Question

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
John Cleese told Fox News Digital that comedians do not have the freedom to be funny in 2022. “There’s always been limitations on what they’re allowed to say,” Cleese said. “I think it’s particularly worrying at the moment because you can only create in an atmosphere of freedom, where you’re not checking everything you say critically before you move on. What you have to be able to do is to build without knowing where you’re going because you’ve never been there before. That’s what creativity is — you have to be allowed to build. And a lot of comedians now are sitting there and when they think of something, they say something like, ‘Can I get away with it? I don’t think so. So and so got into trouble, and he said that, oh, she said that.’ You see what I mean? And that’s the death of creativity.”

• A. Comedians must not check what they think and say. They must go where no one has gone before.
• B. Comedians are being prevented from saying what they want and that is the death of this art form.
• C. Creativity and critical thinking cannot work together. Comedians must first be creative, and later be critical.
• D. Freedom and creativity are essential for comedy. Fear about offending people hinders originality.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The essence of the passage is that comedians must have the freedom to create without fear of being criticized or censored. Cleese expresses concern that fear of offending others is stifling creativity and originality, which is the focus of option 4.