Howie Mandel on working with Netflix and comedy’s “terrible” future: “You don’t have the right to a child”

Howe Mandel may be excited about his latest project, but there are a lot of things in the comedy space that make him less than thrilled.

The backbone of the game show, known for television hits like დით Do you agree or not? s კისTalented AmericanHe is the host of the Netflix game show. meaningless gameA short test that is less about whether a competitor will answer the question correctly than it is about whether or not an individual can convince three other potential competitors that any answer is correct.

“This is about life,” Mandel said. hollywood reporter. “Maybe the kid who has to lie to get something in school, or the salesman who has to lie to sell everything he has to do, or you’re just on a dating app trying to get it. , This applies to all touches of our society. It was very exciting because it broke what we perceived as a traditional game show. ”

Of course, he may be most famous for telling people if he’s made a lot of money. But the previous decades were a force to be reckoned with, having established their careers in the L.A. comedy scene in the late 1970s before starring among others. Elsewhere, St. In front of Denzel Washington and like the voice of Gizmo gremlins. His position in the 1990s as the creator and titular voice of the Fox Kids animated series. bob world He helped establish a family presence that continues to expand today.

in conversation THRThe star talks about the debate in the comedy world surrounding Dave Chapel and Will Smith, how the game show space has evolved over the years, whether it has hosted a show compared to streaming, and the “tough, tough time for free speech.” ” today .

what was that condition Absurd Did that attract you?

First of all, when you give it a title, it’s definitely audible, right? But as for the game, I’m the most snobby at the moment and I’m very tired of the game because of my past. And to be honest, based on my personal experience, as far as the quality of education I get, I don’t mind bullshit because I’m not good at bullshit. that I loved დით Do you agree or not? There was no skill. It was just humanity seeing how far someone would go, and when your human instincts are the tools you use to get something in life, it’s the most accessible kind of television. I don’t think there’s a moment that goes by in our time that we’re not trying to determine if what we’re seeing is absurd, if that’s what it seems. Anyone of any age will be interested in seeing this, just look at someone’s face and the clear signs to say, “Are they lying?”

You’ve been in the gaming space for a long time. Have you hosted DIY programs in the past?

A lot. Personally, I don’t mind petty accommodations. First, at this point in my career, I don’t need a job. I work on things I love to do. So I love playing this game and as a host I have to play it. I don’t know which button to press; I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t know if these people will believe them. That was intriguing. I don’t mind asking questions and then reading the correct answer. I didn’t make my day. I hardly take დით Do you agree or not? Because I didn’t understand the game. But that was probably the most exciting thing I’ve ever done. Absurd Because what I found is that people are screaming on set. It’s you, as a human being, trying to be a lie detector.

things have changed since then დით Do you agree or not? In terms of what makes a game show successful? Do viewers now have a different way of thinking about what they look for in this type of entertainment?

With the advent of social media, I believe the key to any kind of success is one word: “engagement”. When you see people playing and it’s passive, I don’t know if the audience cares for a while. But what I love is not just about the players. It’s about sitting at home and saying, “Wait, that’s a lie.” Or “That’s nonsense.” Or, “Look at him; He looks nervous.” And the other thing is I was really excited to do the show on Netflix and that’s because it’s not ad-supported. We shouldn’t shy away from ads. We should not make a summary.

You were part of the broadcasts that really won over Zeitgeist. Did you have any questions or thought about switching to the streaming service, or did you change those jokes you might notice?

The opinion was positive. I didn’t edit it, it was the freest experience I’ve ever had on a formatted TV, in addition to giving a special emphasis to comedy.

After Dave Chapel’s debate over Netflix’s specialty began, questions arose over whether the platform should be an arbiter of what booth content the public sees. Was that on your mind?

As a person who defends comics, it’s very scary. The window closes in an art form that I find really creepy and relaxing. So when someone like Netflix offers a forum where you can be creative and have freedom, whatever that art form is, I think it’s a necessity in our culture and it’s the ultimate in freedom of expression. Absurd There’s no stand-up comedy special and it’s not necessarily R-rated, but there’s no editing. Really is Do not do. Broadcast network game program.

