With the comedy space seemingly taking a hit in recent times due to suspensions and political controversies, veteran actor and comedian Ben Stiller has come out with some words of advice for up-and-coming artists. In a recent interview, the Tropic Thunder star highlighted the difficulties comedians face in expressing their art without facing prejudice from critics under Donald Trump‘s administration, before urging artists to stand their ground amid a hostile environment.
Speaking to Radio Times, Ben Stiller acknowledged the hard times comedians are going through due to the unspoken restrictions imposed on them of late. Nevertheless, in his address, he encouraged comics to stay true to their art, asking them to ‘keep doing what they’re doing.’ (via The Telegraph)
“We live in a world where taking chances with comedy is more challenging. You’re seeing that front and centre in our country,” Stiller said while alluding to the nation’s current situation under Donald Trump. While he refrained from naming any particular artist or incident in his speech, Stiller insisted that comedians “keep doing what they’re doing, speaking truth to power, and being free to say what they want,” before hitting his point home by saying that “that’s the most important thing.”
The 59-year-old actor’s comments come after ABC unceremoniously suspended Jimmy Kimmel‘s talk show following his remarks about the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk. President Trump even celebrated Kimmel’s suspension, causing many celebrities to question the status of free speech under his administration. Notably, Ben Stiller was among many high-profile names, including Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, and Robert De Niro, who signed an open letter calling Kimmel’s suspension a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.” After a week, ABC ultimately reinstated the renowned host to his former position.
In the said interview, Ben Stiller also called out social media’s impact on comedy. “You have things that go out to huge audiences very quickly,” the actor said before adding that such short-length videos have “reduced our attention spans down a little bit.” He closed his account by saying, “I feel lucky to have grown up in the analogue world.”
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on Reality Tea.