Comedians beware. Don’t say that college students are too “politically correct.” They may get offended and write you a nasty gram and tell YOU how to do your job because they know so much more than you do and because, like, they’re intellectuals, you know?

In an interview with ESPN’s Colin Cowherd last Thursday, comedian, Jerry Seinfeld stated that he would not appear at college campuses because of the overly politically correct climate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP769IdU_YE

“They just want to use these words: ‘That’s racist;’ ‘That’s sexist;’ ‘That’s prejudice,’” he said. “They don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.”

Seinfeld went on to illustrate an incident between he and his wife and 14 year-old daughter which he believes proves his point:

My wife says to her, ‘Well, you know, in the next couple years, I think maybe you’re going to want to be hanging around the city more on the weekends, so you can see boys,’” Seinfeld recalled. “You know what my daughter says? She says, ‘That’s sexist.’”

Out of the mouths of babes! In response to the interview, San Diego State University student, Anthony Berteaux wrote an open letter to Seinfeld regarding his observation of the current climate on campuses nationwide. You can read his full-of-himself-pretentious-pseudo-intellectual letter in full here. But here are the highlights.

While I do agree with you that college students today are more sensitive to issues of race and gender politics, it’s simply because that’s our job as learners. As college students who are engaged in a myriad of social, economic, and political issues, it’s our duty to be actively engaged and educated about issues of sexism, racism and prejudice.

Your job as “learners”? Really? College is it’s own world. The myriad of social, economic and political issues one experiences in the traditional setting of academia is different than the actual issues one experiences when he or she (see what I am doing here?) gets out into the “real” world. The difference between college and the “real world” is the way this potentially offensive material is handled. You have too many “triggers” that you all find to be offensive in the university community. So many, that I tend to think that you “learners” would not know funny if it punches you in the face. You would think it’s offensive and go into your little corners with your “blankies” and whine about it. Yes, racism and sexism and social and economic and political issues are part of our world. But if we all go running for the hills and get “offended” by every little thing in a comic routine, what really gets done about these issues? And, pray tell, how are YOU equipped to deal with them?

Oh, wait. I’m missing the point?

It isn’t so much that college students are too politically correct (whatever your definition of that concept is), it’s that comedy in our progressive society today can no longer afford to be crass, or provocative for the sake of being offensive. Sexist humor and racist humor can no longer exist in comedy because these concepts are based on archaic ideals that have perpetrated injustice against minorities in the past.

Like “golden girls”, Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, anyone? Nah. They’re not offensive or crass at all. It’s not sexist humor at the expense of men at all. Men shouldn’t be insulted by their behavior and neither should women. In fact, more women should get out of the “dark ages” act like them. If they are crass, they’re crass to prove a point, you say? Right. They’re intellectuals. They’re funny. Downright hysterical. I read this article featuring some of these non-offensive, “with something to say” and was rolling on the floor! (Is my sarcasm coming through yet?)

The “open letter” takes another turn:

So, yes, Mr. Seinfeld, we college students are politically correct. We will call out sexism and racism if we hear it. But if you’re going to come to my college and perform in front of me, be prepared to write up a set that doesn’t just offend me, but has something to say. Offend the f– out of college students. Provoke the f– out of me. We’ll thank you for it later.

So, what is it really? I thought he just said that comedy cannot afford to be crass or provocative for the sake of being offensive and now he wants to be offended? Do college students want to be offended? Or do they not? Can they handle being offended? Does anybody really know or care?

Comedy? No comedy for you, overly politically-correct college students. I’ve got nothing.