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Fox News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Super Funny' comic Nate Jackson declares that's 'a wrap' on cancel culture, phenomenon is over
Stand-up comedy star Nate Jackson says the cancel culture phenomenon — which many entertainers believe has held humor hostage in recent years — is finally winding down. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the comic and actor said that with so many entertainment options available, audiences are simply finding people they like to watch rather than banding together to end the careers of performers whose jokes they don't enjoy. "No, I think that's kind of a wrap," Jackson said when asked if he believes cancel culture is still a threat. "Yeah, I think people realize that there is someone for everyone, and if someone's not for you, then just don't watch them." Jackson's latest special, "Super Funny," reached the third spot in Netflix's top ten list when it premiered in July. The veteran comic's set features a mix of high-energy crowdwork – where he improvises jokes based on audience interaction – and his more traditional stand-up material. The comic is also currently on his "Super Funny World Tour." Having been a rising fixture in the comedy sphere over the last few years – he even opened up his own comedy club in Washington state during the height of COVID – Jackson told Fox News Digital he sees clear signs that cancel culture is dying off. He noted that even the most controversial comedian or voice has an audience these days. "The craziest person who has an opinion, [their] podcast got a following," he said. Again, he said that viewers who don't find someone funny have plenty of options for entertainment these days and shouldn't get hung up on their gripes with a particular artist. "So, if you don't like it, just swipe away from it." Cancel culture peaked shortly after 2020, with woke online mobs targeting public figures who made controversial or unpopular statements, encouraging others to boycott their work or call for an end to their careers. Comedians have felt the pressure of these efforts to curb their speech, with stars like Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld alleging that the phenomenon has restricted their ability to tell certain jokes. In his 2019 special, "Sticks & Stones," Chappelle referred to cancel culture as "celebrity hunting season," and declared, "This is the worst time ever to be a celebrity. You're gonna be finished. Everyone's doomed. Michael Jackson has been dead for 10 years, and this n---- has two new cases!" Seinfeld said in April 2024 that there's not as much mainstream comedy anymore because the "extreme left" has deemed a lot of humor too offensive. During a segment on The New Yorker's Radio Hour, he said, "It used to be, you would go home at the end of the day, most people would go, 'Oh, 'Cheers' is on. Oh, 'MASH' is on. Oh, 'Mary Tyler Moore' is on. 'All in the Family' is on.' "You just expected, 'There'll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight.' Well, guess what — where is it?" He concluded, "This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap and people worrying so much about offending other people." The comic would walk back his comments during a podcast later that year, saying, "I said that the 'extreme left' has suppressed the art of comedy. I did say that. That's not true." Jackson provided his perspective on what cancel culture really is, noting that a group of people coming together to bash certain jokes or artists is not necessarily a form of canceling, but rather consumers giving their opinion, which they're entitled to have. The comedian noted that the cancel culture happens when consumers make a concerted effort to end a person's career. "You have a right to your opinion and [to] say if you thought somebody's art was good, bad, or whatever. Like, that's the point of art. You put your stuff out for the world to perceive. Cancel culture is, 'I saw your art, and now I don't ever want you to do it again.' You don't gotta like it, but you don't get to dictate whether or not somebody continues to do a thing. That's the difference." "But if you go, 'That was so trash, they should never make another movie again. Shame on James Gunn'," he continued, using the "Superman" director as an example. "I think that there's a clear difference between cancel culture and just, 'Oh, I didn't like it.'" "Tearing something down is your right to do as well. Telling the creator of it to never create again is the problem – or to not even exist. People have seen some people's art and been like, 'Yeah, yo, don't you make another thing. We never wanna see you. That's what cancel culture [is]."
