Actor Tim Allen said Thursday that the U.S. has been moving backward when it comes to comedy, specifically citing the downfall of comedian Roseanne Barr.
“It’s a very icy time,” Allen said in an interview at the Television Critics Association press tour. “I’ve been a comedian for 38 years and I’ve never seen it, like Lenny Bruce said at the Purple Onion, ‘We’ve gone backwards.’ There are things you can’t say. There are things you shouldn’t say. Who makes up these rules? And as a stand-up comic, it’s a dangerous position to be in because I like pushing buttons. It’s unfortunate.”
Allen said that the Roseanne he knows isn’t the one that he’s been seeing lately, and although he has been one of the only celebrities to defend her, he said that he understands that ABC had to do what it thought was right in canceling her show.
“I go way back with Rosie and that’s not the Rosie I know,” Allen said “She was the most diverse and tolerant woman I’ve ever known for a long time. Whatever got in her head isn’t the Roseanne I know.”
Barr’s show was canceled after she posted a tweet equating former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, who is African-American, to a combination of the “Planet of the Apes” and the Muslim Brotherhood. Barr maintains that it was a political tweet, and had nothing to do with Jarrett’s race, especially since she “thought the bitch was white.”
The relaunch of “Roseanne” was watched by a record-breaking number of viewers each week and was one of the only shows on television that portrayed a conservative, pro-Trump main character.
Similarly, Allen’s show “Last Man Standing,” in which he portrayed a conservative, gun-owning father, was canceled by ABC a few months before. The show was picked up by Fox and season seven will be airing next month.
Allen confirms that his character will not outwardly support President Trump.
“I think the guy is a centrist. ” Allen said of his character. “He’s probably pro-Trump. He probably doesn’t defend him. He’s for whatever is good for his business and for the state of Colorado. I’m not the character I play. Keanu Reeves didn’t actually murder 100 people in ‘John Wick.’ What’s interesting to me is pissing people off.”
