On election night, UFC's CEO Dana White took the mic at Donald Trump’s victory party and praised podcast hosts for helping Trump win. Specifically, he gave a shout-out to Joe Rogan and Theo Von, two comedians who now have absurdly influential platforms that attract a largely male audience. Tony Hinchcliffe wore a suit and tie and performed at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in which the roast comedian’s infamous set included lazy, offensive jokes aimed at Puerto Ricans, Jews, and Palestinians.
JD Vance responded to the controversy by telling everyone to “take a chill pill and take a joke from time to time.” No jokes that evening were made at the expense of white Christian men or Republicans. Funny, that.
It seems many of these comedians - mostly white men - have gained a huge following recently by echoing right-wing talking points, engaging in soft-ball interviews with Donald Trump, and punching down against the trans community, women, and people of color under the guise of being brave and “fighting wokeness.” However, the fame comes at the price of a Faustian bargain. They are also utterly complicit with Republicans and allowing themselves - perhaps unwittingly - to be effectively used as Trojan horses for a MAGA agenda that will attack their freedom of speech and rights. Their terrible comedy and utter mediocrity make the spectacle that much more shameful and pathetic.
Comedians, satirists, humorists, and jesters traditionally critique the powerful and the elite because they often deserve scorn and mockery due to their ridiculous behaviors, policies, and actions. The public has historically deferred to comedians with this lacerating talent to expose the hypocrisies, make us laugh, and also think differently about the world we’re living in. Now, we have hack comedians performing boring, offensive material and acting as brownshirts for a right-wing authoritarian movement.
Thankfully, we also have comedians who are using their talents and platform to call out the bullshit. I invited Gianmarco Soresi to unpack a recent conversation he had on his excellent podcast, “The Downside of Gianmarco Soresi,” on how some comedians are ultimately debasing themselves and their art form by cozying up to Donald Trump and his toxic right-wing agenda for short-term wealth and influence.
Grab a chai and give us a listen.
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