Current Events > Seth Rogen doesn't understand comedians who complain about cancel culture

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https://www.insider.com/seth-rogen-comedians-complain-cancel-culture-2021-5

"There are certain jokes that for sure have not aged well, but I think that's the nature of comedy," Rogen said. "I think conceptually those movies are sound, and I think there's a reason they've lasted as far as people still watching and enjoying them today. Jokes are not things that necessarily are built to last."

He added: "To me when I see comedians complaining about this kind of thing, I don't understand what they're complaining about. If you've made a joke that's aged terribly, accept it. And if you don't think it's aged terribly, then say that."

Rogen continued that receiving criticism is "one of the things that goes along with being an artist, and if you don't like that, then don't be a comedian anymore."

"Have we done that without realizing it? Definitely. And those things are in our movies and they're out there, and they're things that I am more than happy to say that they have not aged well," he added.

"But in my Twitter, I've never made a joke that's outwardly horrific in some way, and if you have, I would question why you did that. Saying terrible things is bad, so if you've said something terrible, then it's something you should confront in some way, shape, or form. I don't think that's cancel culture. That's you saying something terrible if that's what you've done."

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Ok boomer

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How many homophobic jokes are in those Apatow movies in the 00s?


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Agreed with every paragraph

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B-b-but Blazing Saddles couldn't be made today!

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AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

How many homophobic jokes are in those Apatow movies in the 00s?

he addressed that part.

guess those five paragraphs were just too much for you.

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AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

How many homophobic jokes are in those Apatow movies in the 00s?

He's not denying that jokes in his movies haven't aged well.

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Because it's not just "oh that joke aged terribly, please apologize."

People actually aim and set out to attempt to ruin careers over 30-yr old SNL skits.

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Phantom36 posted...

Because it's not just "oh that joke aged terribly, please apologize."

People actually aim and set out to attempt to ruin careers over 30-yr old SNL skits.

Who has this happened to?

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All fax no printer. I don't see anything wrong with what he said. Especially the bit about comedy evolving.

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Also, hats off to Rogan for just everything he's done in the past year or so, seems like he's so mature about everything.


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I've seen Rogen's stand-up "comedy"...
I don't really trust his observations on it based on that.

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Xavier_On_High posted...

B-b-but Blazing Saddles couldn't be made today!

Every time someone tries to tell me that, I point out the Klansmen scene in Django Unchained.

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Darmik posted...

Who has this happened to?

People were gunning hard for Jimmy Fallon since he did blackface on SNL in 2000.

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Seth Rogen was never a comedian though. Just a comedic actor whose niche was to act like a guy who is a creep.


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NightRender posted...

People were gunning hard for Jimmy Fallon since he did blackface on SNL in 2000.

Which he seems to have apologized for and his career wasn't impacted at all?

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People were just trying to cancel him over not apologizing hard enough about James Franco stuff. There's a difference between calling out shit that hasn't aged well and people trying to end your career on a whim

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Darmik posted...

Which he seems to have apologized for and his career wasn't impacted at all?

You asked when:

People actually aim and set out to attempt to ruin careers over 30-yr old SNL skits.

happens. It wasn't "successful" but the attempts certainly happen, and it's disingenuous to say it doesn't.

For a "successful" attempt, Ellen has lost a million viewers, down from 4 million it looks like. This was likely a factor in her deciding to end her show.

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NightRender posted...

You asked when:

happens. It wasn't "successful" but the attempts certainly happen, and it's disingenuous to say it doesn't.

For a "successful" attempt, Ellen has lost a million viewers, down from 4 million it looks like. This was likely a factor in her deciding to end her show.

If all it takes to get cancel is to not double down and be an asshole over it then yeah it's not really something worth complaining about is it? That doesn't counter anything Seth said.

Ellen wasn't 'cancelled' over offensive jokes. Her reputation went into the trash when it was revealed she treated her staff like garbage.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


He's saying either accept that the joke hasn't aged well and move on or explain why they're wrong.

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My biggest issue with stand up comics is how they cant admit when a joke sucks and they just blame cancel culture.


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Seth Rogan is and never was a comedian. He was part of a "comedy troupe" which is considered "baby bitch mode" by actual standups.

EDIT: Also I remember Seth Rogan complaining about how he doesn't want to make comedy movies anymore because they wont gives him budgets of tens of millions of dollars anymore. What a scrub

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InhumaneRaider posted...

Also, hats off to Rogan for just everything he's done in the past year or so, seems like he's so mature about everything.

