CHRISTIAN TOTO: Variety (Accidentally) Confirms Woke Killed Movie Comedies.
Variety has graced us with the 100 top comedies of all time. The exhaustive list has plenty of films that are beyond reproach – “Blazing Saddles,” “The Naked Gun,” “Elf” and “Bringing Up Baby.”
What’s missing? Films from the last decade.
Yes, 2002’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” made the list (number 87), but it’s hardly a typical comedy. The one true comedy from the past decade, “Poor Things,” is both hilarious and original.
That’s it. Now, compare that to the number of ’80s films on the list – 20. The 1990s has 18 films.
What changed?
We know the answer, of course. Woke blossomed over the past decade, forcing comics to self-censor lest their careers crumble as a result. Big-screen comedies became safe, avoiding material that might be outrageous or offensive.
And Variety, in order to pander to their industry audience, will keep flucking that chicken:
Why Does 'The Wizard of Oz' Still Cast Such a Wicked Spell? Because It's the Movie That First Flipped the Patriarchy on Its Head https://t.co/ztr526FSR2
— Variety (@Variety) November 23, 2025