Seinfeld actor Danny Woodburn: Bill Burr "punches down" with his Netflix special jokes about disabled actors

The Hollywood Reporter

Woodburn, who played Kramer's little person friend Mickey Abbott on Seinfeld, responded in detail in a Hollywood Reporter essay to one segment of Burr's new Paper Tiger special on actors playing disabled people on screen. "People will say it’s just a joke, get over it," writes Woodburn. "There is no such thing as 'just a joke.' This is the response of either a person with total disregard of social responsibility, or of the guilty. Comedians are important contributors to the art and culture of our time. They have great power when given the honor of a nationally recognized platform, like a comedy special. Traditionally, comics have been enlighteners, from the political commentary of Will Rogers, George Carlin and Jon Stewart to the satire of Don Rickles, The Colbert Report and Sarah Silverman to the confessional woes of Joan Rivers and Jim Gaffigan. The list of styles goes on and on, but the common thread, when done well, is to 'punch up,' not 'punch down.' It's not to attack those with the softest voice. Perhaps if Mr. Burr had done his preparation for his role as a comedian, he might have gained a better understanding of what the actual rage should be about." ALSO: Bill Burr explains why he can't stand "outrage culture": "Outrage culture is one of the most misrepresented things out there, how they will make such a small percentage of people seem like they’re three million people."