Jamie Foxx: Conservatives 'Don't Take Jokes Well'

Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx used to make people laugh for a living, and he says cracking up conservatives is harder than it should be.

Today, the “Django Unchained” star is best known as an actor who can also sing and tell a joke. He recalled the latter skill during an actor’s roundtable hosted by The Hollywood Reporter.

Republicans don’t take jokes well. I’ve performed for George W. Bush and all these guys ’cause I’m from Texas. I did a big thing at the Cowboys’ new stadium. You got Bush there, I’m cracking jokes, and I said, “Come on, man, you gotta lighten up.” They don’t take it well because all jokes have a layer of truth.

Telling jokes about a political figure while said figure is in the room does change the chemistry of an audience. Besides, liberals rarely get to hear jokes aimed at them. Did the Occupy Wall Street movement get mocked a fraction of what it deserved to receive? Have comedians essentially treated President Barack Obama as off limits for the past four years?

Comedy programs which directly target liberals are few and far between. “Portlandia” tweaks one of the most liberal cities in the country but does it with unabashed affection. “The Goode Family,” Mike Judge’s oh-so-gentle tweaking of the progressive mindset, was quickly canceled.

“Saturday Night Live” news anchor Seth Meyers suggests just the opposite of what Foxx contends, in part because liberals are rarely the butt of a comedian’s joke.

I feel like the weird thing is when you make a joke about a liberal, they’re probably more sensitive about it because they assume it’s a safer place for them.