Sarah Silverman is currently promoting her new film I Smile Back, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival this week. While in Toronto, Silverman had a chance to sit down with Krista Smith of Vanity Fair, spending some time discussing her film, in which she plays a drug-addicted, dysfunctional New Jersey housewife. But the topic of conversation quickly turned to our PC culture’s effect on comedy — specifically, of the younger, college-aged generation which has recently been spoken out against by Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Maher.
Known for pushing the envelope herself, Silverman had a surprisingly refreshing take on the subject. While it’s easy to dismiss those who are seemingly looking to be offended, she suggests that just maybe, changing with the times isn’t the worst thing ever.
To a degree, everyone’s going to be offended by something, so you can’t just decide on your material based on not offending anyone. But, I do think it’s important — as a comedian, as a human — to change with the times, to change with new information. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with changing with the times. I think it’s a sign of being old when you are put off by that.
Silverman goes on to make the excellent point that more often than not, young people typically are “pretty much always on the right side of history.” One aspect of youth culture she can’t get behind, however, is “the sea of iPhones” she sees when performing college-aged shows. Damn kids and their selfie sticks.
(Via RawStory)