A few years ago, Jerry Seinfeld lamented the rise of P.C. culture and its negative affects on comedy. He cited college campuses as a particularly pathetic example of how political correctness ruins everything.
In case it wasn’t clear back then that he was onto something, check out what’s happening at Columbia University:
If you’re a stand up comic, why would you perform at Columbia University after this? https://t.co/EgiglgSv0q pic.twitter.com/dyDdcC3yYZ
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) December 4, 2018
Great question. More:
About 30 minutes into [Saturday Night Live writer and comedian Nimesh] Patel’s set, members of [Columbia’s Asian American Alliance] interrupted the performance, denounced his jokes about racial identities and sexual orientation, and provided him with a few moments for closing remarks. Compared to his other jokes, ones specifically targeting sexual orientation audibly receive less laughter from the crowd.
Patel pushed back on the officials’ remarks, and said that while he stood in solidarity with Asian American identities, none of his remarks were offensive, and he was exposing the audience to ideas that would be found “in the real world.” Before he could finish, Patel’s microphone was cut from off-stage, and he proceeded to leave.
cultureSHOCK, an annual charity showcase featuring a fashion show, productions by various student groups and a famous performer, aims to provide a platform for Asian American artistic expression and breakthrough harmful stereotypes.
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Guess Patel broke through just a little too much.
the event is called cultureSHOCK??????????
— Margaret Lyons (@margeincharge) December 4, 2018
We do not think it means what they think it means:
For Sofia Jao, BC ‘22, problems with the performance resided not in the set, but with Patel’s closing remarks.
“I really dislike when people who are older say that our generation needs to be exposed to the real world. Obviously the world is not a safe space but just accepting that it’s not and continuing to perpetuate the un-safeness of it… is saying that it can’t be changed,” said Jao. “When older generations say you need to stop being so sensitive, it’s like undermining what our generation is trying to do in accepting others and making it safer.”
Dear God. And then there’s this:
In a separate piece, a sophomore discovers crowd work: https://t.co/mR1Cwt82uo pic.twitter.com/mD4YuA4Yqd
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) December 4, 2018
These children are our future? These children?
The nation's most elite students, reduced to trembling over the Bad Jokeshttps://t.co/qeT3GZ8trE pic.twitter.com/X5vkEkysjB
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) December 4, 2018
We’re so screwed.
Good lord. How is that offensive?
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) December 4, 2018
It's striking to me that our collective sense of humor has gotten worse as the need for us to laugh has gotten greater.
— Michael Scott (@Puffy71) December 4, 2018
See, now that’s not funny.
Seinfeld vindicated https://t.co/6PKTqW85Qf
— Griswold Christmas Vacation (@HashtagGriswold) December 4, 2018
***
Update:
Nailed it! Comedian Anthony Jeselnik knows exactly why comics should keep performing for SJWs at Columbia https://t.co/BOboUvQHhp
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 4, 2018
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