The filmmaker doesn't think 'Blazing Sandles' could be made today.
There's no denying the incredible cultural impact Mel Brooks has had on the world, with his major comedy flicks proving that when there are no boundaries when it comes to being funny, things can get very funny indeed.
Mel Brooks has some words to say about today's PC culture
At the helm of massive films such as 'Young Frankenstein' and 'The Producers', he's somebody who has without a doubt left his mark on the movie industry. One of his flicks that cut closest to the bone was Western comedy 'Blazing Saddles', starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder in the leading roles. Including a number of racial slurs, satire that would go far past anything we had seen in the past and a lot of moments that would make audiences wince one moment then burst into laughter the next, it still to this day is a much-talked about classic.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 about which of his films would still be able to be made in today's landscape, Brooks said: "Never 'Blazing Saddles', because we have become stupidly politically correct, which is the death of comedy. It’s okay not to hurt feelings of various tribes and groups. However, it’s not good for comedy. Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks. Comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering into the king’s ear, always telling the truth about human behaviour."
He did however say there were some lines that should never be crossed, adding: "I personally would never touch gas chambers or the death of children or Jews at the hands of the Nazis. Everything else is okay."
It's interesting to hear from Brooks just how much things have changed in the years since 'Blazing Saddles' was released. Whether or not movies like this should still be allowed to be made is in the eye of the beholder, but it looks as if the filmmaker now has his sights firmly set on the theatre.
With an adaptation of 'Young Frankenstein' coming to the West End a little later this year, following the success of 'The Producers' on Broadway in 2001, it's clear that no matter the "PC culture", Brooks' work will always find a home with modern-day audiences.
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