The other day, legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood has made a very powerful stand as to what political correctness has come to mean and the way it influences our life. We should all be able to laugh at inoffensive jokes about different races without being labeled racists, Eastwood believes, as he tells Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine.

It’s not that Eastwood is encouraging racism under any form, he says, it’s just that this whole concept of political correctness has been carried so far that it’s now hard to open your mouth to say something without someone finding offense with it. And it shouldn’t necessarily be so, the actor thinks. Of course, we can always change by learning to laugh again, even if the joke that gets us giggling could be interpreted as racist.

“People have lost their sense of humor.” Eastwood tells the magazine. “In former times, we constantly made jokes about different races. You can only tell them today with one hand over your mouth, otherwise you will be insulted as a racist. I find that ridiculous. In those earlier days every friendly clique had a ‘Sam the Jew’ or ‘Jose the Mexican’ – but we didn’t think anything of it or have a racist thought. It was normal that we made jokes based on our nationality or ethnicity. That was never a problem.” the actor adds.

It’s not so much that the times have changed, or the jokes have gotten worse, but that the concept of political correctness has taught us to see bad things no matter where we look. This is precisely why Eastwood will have nothing to do with it, choosing instead to keep his sense of humor and respect for all the other races out there. “I don’t want to be politically correct. We’re all spending too much time and energy trying to be politically correct about everything.” the actor concludes by saying.

Eastwood’s latest film, “Gran Torino,” which is to open in Germany on March 5, deals with the story of Korean War vet Walt Kowalski who is taught a lesson in respect and understanding by his Hmong neighbors.