The real "Hacks" are those who use their platforms to "just continuing to bully people," Einbinder explained, adding, "Anyone who has been 'canceled' is pretty much back to work, especially men."
Emmy nominee Hannah Einbinder knows a “Hack” when she sees one.
The star of HBO’s critically acclaimed two-hander series “Hacks,” opposite Jean Smart, spoke out against the myth that cancel culture affects the comedy world. To Einbinder, the real “hack” artists are those who continue to “bully people” using their platforms.
“There are a lot of bullies who grew up to be comedians and they are just continuing to bully people,” Einbinder told The Independent. “They have no desire to be thoughtful or make light of things, only to cause chaos or be what they believe is ‘edgy’ but is actually, in reality, hack. They will always exist and if you don’t like them, don’t support them. Don’t buy their tickets.”
And also don’t expect them to be canceled: Einbinder clarified that the term “cancel culture” doesn’t necessarily apply to the comedy world.
“I don’t think ‘cancel culture’ is what people think it is,” Einbinder said. “Anyone who has been ‘canceled’ is pretty much back to work, especially men. Even Bill Cosby is free.”
She continued, “I also think the Internet does not help when we’re talking about anything that requires nuance. People are being held accountable for the first time in history and I think that’s ultimately a good thing, but not all offenses are created equal and we are treating them as such, which is wrong.”
Fellow comedian Jerrod Carmichael previously spoke out against the cancel culture myth.
“The comedians that are forging this self-created war, I get it. It’s good for ticket sales and it’s good to have an opponent,” Carmichael said. “I’ve always believed that this whole cancellation thing, it’s made up. The court of public opinion has no jail. Any time of criticism is probably a good sign that you’re interesting in some way. But the fact that people think they can get canceled is false. Harvey Weinstein didn’t get canceled, he went to jail. R. Kelly went to jail. That’s jail. Everyone else is on tour. Maybe certain green rooms feel like jail, but that’s not jail.”
He later added, “The boogeyman doesn’t exist. If you make art and it causes some contention or it causes some whatever, I mean, that’s part of it, but the cancellation thing, I think that’s just to give boring people something interesting to talk about, like a ghost villain.”
Billy Eichner also weighed in on the bullying comedians debate following Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle’s transphobic Netflix standup specials. “Queer people, and especially trans people, are under legislative attack in this country. Trans people are being demeaned. They’re trying to dehumanize trans people. They’re trying to erase trans people,” Eichner said during the Netflix Is a Joke Festival. “And I’m not even talking about Florida. I’m talking about Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix special!”
Mae Martin similarly spoke out on the recent slew of Netflix specials with trans- and homophobic jokes, including Ricky Gervais’ “SuperNature.”
“I have this fantasy that Chappelle and Louis C.K. and Ricky Gervais — any kind of multimillionaire who uses their massive platform to punch down — they’re eating a hog roast. They’re ripping off the meat. They’re drinking goblets of that medieval drink, mead,” Martin said. “They turn on the TV, and they see me doing my little ‘Beauty and the Beast’ joke, and suddenly they’re like, ‘Oh my god. We’re wrong.’ And they gently cradle each other. They kiss each other.”
