Frank Skinner admits ‘woke process’ has made him ‘question’ classic jokes as he addresses adapting to PC era
Frank Skinner has opened up about the jokes he told early in his career, admitting that he would reconsider making them now as he “questions things a bit more” after becoming a dad.
Skinner and his partner Cath Mason welcomed their son Buzz Cody in May 2012.
The 67-year-old noted that the “woke process” has been “educational” for him and when it comes to making certain jokes in the past, he “should have known better”.
In a recent interview with The Times, Skinner candidly opened up: “The whole woke process has been quite educational for me and it might be to do with parenthood sort of coinciding with it for me. It’s just made me question things a bit more.”
He specifically referenced a homophobic Bob Dylan skit, alongside another where he imitated a disabled person’s walk.
Looking back, he questioned: “But would I do either of them now? I don’t know if I would.”
As well as his own jokes, Skinner also waded in on Fantasy Football League’s racist jokes about footballer Jason Lee, including when fellow host David Baddiel wore blackface.
Skinner admitted to the same publication that he looks back on the incident “all the time” and said: “The alternative comedy circuit that me and Dave were part of.
“That was our two big things — non-racist, non-sexist … we should have known better. Also, the bullying element of it … that was very disturbing.”
This isn’t the first time that Skinner has opened up about his old “brutal” jokes from the ‘90s, and revealed he is now “edcuated” by cancel culture.
He said back then it was the “norm” to crack racist and sexist jokes when he broke through, however, he now feels woke politics has “had an effect” on him.
The comedian admitted that he felt his comedy had not been changed due to cancel culture, but more that he had “changed” due to becoming a parent.
Speaking on The Today podcast in August, Skinner admitted: “Sometimes even on videos of me from the 90s, I see myself do a joke and I think ‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that now’ because it might be a joke I now find a bit offensive.
“It’s interesting this because the most asked question is ‘Can you do stand-up comedy in the age of woke politics’ and all that stuff.
“But, my comedy is very autobiographical, I don’t make anything up, it’s just things that have happened in my life which I process through my comedy head.
“So, it’s the other way around, I change and then my act changes. All this recent woke politics of the last 10 years, has had an effect on me, I’ve become a parent during that period.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Sir David Jason, 84, ‘desperately asking for roles’ as he slams ageism struggles within TV industry
Shirley Ballas breaks cover as she addresses ‘vitriol’ of BBC Strictly outrage over scoring rowBBC Antiques Roadshow expert urges guest to take action over authenticity concern of 007 artefact
“When I was growing up in the West Midlands, I got to be brutal, racist, language, sexist, language, homophobic, it was absolutely the norm.
“It wasn’t that I wasn’t listening to the alternate voice, there was no alternate voice. I didn’t even question it.
“But I do question it now and I have questioned it a lot. I think most of us have in recent years, I don’t feel forced or bullied by woke politics – I feel educated by it.”
