Sarah Silverman's attitude to race jokes changed post-Ferguson

Sarah Silverman has been getting rave reviews for her dramatic role in Adam Salky’s upcoming drama I Smile Back, but last night at the Toronto Film Festival she reflected on her comedy career and how her style has changed.
Known for her risky and often controversial comedy, Silverman has often played with ideas of stereotypes and race, and she always defended her right to tell outrageous jokes, paying little attention to criticism.
“I learned early on not to defend my material because there were going to be people were would be offended by anything I say,” she said. “I have to just go with the guide of my own gut and heart and stomach.”
However, Silverman admitted that her philosophy regarding race and comedy has changed over the past year, and she says that in a post-Ferguson America where racism and police brutality are at the forefront of public discourse, jokes about race have lost their appeal.
“Racial jokes that were just kind of being absurd have less charm in a world where we’re all very aware that white cops are killing black teenagers on a daily basis,” she said. “In the context of the world as it is now, it would be less absurdist. It’s important to change with the times.”
Silverman’s role as an alcoholic and drug addicted suburban mother in I Smile Back is already gathering Oscar buzz.