Comedian Sarah Silverman, who has joked about everything from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to sexual assault, is hardly known for her political correctness. But in an interview with Vanity Fair at this week’s Toronto Film Festival, she made the case that comics should “change with the times.”
Silverman’s remarks came as a response to the criticisms of comics like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, who argue that “politically correct” college students are no longer open to hearing risky comedy.
“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,” Silverman acknowledged. “But, I do think it’s important, as a comedian, as a human, to change with the times. I think it’s a sign of being old if you’re put off by that.”
Silverman said personal experience helped her realize that she should avoid using certain words as punchlines. While she used to defend her use of the word “gay” as a stand-in for “lame,” she eventually realized, “I have become the guy from 50 years ago who said, ‘I say colored, I have colored friends.’”
Silverman made a subtle jab at the older generation of comics who argue that the current generation of college students is overly sensitive.
“You have to listen to the college-aged, because they lead the revolution,” she said. “They’re pretty much always on the right side of history.”
Watch the video below, via Vanity Fair.
