Steve Harvey is chiming in on the recurring conversation about cancel culture. During a recent appearance at the Television Critics Association press tour, the “Family Feud” host — who is promoting his new ABC daytime courtroom series “Judge Steve Harvey” — shared his thoughts on the concept of canceling celebrities and the effects that it has on the comedy world. The sudden withdrawal of support from people, he claimed, is the main reason he’s put off the idea of doing another comedy special.
“The only way I can do one more special is if it’s at the end of my television career because it will end my television career,” Harvey said. “We’re in the cancel culture now. No stand-up that is sponsor-driven can say anything he wants to. Chris Rock can’t. Kevin Hart can’t. Cedric the Entertainer can’t. D.L. Hughley can’t. I can go down the list. The only person that can say what they want to say on stage is Dave Chappelle because he’s not sponsor-driven. He’s subscription-driven.”
“If I had tried to continue as a stand-up, there’s no way I could maintain it. Political correctness has killed comedy,” the radio personality continued before discussing today’s sensitive crowd. “Every joke you tell now, it hurts somebody’s feelings. But what people don’t understand about comedians is that a joke has to be about something. It has to be about somebody. We can’t write jokes about puppies all the time. The joke can’t be about bushes all the time. Some of these jokes will have to be about people because that’s the most interesting topic.”
Though Harvey is currently focused on his television career, he said that he wants to do at least one more comedy special when he’s done. As for the title of the show, he thinks it will probably be This Is It.