The firing of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has sent a shockwave through the fandom world, with many debating the nature of his jokes and some calling for his eventual rehiring into the Marvel world. Many fans have gone back and forth over his controversial tweets about pedophilia and rape, and while it's difficult to come up with a concrete answer on the situation, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee host Jerry Seinfeld recently addressed the firing and noted that the line between a joke and an offensive comment lies in whether or not the comment is funny. Seinfeld explained:
I didn't read the jokes, but if they're jokes, it doesn't matter. I guess Roseanne Barr thought she was being funny, but it wasn't funny --- and if it's offensive and not funny, then it's not a joke. But any comedian that doesn't understand that dynamic, you're finished anyway.
Jerry Seinfeld hasn't read the jokes that James Gunn posted on Twitter all those years ago, so his remarks aren't necessarily a defense or admonishment of the Slither director. However, as the sitcom legend explained, the most critical element of controversial remarks such as these is whether or not they're funny. Drawing comparisons to Roseanne Barr's firing from the ABC relaunch of Roseanne for her racially insensitive comments, Seinfeld explained that a comedian needs to be able to walk the line between funny and offensive and "understand that dynamic."
Of course, Jerry Seinfeld is coming from a very specific point of view in his remarks about the James Gunn situation to The New York Times. Seinfeld has spoken out numerous times in recent years about the perceived sensitivity of modern audiences, and as he laid out elsewhere in this particular interview, he feels that some fans need to remember that jokes do not necessarily reflect reality.
Jerry Seinfeld is far from the only person to chime in on the James Gunn situation in recent days. In fact, despite the fact that Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for his jokes, many have called for him to be rehired to the project -- with Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista both voicing their own desire to see him reinstated. For now, however, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which was looking at a 2020 release) remains without a director until the powers that be can find a solution.
Make sure to keep it here for more updates related to the James Gunn Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 situation as new information about the issue becomes available to us. Until we learn more about what the folks behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe plan to do, you can also head over to our comprehensive movie premiere guide to read up on everything that's set to hit theaters in 2018!
