terms of people being very judgemental about jokes”. He continued: “I’m going to blame Twitter. The fact that there is a sport of trying to find offence and enjoying an afternoon of, ‘Oh, they said this terrible thing that’s rude about so-and-so…’
“The fun people have doing that – and it is fun, even if they don’t admit it – is potentially killing the joy of humour for millions. We just need to relax a bit about jokes.”
Image Credit: Channel 4
Mitchell also pointed out that while comedians should be able to “defend” their jokes, “the massively increased statistical likelihood with each joke that you’re going to have to [defend it] does make you think, is it worth it?”
Webb also conceded that Twitter wasn’t “worth it” when it came to telling jokes, adding: “[You think], ‘If I do this, how many sanctimonious replies will I get? How many wilfully pedantic replies will I get?
Mitchell and Webb aren’t the only comedians who have spoken out against feigned outrage negatively impacting upon comedy, with US comedian Jerry Seinfeld previously coming under fire for comments he made about “PC college campuses.” Speaking earlier this year, Seinfeld said: “I don’t play colleges, but I hear 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 know what the hell they’re talking about.”
