Hollywood has become a minefield for anyone who doesn’t toe the radical leftist line.
One wrong joke and your career is over faster than you can say "diversity and inclusion."
But the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond just revealed one survival trick that kept him working in woke Hollywood for 30 years.
Phil Rosenthal shares his strategy for surviving cancel culture
Phil Rosenthal knows how to play the game in Hollywood without losing his soul.
The creator of the beloved sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond recently opened up about navigating cancel culture during an interview at the Televerse 25 event in Los Angeles.
"I guess you have to be a little more careful, but I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing," Rosenthal told Fox News Digital.
His strategy is simple but effective.
"I think it’s good to be sensitive. It doesn’t mean you can’t be funny, it just means you don’t do jokes at other people’s expense, maybe, no matter who they are, unless you’re punching above your class, right? You want to punch up not down," Rosenthal explained.
The approach worked brilliantly for Everybody Loves Raymond, which ran for nine seasons from 1996 to 2005 and starred Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton.
The show remains popular in syndication nearly 20 years after it ended.
"Well, [Everybody Loves Raymond] was designed to be timeless. And we did that by not having topical jokes, jokes of the day, you know?" Rosenthal said. "It would’ve been easy to do Bill Clinton jokes, let’s say, when we were first up. But that dates the show. So we did things that we thought might be universal. Relationships, marriage, sibling rivalry, having kids, having parents. And so it has lasted and this year coming up it will have been 30 years since we were on the air."
The strategy paid off in a big way.
Everybody Loves Raymond earned 15 Primetime Emmys over the course of its run, including two outstanding comedy series wins.
The entertainment industry’s woke gatekeepers are losing their grip
Rosenthal’s survival strategy comes at a time when other entertainment figures are pushing back against cancel culture.
Denzel Washington recently ripped into the concept during an interview with Complex magazine.
When a reporter pressed Washington on whether he worries about being "canceled," the actor shot back with questions of his own.
"What does that mean – to be canceled?" Washington asked. "Who cares? What made public support so important to begin with?"
Stand-up comedian Nate Jackson told Fox News Digital that the cancel culture phenomenon seems to be winding down.
"No, I think that’s kind of a wrap," Jackson said when asked if he believes cancel culture is still a threat. "Yeah, I think people realize that there is someone for everyone, and if someone’s not for you, then just don’t watch them."
But Rosenthal’s approach shows there’s another way to handle Hollywood’s woke enforcers.
Instead of fighting them head-on, he found a formula that worked within their system while still producing quality entertainment.
Here’s what Rosenthal actually figured out
Look, Rosenthal cracked the code that most conservatives in Hollywood miss completely.
He didn’t turn into some woke activist spouting leftist talking points.
Instead, he found the sweet spot – make shows about things that matter to real families.
Everybody Loves Raymond worked because it wasn’t trying to lecture anyone about politics.
The Barone family had the same fights every American family has – about money, about in-laws, about who forgot to take out the trash.
Ray worked as a sportswriter, Debra stayed home with the kids, and Ray’s parents lived right across the street causing all kinds of drama.
Sound familiar? That’s because it’s how millions of American families actually live.
Brad Garrett played Ray’s jealous brother Robert, while Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts brought the overbearing parents to life.
The family dynamics were relatable without being preachy or politically correct.
Rosenthal is currently developing a reunion show with the surviving cast members, though he’s confirmed there won’t be a full reboot since key cast members Boyle and Roberts have passed away.
The success of Everybody Loves Raymond proves that conservatives don’t have to abandon entertainment to the woke mob.
They just need to be strategic about how they tell their stories.
¹ Christina Dugan Ramirez and Larry Fink, "’Everybody Loves Raymond’ creator explains how to stay funny without getting canceled," Fox News, August 19, 2025.
