Jerry Seinfeld was right about the politically correct mindset on college campuses, and he’s not just an “old-timer” bemoaning a cultural sea change.

Some young comics are also aghast at the PC nature suffocating comedy today.

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Alec Sobel used to perform comedy routines at colleges. Not any more.

image020The 29-year-old comic who traffics in political gags hitting both sides, says too many students and college officials couldn’t handle his more cutting-edge material. When some jokes he lobbed at gangsta rap caused an issue, he figured he should tell his jokes elsewhere.

“It’s the death of comedy in college campuses,” he said, and it’s happened at breakneck speed. He recalls performing on the college circuit a few years back, but rarely ran into problems with his material.

“In 2009, there were comics talking about sex and marijuana, and they were getting gigs,” he said.

That was then. Today, it’s far different. And his young comic peers run into similar problems. Part of the problem stems from officials fearing the wrong joke could end their careers.

It’s the death of comedy in college campuses.

“The advisers at the school don’t want to get fired. If kids protest for any reason, they could lose their jobs,” he said. “It is rough on the comedians, but it’s also rough on the students. At some of these schools, there’s not much to do other than drink.”

Sobel’s act tackles tricky issues like climate change, and not everyone in the crowd will agree with what he delivers. That’s more than acceptable to him. In fact, it’s how he wants it to play out.

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“It’s only through people disagreeing with me that people can learn something,” he said.

Sobel recalled a moment from his own college days that may tie directly to the PC stranglehold on modern campuses. He took what he dubbed an “unorthodox approach” to an essay in a public relations class, defending tobacco companies for allowing us to choose our own vices and health habits.

“The professor gave me a C, even though my arguments were legit. He wrote, ‘not true’ next to it,” he said.

lavoie_jennifer_030Jenny LaVoie, 29, has been doing stand-up comedy for three years and said nothing should be off-limits.

“You can say anything you wanna say as long as it’s funny,” LaVoie said.

That doesn’t mean anything goes, though. The comedian in question must hone the material for maximum laughs — and less outrage.

“It’s so essential to really have a joke thought out and articulate. There’s a charm in saying something that’s incorrect … you have to know your voice,” she said.

Getting to the funny, though, isn’t always easy.

“Most comics work on their craft for 10 years before big media exposure,” LaVoie said.

Now, with everyone recording acts with their smartphones, those miscues can go viral.

“Sometime you mess up, and everyone records and documents it.”

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“People can film you at any time. You have no control over what people put on the Internet,” she said.

That won’t stop her from trying uncomfortable jokes, even if she has to work on them repeatedly to get them just right.

“The things that bother you the most are the things you need to talk about the most. Comedy is a cool equalizer,” she said.

andy-eriksonTwenty-eight-year-old Andy Erikson loves performing for college students. They greet her best one-liners with more enthusiasm than clubgoers. Still, Erikson said college officials generally put more restrictions on her act than clubs.

Along the way she tries to be aware of the impact her jokes have on the audience. And she censors herself now and then. She also will tell some gags that she knows are offensive in some quarters.

You have no control over what people put on the Internet.

“My ‘innocent persona’ allows me to get away with more things, though,” she said.

“I think comedians should be able to joke about absolutely anything they want,” Erikson said. “But ultimately, if the mass majority of the audience doesn’t like it, then you have to have an awkward set, and then decide what to do next … there’s a lot of trial and error in stand-up.”

Erikson said she hopes the situation will change. And all it may take is a few audience members willing to cheer a bit without fear of reprisals.

“Perhaps over time college audiences will evolve. Sometimes it only takes a handful of people laughing for an audience to feel comfortable laughing,” she said.