Openly gay comedian Wanda Sykes is not
on board with Adam Carolla's notion that a joke must be mean to get a
laugh.
Carolla explained his theory last week
on ABC's The Talk
After
co-host Sara Gilbert noted that Carolla had previously made
insensitive anti-gay jokes and appeared in anti-hate campaigns, she
asked, “How do you feel about us gay people?”
Carolla answered that he was not
homophobic but added that nice jokes don't get a laugh.
“So, if they say, 'What do you think
of Chaz Bono?' I have to say something horrible so I can get a laugh.
And then everyone goes, 'Oh, that's what you think.' I'm on stage,
nice doesn't get laughs, especially on stage.”
“I understand, you say things and you
have to stand behind those things but when did we start holding
comedians up to the level of politicians and school teachers. We're
comedians, we're supposed to say mean things.”
Speaking with lesbian entertainment
blog AfterEllen.com, Sykes
disagreed.
“I don't think homophobic jokes – I
don't find them funny,” said Sykes. “But if by comedian you get
on stage and you're allowed to say whatever you want to say, and if
people laugh then, hey, good for you. If not, maybe it's not funny.
And that's the rule I go by.”
“You know, I'm not mean-spirited. So
anything, if it makes me feel bad, I'm not gonna do it. I have my
standards and that's what I go by,” she added.