From Jerry Seinfeld to Dave Chappelle, some of today’s best funnymen have gotten their boxer-briefs all in a bunch about today’s current comedy climate, a climate they believe has been hobbled by a new wave of political correctness. Charleston native and Brooklyn-based comedian Rachel McKay Steele is having none of that.
“No subjects should be off limits, but you need to ask yourself who is the joke on?” Steele says. “If your joke is at the expense of a marginalized community, you’re not being funny or smart — you’re just a jerk who is saying the same thing that people in power have always said about people without power. I was going to say you’re being an asshole, but that would be offensive to the body part.”
She adds, “If anything, it’s an exciting time to be in comedy because there are so many diverse and talented voices out there.”
This week, Steele will be returning to her hometown as part of the improv duo, Onesie. (Fellow Brooklynite Lauren Christianson is the other one in Onesie.) And while Steele can’t tell you what you can expect from her and Christianson — it’s improv, natch — she can assure you that one certain Cheeto-colored charlatan won’t come up.
“I can safely say Onesie has never done a scene about Donald Trump. And I’m 100 percent OK with that,” Steele says. “Now, excuse me while I go look at photos of President Obama holding babies.”
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