Interview · moment 12 of 23
Comedians, Celebrities, and Staying Out of Politics
from Behind the Youtube (with Joe Santagato) · #52
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
6 minGuest
Tim and Joe discuss why comedians shouldn't use their platform to push political views since celebrity endorsements clearly didn't sway the election, and Joe explains he doesn't feel qualified or obligated to share opinions.
- 41:56Tim notes they're on the precipice of nuclear war, so posting jokes feels tone-deaf on days like that.
- 42:25He won't post on July 4th or election day, wanting people to pay attention to what matters.
- 42:38People ask for his political opinion, but he doesn't feel responsible to provide it.
- 42:53Why would you get political news from Kylie Jenner instead of actually informing yourself?
- 43:09Tim mentions having heard him say controversial things about Jewish people in private conversation but never online.
- 43:30His comedy touches on social issues and what's happening to the country, but it's not explicitly political.
- 44:05Many comedians now treat comedy as a platform for social change, but every comic and actor told people not to vote for Trump and he still won.
- 44:35When millionaire actors in Malibu mansions lecture people about politics, audiences reject the message.
- 44:51He admits he doesn't know enough to project bullshit political opinions, so he stays quiet.
- 46:14Tim has a podcast where he discusses nuanced takes on politics for an hour rather than telegraphing morality in 140 characters.
- 47:01People constantly announce they're against racism and feminism to signal virtue, but many accused male feminists in comedy get exposed for assault.
- 47:28In the YouTube community, 21-year-old kids in New Jersey suburban bedrooms talk about immigration and Western civilization collapse from their bedroom windows.
- 47:53These young online political commentators describe suburban America as a war zone while looking out at bucolic neighborhoods.