'The Office' star says cancel culture and political division have made it harder for modern-day comedies to thrive, shares frustration with partisan double standards and growing political division. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)
Rainn Wilson, best known for playing Dwight Schrute on hit sitcom "The Office," says partisan hypocrisy on both sides of the political aisle is fueling America's divisions, while arguing that cancel culture has stifled modern-day comedy.
Wilson told Fox News Digital that cancel culture, a result of growing political divisions, has damaged the ability for a comedy in a show like "The Office" to thrive and be acceptable in today’s society.
"I do feel like you couldn't make The Office today," Wilson said. "I think that would be too hard to be as politically incorrect as the show was. And I do, I do kind of miss that."
He explained how, despite that both his character and actor Steve Carell’s role as Michael Scott, were purposely portrayed as lacking "self-awareness" and "a boob," the humor still would not fly or be viewed as socially acceptable in today’s society.
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John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, and Steve Carell as Michael Scott appear in a scene from the pilot episode of "The Office." (Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank)
"We milked that for a lot of great, really inappropriate stuff," Wilson said. "But even with the fact that painting that character as just an idiot, I don't think you could get away with it today."
Aside from comedy, Wilson said one of the biggest drivers of America's political dysfunction is what he described as partisan hypocrisy, with both Republicans and Democrats quick to condemn misconduct of the
