Some actors shoot from the hip in interviews.
Think Sean Penn, Sarah Silverman or John Leguizamo.
By comparison, Jennifer Aniston sneaks a peek at her Movie Star Playbook before chatting with the press.
The “Friends” alum is more guarded during press Q&As, and that’s her choice. It’s paid off handsomely given her thriving career, and she rarely alienates potential audience members with her responses.
She changed course, dramatically, this week.
The star of Netflix’s “Murder Mystery 2” shared her thoughts on culture, comedy and the need for laughter in our crazed times. Aniston is back as Audrey Spitz, the Everywoman who helped solved a crime in 2019’s “Murder Mystery” alongside her hubby (Adam Sandler).
The sequel co-stars Mark Strong, Jodie Turner-Smith and Wilmer Valderrama.
Aniston, now doing the press rounds for the project, let loose on Cancel Culture with AFP without actually name-checking the cultural scourge.
“Now it’s a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life,” she said.
In the past, “you could joke about a bigot and have a laugh — that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were,” she said. “And now we’re not allowed to do that.”
She noted how the younger generation finds her blockbuster sitcom “Friends” offensive. That was never the intention, she notes.
The actress wants more comedy, not less, and it’s for less than selfish reasons.
“Everybody needs funny! The world needs humour! We can’t take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided,” she said.
Perhaps Aniston is fed up with the “new” rules applying to humor. Maybe she realizes what it means to handcuff artists and why that could yield lesser works as a result.
Or she’s spending too much time with her comedy co-star.
Aniston and Sandler have made three movies together – 2011’s “Just Go With It” and the two “Murder Mystery” films. Plus, they’ve been friends for decades dating back to their early days in Hollywood.
Did they discuss the sorry state of comedy between “Murder Mystery.2” scenes? Or does Aniston understand the existential threat to comedy the woke mind virus poses?
Either way, this old “Friend” has people talking.
Jennifer Aniston says the way “comedy has evolved” has made it “really hard for comedians” to tell a joke. https://t.co/RkK97aJ4R8
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) March 30, 2023
Jennifer Aniston believes comedy is tough to do now, and cited how young people are now viewing Friends as an example.
“There were things that were never intentional and others, well, we should have thought it through. But I don’t think there was a sensitivity like there is now.” pic.twitter.com/q0a6vg8m6a— Buzz.ie (@buzzdotie) March 30, 2023
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