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The recent boycott and mass exodus of Portuguese artists from the MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest — under the moral pretext of not sharing the bill with Jerry Seinfeld due to his political positions — is a perfect reflection of an era in which digital virtue signaling matters more than the craft itself. It's fascinating to observe the level of self-importance required for figures in our artistic scene to genuinely believe that their absence will tarnish the legacy, career, or relevance of one of the greatest titans in the history of world comedy. Jerry Seinfeld doesn't care, and neither does the audience that fills arenas to see him. By canceling their performances, these artists are not saving the world or resolving complex geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. They are merely feeding their own egos in a social media bubble, where peer approval and Instagram "likes" seem to be worth more than professionalism and respect for signed contracts and for the audience.
If the criteria for going on stage become the total ideological purity and alignment of thought of everyone involved in a festival, culture ceases to be a space of plurality and becomes a gray and dogmatic parish. Humor and art serve to confront, laugh, and connect people, not to create childish sanitary cordons based on policing the opinions of others. In the end, it's the audience that loses. As for Seinfeld? He will remain uncancellable, historic, and filling theaters, oblivious to protests from those who confuse the stage with a polling station.
