Actor Adam Devine, known for his roles in “Pitch Perfect”, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” “Neighbors,” and more spoke out on his thoughts surrounding the comedy genre. Devine most recently appeared opposite Nina Dobrev in Netflix’s “The Out-Laws”, a romantic comedy with an action packed twist.
Adam DeVine says Marvel movies “ruined” comedy:
“You watch comedies nowadays and you’re like, this is not a fucking comedy. Where are the jokes? Where are the bits? There’s still good [comedy] shows, but movie comedy… it’s hard. My theory: I think Marvel ruined it.”
????:… pic.twitter.com/jKGB8zoCYp
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 8, 2023
Devine went on to explain that comedy films tend to have less extravagant visuals than some of today’s major blockbusters, which deters moviegoers from seeing them in theaters. The actor shared this theory with comedian Theo Von on his podcast, “This Past Weekend With Theo Von.” The actor and the comedian went on to detail that comedies used to rely on a simpler humor format, whereas now several comedies tend to find themselves reliant on a deeper message.
“There’s no hidden message”
Theo Von and Adam DeVine mock Hollywood’s blatant attempt of blending comedy and the Woke ideology. pic.twitter.com/piWskoas6v
— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) July 15, 2023
Social Media Reactions
The clip immediately began circulating among conservative media personalities. Many claim that the film industry “suppresses” non “woke” comedies.
Comedians Adam DeVine and Theo Von exposed Hollywood's dirty little secret:
Only woke comedies are allowed to be made. Studios won't approve any non-woke comedy.
Absolute insanity. We need to return to the days of "Superbad" and truly funny movies.https://t.co/lWJxE0rZif
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) July 16, 2023
Elsewhere, others argued that Devine’s claim was inaccurate, and that comedies are actually suffering as a result of the contemporary streaming model. Romantic comedies and other forms of comedy have seen a spike in direct-to-streaming content, and the lack of marketing that goes into a theatrical release could actually be the root cause of the industry shift.
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worst take in a minute — all the comedies that have came out recently are boring and stale and unfunny and literally just streaming cash grab that’s why
— b (@Brew_Stew) August 8, 2023
Some simply asserted that they did not find the actor’s movies funny. Devine’s most popular role remains his portrayal of Bumper in “Pitch Perfect.”
That man was never funny ???? pic.twitter.com/r7OKbvhfnW
— SIKORA (@iamsikora) August 8, 2023
The Comparisons
Others pointed to the growing divide between female and male led comedies. A recently successful comedy, “No Hard Feelings”, starred Jennifer Lawrence opposite Andrew Barth Feldman, and saw a successful box office release.
I mean Joy Ride and No Hard Feelings were just released and honestly they were so good, maybe he should write his own comedy and star in it
— Xavi ???? ???????? (@JavierAIfonso) August 8, 2023
Others credited a slew of male writer-directors who they feel profited off of offensive forms of comedy. Notably, Jonah Hill remains at the center of a controversy surrounding alleged emotional abuse of his ex girlfriend, law student and pro surfer Sarah Brady.
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Marvel took up that space successfully but if I'm to blame anybody I would say Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow, Jonah Hill and the people that make the current roster of comedies decided they wanted to be serious and then their half assed comedies were outdone by Netflix.
— FilmGamer.com (@FilmGamerOne) August 7, 2023
Elsewhere, others criticized Devine’s argument in the first place. Humor is not exclusive to movies that are categorized as comedies, and some felt the actor misplaced the blame against the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Comedies aren't funny because other movies include humor? WHAT
— herb marselas ✍️????️???? (@herbmarselas) August 7, 2023
Devine’s most recent comedy, “The Out-Laws” currently sits at 20% from critics and 36% from audience viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.The film additionally stars Poorna Jagannathan of “Never Have I Ever”, Pierce Brosnan, Julie Hagerty, Ellen Barkin, and more.
The actor is yet to comment further on his statements on the state of contemporary comedy at this time. Von has additionally not offered further commentary on the matter either.
