Rowan Atkinson Defends Offensive Comedy: 'Every Joke Has a Victim'

English comedian Rowan Atkinson, best known for his role as Mr. Bean, is returning to the small screen in Netflix comedy Man vs. Bee. In the series, Atkinson plays a father and house-sitter named Trevor who gets into serious hijinks in the mansion he's watching after a bee enters the home.

Atkinson knows the comedy landscape has changed since he entered the industry decades ago, but in his view, things have taken a turn for the worse. Speaking to The Irish Times, the actor railed against "cancel culture" and the emergence of "a whole different form of establishment" when it comes to comedy. He asserted his belief that to be offensive is the "job of comedy" and that comedy "cannot be drained of that potential."

"Every joke has a victim," Atkinson said. "That's the definition of a joke. Someone or something or an idea is made to look ridiculous."

When asked whether he believed comedy should only "kick up" at those in authority as opposed to targeting those without power, Atkinson replied, "I think you've got to be very, very careful about saying what you're allowed to make jokes about. You've always got to kick up? Really? What if there's someone extremely smug, arrogant, aggressive, self-satisfied, who happens to be below in society?"

"They're not all in houses of parliament or in monarchies," he continued. "There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up."

The comedian then doubled down. "In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything," he insisted. "Not all jokes are for everyone."

Man vs. Bee premieres June 24 on Netflix.

Kirstie Renae is a writer, blogger, and Austin-based actress with a penchant for binge-watching TV with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter @KirstieRenae.