Jerry Seinfeld Weighs in on James Gunn’s Controversial Jokes

Disney wasn’t a fan of James Gunn‘s old jokes on social media, but Jerry Seinfeld has a different opinion depending on the context.

While there has been support amongst the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy to reinstate Gunn for the upcoming third film, Disney has not changed its mind. In an interview with the New York Times, Seinfeld weighed on the controversy, comparing it to what happened with Roseanne’s firing.

“I didn’t read the jokes, but if they’re jokes, it doesn’t matter,” Seinfeld said. “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.”

That line can be a bit murky at times, but for Seinfeld, that line is pretty clear, and even if a joke does offend, he’s not apologizing for it.

“No. Jokes are not real,” Seinfeld said. “People assume that when you say something that you believe it. It’s purely comedic invention. You know, I do this whole bit about Pop-Tarts and how much I love them. I don’t love Pop-Tarts. It’s just funny. It’s funny to say it, so I say it.”

You also won’t find Seinfeld making jokes on Twitter, but not because of the fear of offending. Rather, the fact that you don’t get the payoff of a great joke, so what’s the point.

“I don’t hear the laugh,” Seinfeld said. “Why waste my time? It’s a horrible performing interface. I can’t think of a worse one. I always think about people that write books. What a horrible feeling it must be to have poured your soul into a book over a number of years and somebody comes up to you and goes, ‘I loved your book,’ and they walk away, and you have no idea what worked and what didn’t. That to me is hell. That’s my definition of hell.”

As for Gunn, it seems other studios are just waiting for him and Disney to come to some sort of settlement agreement before working on other projects. After the jokes resurfaced, Gunn issued an apology for them, which you can read below.

“I have regretted them for many years since – not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time,” Gunn said.

“Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all,” he added.