I dig.

Good job Rogen.
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KiwiTerraRizing posted...

My biggest issue with stand up comics is how they cant admit when a joke sucks and they just blame cancel culture.

Jokes are allowed to not be funny. Anybody who attacks a comedian for a joke because they dont find it funny doesnt get the point of comedy.

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Someone who doesn't do stand up comedy doesn't understand standup comedy

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Seth rogan SUCKS

Zeeak4444 posted...

he addressed that part.

guess those five paragraphs were just too much for you.

lmao

I once had someone on here call 3 paragraphs an essay.

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Seth Rogan really isn't one to act all high and mighty about this. Neighbors 2 was terrible and he tried to make a somewhat female empowerment comedy with zero female writers officially credited for the film lol.

Seth is just trying to pivot his career, because no one wants to see a lazy stoner stereotype anymore. Bro/Dude type comedies are basically dead now anyways. Comedies in general are basically dead. Now we get the MCU and other major blockbusters filled with constant quips instead.

It absolutely blows my mind that people try to deny the reality of cancel culture. Why can't we acknowledge the reality that attempts to hold people more accountable can at times be messy and misguided? Sometimes, cancel culture gets it right and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it isn't about how it actually cancels anybody, but how it effects their actions in an effort to avoid cancellation.

But then at the same time it can be grating to listen to certain comics discuss cancel culture. Certain topics have just gotten riskier and some people want to dance on the edge with that. Some comics are being way edgier than they are funny. Shock value isn't always funny. There is a certain touch required with certain topics.

I'm not personally against cancel culture exactly. I just want it to be better focused and go after the right people.


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The most offensive comedians havent changed their comedy whatsoever, and none of them are cancelled.

can anybody think of a comedian that was actually cancelled for something they said on stage?

kramer? Thats all I can think of..

eddie Murphy is fine. Louie is fine. Sarah Silverman is fine. Richard Pryor is dead, but fine.

MICHALECOLE posted...

The most offensive comedians havent changed their comedy whatsoever, and none of them are cancelled.

can anybody think of a comedian that was actually cancelled for something they said on stage?

kramer? Thats all I can think of..

eddie Murphy is fine. Louie is fine. Sarah Silverman is fine. Richard Pryor is dead, but fine.

Shane Gillis, Ari Shaffir, Tony Hinchcliffe

Part of the criticism of cancel culture is that cancelling isn't an evenly applied punishment. It effects some and not others.


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TommyG663513 posted...

Shane Gillis, Ari Shaffir, Tony Hinchcliffe

Part of the criticism of cancel culture is that cancelling isn't an evenly applied punishment. It effects some and not others.

I haven't heard of any of those people so I'll take your word for it.

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Darmik posted...

I haven't heard of any of those people so I'll take your word for it.

If you haven't heard of any of these people then you must not follow comedy very much at all and probably aren't by extension knowledgeable enough to discuss cancel culture


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TommyG663513 posted...

Shane Gillis, Ari Shaffir, Tony Hinchcliffe

Part of the criticism of cancel culture is that cancelling isn't an evenly applied punishment. It effects some and not others.

Its because those dudes (well, Shane and Tony; Aris just an asshole) are just racist

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Who cares what he thinks about this?

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MICHALECOLE posted...

kramer? Thats all I can think of..

I wouldn't even say him, Michael Richards' career became irrelevant once Seinfeld ended

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I agree.

People don't want to adapt with the times. "That joke would have killed 30 years ago!"

Cool. That was 30 years ago. Ace Ventura had a certain controversial joke in it. In the 90s people thought it was funny, now it's considered a low point. You don't see Jim Carrey crying about it, and he's doing just fine.

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MICHALECOLE posted...

The most offensive comedians havent changed their comedy whatsoever, and none of them are cancelled.

can anybody think of a comedian that was actually cancelled for something they said on stage?

kramer? Thats all I can think of..

eddie Murphy is fine. Louie is fine. Sarah Silverman is fine. Richard Pryor is dead, but fine.

I mean, Louie lost all of his TV and movie gigs, and only just recently started building his stand-up career back up. And it took a hit not because of offensive jokes, either.

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I love cancel culture. Would like to see more of it.

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TheGoldenEel posted...

Its because those dudes (well, Shane and Tony; Aris just an asshole) are just racist

So were they cancelled or not?

Have their careers taken significant hits or are they doing just fine?

There's an absolute ton of podcast content from Gillis and Shaffir on their experiences dealing with being cancelled.

