Netflix talks a big game on inclusivity, but the last few weeks have seen its reputation take some hard knocks. This has centered on Dave Chappelle’s latest comedy special The Closer, which contains explicitly transphobic comments and resulted in a public revolt by their employees and a ton of bad press. Despite all this, Netflix is sticking to its guns and debate is still ongoing.
Now Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd has weighed in. The comedy legend will be back in a proton pack for Ghostbusters: Afterlife and has given a wide-ranging interview with THR about his career, his legacy, and his opinion of comedy today. One specific question asked for his impressions of ‘cancel culture’:
There is enough range in humor where you don’t have to go scatological and you don’t have to go pulling any divisive cards to get a laugh. There is so much in the world to comment on that is outside the realm of offensiveness. As a writer, you can go to other areas and have successful creative endeavors.
Scatological humor is fun. It’s easy laughs. But there is more intelligent writing that can happen if you stay away from the offensive material that should be rightly canceled for its hurtfulness. Who can be the subject of an impression today? That’s an area of discussion. Can I do my James Brown imitation? He was one of my best friends. I do his voice pretty good. But maybe I shouldn’t anymore.
The interview went on to reveal that Aykroyd watches Saturday Night Live each week to see how his former show is doing — he’s a particular fan of James Austin’s Joe Biden — that his experience making Ghostbusters: Afterlife was “pure joy”:
What a privilege to be asked back to do that. It was creative satisfaction working again with Ernie [Hudson], Bill [Murray] and Sigourney [Weaver]. If it weren’t for Jason and Ivan, I don’t know if we would have had the magnificent cast. To hang with brothers like that, family, it’s always fun — memories of good and maybe bad.
He wrapped things up by touching on his pet subject: UFOs. This summer saw an intelligence report being released with inconclusive findings on what’s zipping through our airspace. Aykroyd clearly feels vindicated:
“These pilots are professionals, and they know what they saw. And their cameras and equipment picked it up. That’s a reality. You can have all kinds of opinions, but the reality is these objects are coming and going and are now captured on more sophisticated equipment. They have been coming and going like taxis for years.”
Ghostbusters: Afterlife hits theaters on Nov. 19.