UPI
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Nate Jackson puts the audience on blast in 'Super Funny'
Comedian Nate Jackson's first Netflix comedy special, "Super Funny," is available to stream now on the platform. Photo courtesy of Netflix July 9 (UPI) -- Comedian Nate Jackson's first Netflix special, Super Funny, is out now, and the performer says he knew a show that largely revolves around roasting his audience would be a "risky" endeavor. Jackson, whose resume also includes appearances on Nick Cannon Presents: Wild'N Out, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Peacock's upcoming The Office spin-off, The Paper, earned more than 4 million TikTok followers with his brand of audience-roasting comedy. The new special kicks off with Jackson explaining his "three rules:" If he looks at you, and you keep eye contact, you're fair game; once the roast has started, looking away will not save you; and don't be offended on behalf of other people. In a recent phone interview, the comedian told UPI his largely-improvisational style comes with no small amount of risk. "We don't know what might happen," he said. "I don't think anybody in production feels wholly comfortable. Like, all right, we're all going to show up to a city, we're going to set up gear, let's press record and see what we get. Fingers crossed. And so I take a risk every time I do it, but I definitely took a risk on the special." Jackson said taking chances on audience interactions is a necessary aspect of his craft. "I'm taking chances to make moments and the whole point of the moment is to get the source material, then make jokes on the spot. I'm using traditional stand-up format once I have the information. It's set up, punch line, act out, mix up, act out, callback -- like all that is still there, but I need the source material to be like, "OK, so what is the context of what we're about to make up together?'" Making matches While much of Jackson's comedy revolves around "roasting," or mocking, members of his audience, his special -- like his live shows -- also includes moments of attempting to create matches among the single members of his audience. While his attempt during the special -- spoiler alert -- falls flat, Jackson said that's not always the case. "There were two older gentlemen, middle-aged white guys in Indianapolis that came to the show wearing these big gold chains that were not indicative of usually what old white guys are wearing for jewelry. So it caught my eye, and I was like, 'Why are you guys doing that?'" Jackson recalled. The men explained they were having a "guy's night out," and one of them was single."I was like, 'Well, are there any ladies having a ladies' night out that's single?' And there were two ladies in the middle of the room. I was like, 'Well, let's split it up.' Sir, you go back there with her. And the single lady, you come down here with him." Jackson said the single man and the single woman were in the front row together when he returned to Indianapolis a year later."They were now engaged," he said. Romance also makes its way into Jackson's live shows in other ways. "I had five different wedding proposals on the tour where somebody's reached out like, 'Hey, I'm going to propose to my girl. Can we coordinate it somehow?'" he said. Seeing both sides Jackson said one of his favorite places to perform is at his own Super Funny Comedy Club in Tacoma, Wash. He said running the club has taught him a lot about the business of comedy. "I guess we could say I've learned from the other side of it. There's more to it than just being funny," he said. One of those things he learned is how to deal fairly with the talent -- something that doesn't always happen in the business. "You can have success in the comedy business and run a club and still be cool. You don't have to be everybody's favorite person, but you can still pull it off being cool," he said. Jackson said being "cool" doesn't necessarily mean giving in to every demand a performer might have, however. "I also have the other side of it where I can talk to the talent and be like, 'You're doing too much. You know what I'm saying? First of all, this is a beautiful rider, but you don't need all this [expletive]. Unless you're about to eat a smorgasbord and go on stage all full of food and barely be able to tell a joke, why do you need this much stuff? Just pick something off the menu, get some food, and you'll be fine.'" Jackson said one of the most important aspects of running a comedy club is making sure to appreciate the performers. "We see the disconnect when we come into a place and there's somebody that doesn't even appreciate the talent. You do realize everybody's here for us, right? That's who people are here for, and I realize that in my own club. The people are coming to see the talent, so you want to make the talent happy." Acting Jackson has appeared as an actor in the series Young Rock and will appear in multiple episodes of the upcoming Peacock series The Paper. He said most directors he has worked with have been happy to allow him to improvise on set, once a stick-to-the-script take is in the can. "We're all looking for gold, we want the best in the project. You want to find those moments," he said. He said his ad-lib take usually "ends up being in the thing when I see it." Jackson said he would ideally like to eventually find a project that lets him use more of his improv skills to tell a story. "I don't get to pick and choose yet. I still have my stripes and dues," he said. "I'm just thankful to be working. That's first and foremost. I'm thankful to be working. I'm not trying to outshine the director or the writers or the stars of the show or nothing like that. But I would like the type of work where I can show what God put me here to do." Nate Jackson: Super Funny is available to stream now on Netflix.
Los Angeles Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Nate Jackson made a career on viral crowd work, but his name was built on much more than that
The Tacoma-based comedian's debut Netflix special 'Super Funny' is the culmination of his life on stage and his ability to roast a crowd like no other.
