Marc Maron thinks you can still "take chances" with comedy, following Todd Phillips' claims that Hollywood has become too "woke".
Marc Maron
The 'Joker' star has fired back at the filmmaker's claims that "woke culture" was killing comedy, insisting there are still many opportunities for comedy.
In his original interview, 'Joker' director Phillips said: "Go try to be funny nowadays with this woke culture. There were articles written about why comedies don't work anymore - I'll tell you why, because all the f***ing funny guys are like, 'F**k this s**t, because I don't want to offend you.' It's hard to argue with 30 million people on Twitter."
However, Maron has responded, insisting there's still chances to be taken.
Speaking on his 'WTF with Marc Maron' podcast, he said: "There's plenty of people being funny right now. Not only being funny but really f***ing funny. If you want to take chances, you can still take chances. Really, the only thing that's off the table, culturally, at this juncture - and not even entirely - is shamelessly punching down for the sheer joy of hurting people. Bottom line is no one is saying you can't say or do things.
"It's just that it's going to be received a certain way by certain people and you're gonna have to shoulder that. If you're isolated or marginalised or pushed into a corner because of your point of view, yet you still have a crew of people that enjoy it, there you go! Those are your people. Enjoy your people."
Meanwhile, Phillips had previously insisted it was his disillusion that inspired him to make the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic villain.
He said: "With all my comedies - I think that what comedies in general all have in common - is they're irreverent. So I go, 'How do I do something irreverent, but f**k comedy? Oh I know, let's take the comic book movie universe and turn it on its head with this.' And that's really where it came from."
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