Hollywood actor-filmmaker Ben Stiller believes the world of comedy is under more pressure than ever, and he’s urging comedians not to lose their edge.
Speaking to Radio Times, the Severance director said that the current political climate has made it increasingly difficult for artists to take risks with humour. “We live in a world where taking chances with comedy is more challenging,” Stiller said, adding that it’s vital for comedians to “keep doing what they’re doing, speaking truth to power and being free to say what they want.
His comments come at a time when free speech and artistic expression have become hot-button topics in Hollywood. As Variety reports, concerns around censorship in comedy resurfaced recently after ABC temporarily suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! following Kimmel’s on-air remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death.
Stiller, who has built his career on pushing comedic boundaries in films like Zoolander, Tropic Thunder, and Meet the Parents, said that political sensitivity isn’t the only challenge facing the genre. Social media is also transforming how audiences consume humour.
“You have things that go out to huge audiences very quickly,” he noted. “I think we’ve reduced our attention spans down a little bit. I feel lucky to have grown up in the analogue world.”
The Dodgeball star worries that the “hyperactive nature” of platforms like TikTok and Instagram has made it harder for comedians to hold audience attention or develop jokes with depth and nuance.
Despite these challenges, Stiller remains optimistic about the power of comedy, and insists that its true purpose remains unchanged: to provoke, challenge, and connect people through laughter, even in turbulent times.