It’s unfortunate that you think this booth art form is changing or disappearing. Is there any specific reason for this, if only current sensitivity?

hypersensitivity As a comedian, I believe there is neither too soon nor too far. Don’t believe the line exists. If you think like I do, comedy as an art form and, in popular terms, about art, let’s say painting. If painting is an art form, how can you know you can’t use black anymore? You need black to paint, to shade, right? If the drawing is too dark, you can shade it and add gray. What I liked when I got into the game was that every night I would go and see Richard Pryor get together. On the sunset line live. I’m telling you, he crossed the line almost every night and you can see when he would laugh and start to laugh, but then he overcame it and created what became one of the main, most inspiring. [specials] – To many stand-up comedians today, including maybe Chapel – On the sunset line live.

The comedy is based on inconsistency, the clown bursting with laughter. Since our anniversary, we’ve been told, “Laughing at someone else’s flaws is not cool.” When you laugh at a circus clown, you laugh at someone who gets hurt or falls. Comedy is it. When two guys walk into a bar, one of them has to do something weird or mean to make it a joke. And there is no queue. As a person suffering from mental health, if you cannot laugh at the pain, you will simply be killed and you will die. This is a wonderful panacea. It is said that laughter is the best medicine, but now we are told that medicine is illegal. This is a challenging and challenging time for freedom of expression and the art form, which is really more of a necessity than one you can freely engage with.

How did you feel about Will Will Smith’s response to Chris Rock, especially considering you’re an outspoken person about health issues?

I think humor is subjective and you like it if it goes too far, there’s nothing you can say or do, even outside the context of humor, to hit someone. I don’t know if this is a discussion about humor or if the humor was right or wrong. You can’t hit anyone. Just not. This is against the law, not to mention everything that should be against humanity. violence is never the answer. There are always a lot of people who don’t understand the joke [or] I don’t like to play. You don’t consider the humor, but the fact is that’s what the world is doing right now, shutting it down, looking for a reason why it shouldn’t be said. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be said. There are reasons why what is said cannot be considered ridiculous; There is a reason why what is said may be considered distasteful; There is a reason why it is not said to sell tickets. But there is no reason to end what has been said. Like, don’t close what’s written, don’t close.

There was a time when I got there, even if you weren’t a comedian, the phrase “Hey I was kidding” was enough to bring you safety nets. You say something, then they get mad and you say, “I was kidding.” “I’m sorry. I thought you were serious.” So, despite the joke, everything was fine. But not anymore. You no longer have the right to a childhood. Without a joke, because it might not be funny. It becomes an act. or before it’s televised or broadcast, it’s not good. It is not funny. It is not there. People like Dave Chapelle go out every night and nobody else works on it and tries to do anything. He doesn’t want to take this out of context. You want to refine it. Only the art form matters.

As a judge, your answer is sincere and you will find a way to add humor, but at the same time, there is humanity. Will you make a determined decision to help people feel at peace?

This is not intentional. I like the show’s host and Absurd. And I’m telling you, we change people’s lives. People left there much better than when they came in. I liked the controversy: their lives got better when that skill didn’t make sense, and I think it teaches people that the world isn’t black and white. There are gray areas where we’re going to reward you for something that, for all intents and purposes, the word “crazy” doesn’t sound positive. But on our show it’s like that, and the best nonsense goes to good deeds. I love being at a party at this point in my life to see people show up, whether AGT, With a dream; or is it included დით Do you agree or not?, who were chosen only by luck in the lottery; or in Absurd. I see before my eyes how people’s lives change forever.

They are people with dreams and hopes, families, relationships, wants and needs. And even if I only spend half an hour with you, that half hour more than I spend with someone I’ll never meet. There is no other person with whom I have absolutely nothing in common. So I’m obsessed with these people and I always want them to be successful. Even if they walk away with $10,000, $5,000, or $500, isn’t that amazing? He was on TV, had a good time, and came out for $500.

The interview is edited for length and clarity.

meaningless game It is currently running on Netflix.