When historians reflect on the current state of free speech in America they’ll come away with two distinct impressions.
- It was a terrible stain on a great country’s legacy
- The mainstream media played a pivotal role in speech’s decline
That’s never more true than when it comes to comedy. Mainstream journalists alternately empower Cancel Culture or question its existence.
They form a tag team against Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle, and other comics who either defy Cancel Culture’s scolds or follow the fun wherever it takes them.
It is obvious that the tells are there. Journalists either put scare quotes around the term Cancel Culture, or they preface it by “so-called.”
Reportage is the best proof. USA TodayThis is a great example.
A series was published by the liberal outlet on modern comedy. What is the funniest thing? One segment explores the role of “stereotypes” in comedy, but the overall project smacks of progressive stereotypes tied to modern humor.
- “Punching Up/Down”
- “Marginalized Communities”
- “Speaking Truth to Power”
It is typical of this approach to summarize the series in an article.
“To keep with the times and celebrate more voices, of course, (comedy) has to be updated,” author and comedian Phoebe Robinson tells USA TODAY. Although there are “great foundational aspects to comedy,” she says, it’s important to “not rely on what worked before and push the genre further.”
Yes, let’s dismiss the groundbreaking work by Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce for the wit and wisdom of Phoebe Robinson.
Who?
Instead, let’s look to Hannah Gadsby and fellow woke comedians, the kind who deliver TED Talks that rarely deliver laughs.
USA Today did some investigative digging into the topic – “We talked to dozens of comedians and industry experts to find out where comedy is today.”
Not one voice vehemently disagreed with the newspaper’s thesis, though. Odd.
Where’s Tyler Fischer? Ryan Long? Dave Chappelle? Bill Burr Rob Schneider? Steven Crowder? Dave Landau Chrissie Mayr? Anthony Cumia? Andrew Schulz? Nick Di Paolo
Rowan Atkinson has canned comments about Cancel Culture. He also acknowledges that comedy is always a target. And Shane Gillis, fired from “Saturday Night Live” for offensive Asian jokes, is quoted, too.
That’s as much balance as USA TodayIt can provide. In its place, we learn that comedy must “evolve.”
We never hear how today’s comedians treat the Biden administration with care, avoiding hard jokes against it until the media gives them the “all-clear” sign. Nor does it mention that cruel comedy is perfectly acceptable if the targets are on the Right.
That’s speaking “Truth to Power,” as our biased press sees it.
USA Today isn’t alone in this mindset. TheWrap.com, purportedly a site covering creative expression, cheered on Cancel Culture with a series of videos last year.
Journalism’s credibility is in free fall, and for very good reason. It is hard to believe that series like USA Today’s comedy show can help.
[Cross-posted from Hollywood in Toto.]