Popular UK comic scoffs at being canceled, says no one cares unless you’ve ‘done something really awful'
English comedian Harry Hill said he doesn’t really wince at the idea of being canceled in an interview published Monday.
Speaking to UK outlet The Times, Hill — whose real name is Matthew Hall — talked about how so many people are canceled for politically incorrect things these days that it almost doesn’t matter.
"I’ve had friends who have been ‘canceled.’ They worry about it. But on the whole, unless they’ve done something really awful, everyone has forgotten about it," he said.
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Hill has been a stand-up comedian since 1992 and the host of various British TV shows, including "Harry Hill’s TV Burp," a three-time BAFTA TV award-winning program that aired from 2001 to 2012.
On the topic of cancel culture, the veteran comic added that there are "so many people being canceled every day; it’s like a build-up of bodies."
Like other modern-day comics, Hill has had to navigate an era when audiences are more prone to being offended by jokes or public statements made by celebrities.
"Audiences are more alert to the idea that they might be offended," the comic told The Times. "Certain words or things make them anxious. They’re thinking, ‘Oh no, I hope he’s not going to say something that we will need to be offended by.’"
Though Hill told the outlet that being canceled is not a huge deal, he did note he tries to avoid offending people as much as he can, adding that he lets his kids help him figure out what’s too far in his comedy material.
"My kids pick me up on stuff – they say, ‘No, you can’t say that, Dad.’ Which is helpful, because you don’t want people to be offended," he said.
Though Hill has made a successful showbiz career for himself, he says he has tried to keep his kids out of the industry.
"I kept my kids away from the TV studio and showbiz. I didn’t want them going into it just because it looked glamorous or fun. The truth is, for any success in this game you’ve got to be very pushy," he said.
"They’ve come with me on the road for my most recent tour. It’s been interesting for them to see what it involves: a lot of time spent on the North Circular and eating sandwiches."
Other comics have rejected the idea of cancel culture in recent months. During an interview in April, "Scary Movie" star Marlon Wayans stated, "I’ve never succumbed to that. I’ve been the same comedian that I was since we first started. Real comedians – we stayed the course."
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Wayans claimed that the cancel culture is "all in society’s mind" and that comedians have to risk offending people to tell a good joke.
"Because humor is something you have to be honest about, and you have to dig deep, and you’re gonna touch nerves, and you're gonna hurt feelings. That’s part of finding a good joke," he said.
Roast comic Jeff Ross slammed those who get too offended over jokes during an interview in January.
"What's funny is funny, you know?" the comic said. "There will always be people who are going to pretend to be offended, but those are the people that offend me, you know? Hypocrites."