'They’re not damaged, they’re complaining': Howie Mandel says the days of 'woke' are numbered

Comedian and TV host Howie Mandel praised comedians who are pure to their artform and said that because of comedians who have refused to censor themselves, the pendulum is swinging away from woke audiences.

Mandel appeared on the "Stand-Up World Podcast" and started by reminiscing about the days when comedy fans could go to a club and see comedians who "seem to be breaking the rules."

Comedians were "talking about things you didn't hear people talk about publicly," unlike what you might see on the "Tonight Show" or any other mainstream comedy format.

The former "Deal or No Deal" host then described when he thought audiences started taking offense with politically correct points of view.

"A couple of years ago political awareness kind of took over, even before this whatever people call 'woke,' it started in colleges you know? A lot of my friends who used to play colleges. You'd think you'd play to colleges because that would be the young, open-minded people where you could go so far. They were the first people to really shut down, but I think the pendulum swung really far into the woke," Mandel explained.

However, Mandel said the pendulum swung too far into "woke" and cited a number of comedians who he thinks have brought true comedy back.

"I feel like with people like Shane Gillis and Bert Kreischer and Ari Shaffir and all these Austin comics and all these new guys — Mark Normand — and all these people, these people who don't give a s**t about that and believe in the purity of what it is."

"[They] are bringing the pendulum back and they're selling bigger numbers than anybody that is trying to conform to whatever you believe you need to conform to," he claimed.

Comedian Kreischer starring in a 2023 movie about his life, Shaffir's successful comedy special on YouTube, and Gillis' monstrous comeback that included a "Saturday Night Live" appearance and a Bud Light sponsorship are just some of the accolades these comedians have acquired.

Mandel went on to describe the hypocrisy of viewers getting offended by comedy, as "humor comes out of darkness."

"That’s why the tragedy and comedy masks are so close together," Mandel continued. "If you’re a little kid and you go to the circus you’re laughing at a clown falling down. You’re laughing at the misfortune of somebody you don’t know."

"If something bad doesn’t happen, it’s not funny. If something embarrassing doesn’t happen, it’s not funny. If something awkward doesn’t happen, it’s not funny," he explained.

Touching on cancel culture, Mandel described how easy it is to simply not listen to a comedian if you find what they say to be offensive.

"You don’t have to laugh at the joke. You don’t have to like the joke. You don’t even have to get the joke."

He added that jokes have never actually harmed anyone, and those who have claimed to have suffered from comedy, have not.

"Who is damaged by this? Who has ever been damaged by comedy? Ever? Ever?! ... They’re not damaged, they’re complaining,” Mandel concluded.

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