Jim Davidson gives damning assessment of modern comedy: ‘People set out to get offended’
Jim Davidson says modern comedy is in a dire state
GB NEWS
Comedian Jim Davidson says people in the modern day “set out to get offended” in a damning indictment of woke culture.
Davidson, 69, has courted criticism throughout his esteemed career with a host of jokes that were deemed too close to the bone by some.
The Big Break star says much of his comedy would have been deemed acceptable during his early career, but cancel culture has threatened him into watering down his content.
Speaking to Lee Anderson on GB News, he said that the art of innuendo “has been lost” as he hit out at what comedy has become.
WATCH JIM DAVIDSON DISCUSS MODERN COMEDY BELOW
“I think people set out to get offended”, he said.
“If you’re a comedian, you’re either taking the mick out of others or yourself.
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“I try to bring people together but it backfires.”
GB News presenter Lee Anderson weighed in on the discussion saying the famous joke genre, ‘An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman’ can no longer be told.
He also gave examples of classic productions like Carry On as he made reference to where comedy used to be as a genre in the entertainment sphere.
“I don’t think you can make these productions anymore, the art of innuendo is gone.
Lee Anderson spoke to Jim Davidson
GB NEWS
“I still think Ben and Jerry is funny, but people don’t like it because they think it is violent.
“I don’t think you could get away with a lot nowadays. I’ve just made another stream of Comedians, and that was all the old guys telling jokes exactly how they used to tell them.
“The audience was falling about laughing, they’re signing up in their droves.”
The 69-year-old added that he has never set out to cause offence with any of his jokes, and any comedians doing so are “bad” at their job.
“If you look at these jokes with an open heart and open mind, these jokes are not set out to cause offence, unless you’re a bad comedian.”
Davidson has been a vocal critic of media companies such as ITV, dubbing the network’s flagship show This Morning “woke”.
It comes amid a spate of cancellations of comedy productions, including a sold-out “unwoke” show featuring GB News’ Andrew Doyle and Graham Linehan last month.
The Father Ted creator was set to take to the stage at the Leith Arches venue in Edinburgh, only to be denied by the venue.
While no official reason was given, Linehan has been a vocal critic of the transgender ideology and its impact on the lives of women and girls.
Doyle admitted to being “astonished” by the decision, adding that comedy is in a “dire” state.