As someone who has followed Ari Shaffir for many years, Ari is way more than just an asshole. He can be a really mature and kind person and then turn around and be an immature crap stain. The guy is also an incredibly curious person who conducts incredibly good interviews. He is an incredibly complex guy to say the least. Then he also does and says other things that I simply can't defend and just call it garbage behavior.

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TommyG663513 posted...

Then he also does and says other things that I simply can't defend and just call it garbage behavior.

Should that not impact his career?

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TommyG663513 posted...

So were they cancelled or not?

Have their careers taken significant hits or are they doing just fine?

There's an absolute ton of podcast content from Gillis and Shaffir on their experiences dealing with being cancelled.

As someone who has followed Ari Shaffir for many years, Ari is way more than just an asshole. He can be a really mature and kind person and then turn around and be an immature crap stain. The guy is also an incredibly curious person who conducts incredibly good interviews. He is an incredibly complex guy to say the least. Then he also does and says other things that I simply can't defend and just call it garbage behavior.

so they werent cancelled then. They were fired.

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Umbreon posted...

I agree.

People don't want to adapt with the times. "That joke would have killed 30 years ago!"

Cool. That was 30 years ago. Ace Ventura had a certain controversial joke in it. In the 90s people thought it was funny, now it's considered a low point. You don't see Jim Carrey crying about it, and he's doing just fine.

That is because not a single attempt has proven the slightest bit successful in getting Jim Carey cancelled over that film or anything else. He is way too big to cancel. No one has ever asked him to apologize for that film either. I bet he even still gets royalties from that film too.

What exactly would you expect for Jim Carey to ever have to complain about?

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TommyG663513 posted...

That is because not a single attempt has proven the slightest bit successful in getting Jim Carey cancelled over that film or anything else. He is way too big to cancel. No one has ever asked him to apologize for that film either. I bet he even still gets royalties from that film too.

So you can be too big to cancel. If you apologize you don't get cancelled. If you double down or consistently act toxic it may impact some jobs but you can still go on podcasts or YouTube or whatever.

So what's the issue again?

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Zeeak4444 posted...

so they werent cancelled then. They were fired.

How do you define being cancelled?

Anyone can create a podcast. Ari Shaffir has always had his own podcast. He still gets a bit of a following. He was also dropped by his talent agency and has a way harder time getting booked.

Do you expect that cancellation means you get Thanos snapped and your body fades into dust or what?

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TheGoldenEel posted...

Its because those dudes (well, Shane and Tony; Aris just an asshole) are just racist

Idk about Shane or tony but aris was not because of anything he said on stage.

Hayame Zero posted...

I mean, Louie lost all of his TV and movie gigs, and only just recently started building his stand-up career back up. And it took a hit not because of offensive jokes, either.

Louie was not cancelled because of anything he said on stage either.

thats my point is that comedians are not cancelled for things they say on stage. Its offstage things that get then cancelled.

Darmik posted...

So you can be too big to cancel. If you apologize you don't get cancelled. If you double down or consistently act toxic it may impact some jobs but you can still go on podcasts or YouTube or whatever.

So what's the issue again?

That cancel culture can be many things of varying degrees of good or bad.

It is fair to critique and have discussions on what all of this means and what we hope to accomplish from this.

I'd also say you are being really oversimplifying what cancel culture is. Apologizing doesn't mean you don't get cancelled. There aren't clear and set rules. A lot of it just depends on what goes viral or what the media picks up.

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TommyG663513 posted...

How do you define being cancelled?

Anyone can create a podcast. Ari Shaffir has always had his own podcast. He still gets a bit of a following. He was also dropped by his talent agency and has a way harder time getting booked.

Do you expect that cancellation means you get Thanos snapped and your body fades into dust or what?

it means your canceled. That no one promotes your product anymore.

that means no listing your podcast on the most popular hosting platforms.

just cause you didnt get to keep the job you wanted doesnt mean you got canceled.

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MICHALECOLE posted...

Idk about Shane or tony but aris was not because of anything he said on stage.

Louie was not cancelled because of anything he said on stage either.

thats my point is that comedians are not cancelled for things they say on stage. Its offstage things that get then cancelled.

Shane said it in a podcast where he was clearly attempting to make a joke and Tony was very clearly on stage

It's weird how you are trying to limit what a comic does to "on stage." In a sense, comics always need to be "on stage" in all of the content they release. Like damn near every comic has a podcast where they kind of test jokes out. Some of them are writers on shows or movies.

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Seth Rogan post this is the end is insufferable

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