Comedian Russell Peters: Why Are We Celebrating Cancel Culture Bullies?

Russell Peters, one of the most successful comedians of his generation, suffered constant bullying from his peers in his childhood. Today, Peters is known for his lacerating humor and riotous observations, and he won’t backpedal in our cancel-culture age.

On Canadian television, Peters recently defended his craft by criticizing those who want us to think exactly as they do. He called them bullies and said that “we’re bullying people into doing things that we want them to do or thinking the way we want them to think. That’s not the way you get it done.” Cancel culture scolds, according to Peters, are the new bullies, and yet there’s little attempt to call them out for it. He thinks it’s a little bit odd that everything offends us these days and that bullies are being celebrated.

During the conversation, Peters noted that his act has changed over the years, capturing his personal and cultural growth. He also defended comedians who are accused of “normalizing stereotypes,” saying that inflating stereotypes to the point of humor has been part of comedy since the beginning of time. According to Peters, the stereotype is based on something real, and the comedian’s job is to exaggerate it.

Overall, Peters believes that everything is about intent, not the words themselves, and that trying to put restraints on our brains ruins everything. He also shared that his experience of being bullied as an Indian child in Canada taught him valuable lessons.

Despite everything, Peters is one of those comedians who constantly pushes the envelope, chasing the line constantly. And this is why he is still considered one of the best comedians of our time.