“Comedy is more challenging” in the current political climate

Ben Stiller calls on comedians to keep pushing boundaries.

During a recent interview with Radio timesthe “Severance” director said comedy faces unprecedented challenges in the current political climate. He, however, urged those working in the genre not to back down to outside pressure.

“We live in a world where taking risks with comedy is more challenging,” Stiller said. “You see that front and center in our country. But I think it is important that comedians continue to do what they do, speak truth to power and be free to say what they want. That is the most important thing.”

Freedom of expression in comedy has been paramount in Hollywood ever since Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily taken off the air by ABC after the host made late-night on-air comments about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on on September 17, and the network put the show back on the air on September 22.

Stiller then mentioned another threat to comedy: social media. He fears that the hyperactive nature of platforms like TikTok and Instagram has ruined audiences’ attention spans and diluted the craftsmanship of comedians.

“You have things that go to a mass audience very quickly,” Stiller said. “I think we’ve shortened our attention span a little bit. I feel fortunate to have grown up in the analog world.”

Stiller is one of Hollywood’s most successful pranksters of the late ’90s and early aughts, appearing in such films as “Happy Gilmore,” “Meet the Parents,” “Zoolander,” “Anchorman,” “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” and “Tropic Thunder.”