David Spade Weighs in on ‘Cancel Culture’

David Spade recently wrapped a guest-hosting gig on Bachelor In Paradise and Is set to start a new comedy tour, and yet he still fears becoming a victim of so-called “cancel culture” and its effect on stand-up. In a recent interview with TMZ, Spade claims that living in fear of the Internet mob has made him less funny. 

“I worry about my last standup set!” Spade said. “I try to do stuff that’s a little rough around the edges. That’s the whole idea, and then if someone picks it up I guess I just cross my fingers and say it’s under the guise of comedy. My whole life is. Everything I say is basically for a joke.” When asked how he stays funny despite his fear of accountability, the SNL alum replied “I’m not.”

“I’m pulling from the same seven jokes were all allowed to use. I just turned into Marlon Blando,” Spade whined. “That’s what they want. They don’t want you to shake the tree and I like guys that are still doing it and some people are just grandfathered in and they get to do it. I’m glad there’s comics still doing it.”

While Spade isn’t happy with the current standards, he doesn’t see them changing any time soon. “The hard part is if any good luck happens to anyone there’s a team of people digging through their life to make sure they take them down and that’s the hard part,” Spade said, citing the scandal with . “Who’s doing that? Who has time? Who cares enough? That’s a tough life. You dig under anybody in the world, you find something.”

Spade has addressed his beliefs about cancel culture In the past, including in an interview with Variety where he explained that he was given quite a bit of creative freedom while hosting Bachelor In Paradise but not all comedians are given the same long leash. “It’s very dicey. It’s very tricky,” Spade said. “You used to have to say anything to go as far as you could, to push the envelope, to get attention, and people would be like, ‘I like this guy. He’s pushing it.’ And in comedy clubs, audiences really appreciate that. Now you say the one wrong move and you’re canceled. It’s a very tough world out there.”