Comedian Jon Lovitz, known for his time on “Saturday Night Live,” blasted cancel culture while talking to Page Six.
“I’ll just say it, it’s no different than McCarthyism,” he told Page Six on Monday, comparing it to the wave of anti-communist fear that targeted Hollywood elites in the 1940s, spurred by Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
Comedians’ jobs are to “satirize what’s going on in society and point out the hypocrisies,” Lovitz said. “Cancel culture” has made that increasingly difficult, he added.
“As soon as you say to a comedian like me, ‘You can’t say that,’ the first thing in my head is, ‘Oh, and now I have to,'” Lovitz told Page Six.
Lovitz, who has appeared in numerous films, including the 2001 flick “Rat Race,” said he won’t alter his act to appease people who are sensitive and can’t take a joke.
“If you don’t have the ability to laugh at yourself, don’t go to a comedy club,” he said, adding, “If you’re watching TV and you don’t like the show, change the channel. It’s very simple.”
Lovitz doubled-down on his message in a Friday tweet in which he shared Page Six’s story.
“I’ve seen innocent friends lose their careers,” he wrote alongside the article. “It’s enough.”