How comedy became the crucible for America’s freedom of speech wars

For years the US Left insisted that you could cancel people for what they said. Now they’re not so sure

There has been no shortage of Democrat leaders and supporters criticising the decision by ABC, the Disney-owned American broadcaster, to take Jimmy Kimmel off air after he made jokes about the response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

The likes of actor-director Ben Stiller, Hacks star Jean Smart and Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, have warned that the removal of Kimmel from his late-night talk show was yet another example of Donald Trump trampling over Americans’ constitutional right to free speech.

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Unfunny TV hosts back Kimmel as Trump threatens TV networks

America’s late-night TV hosts have rallied behind fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel after he was suspended by ABC in a row over comments he made about the killing of Charlie Kirk.

Stephen Colbert began his show by saying “we are all Jimmy Kimmel”, and said the star’s removal was a “blatant assault on freedom of speech”.

Seth Meyers declared it was “a privilege and honour to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend”, while Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon tackled the free speech issue by doing satirical sketches in which they were apparently forced to praise Donald Trump.


This is a good antidote to what is a steaming pile of BBC bias.

h/t patthedog

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Dozens of workers disciplined after Charlie Kirk shooting, from journalists to Jimmy Kimmel

White liberal and a little rent-a-mobby looking

In the aftermath of far-right activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, dozens across the United States have been fired, suspended or disciplined over social media posts about Kirk and his death, as employers and public officials crack down on remarks they deem “inappropriate”.

After Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on 10 September while speaking at Utah Valley University, members of the Trump administration called on the public to expose anyone appearing to be “celebrating” his killing.

“Call them out, and hell, call their employer,” JD Vance said. “We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.”

This is a Guardian piece, consider yourselves warned.


Good Old AOC …

h/t patthedog

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The US media’s big lie about Charlie Kirk is chillingly predictable

“Elinor agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition.” – Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

Austen’s heroine, Elinor Dashwood, was listening to a relative talk rubbish she felt wasn’t worth her time to rebut. These days, it seems difficult to convince anyone to change their mind, so many of us have simply given up and retreated to our bubbles of friends and friendly media.

Charlie Kirk, however, was willing to talk to anyone. His signature event was an open-mic debate with all comers on the campus of an American university, nearly all of which are dominated by Left-wing group-think.

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Say it ain’t so Jimmy!

Nolte: Unrepentant Jimmy Kimmel Reportedly ‘F**king Livid,’ Eager to Break ABC Contract

Reports are surfacing that former comedian Jimmy Kimmel is “fucking livid” over the suspension of his basement-rated late-night show, a suspension that will likely turn into cancellation.

Kimmel is also talking about — tee hee — breaking his contract with ABC.

… ABC/Disney cancelled Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, and Gina Carano over much less.

As has been speculated Kimmel’s employers were happy to have been provided an excuse to wash their hands of a ratings disaster.

h/t Patti Jo

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It’s Deeper Than Mental Illness

Maybe you spent time last week perusing X postings related to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Aside from the many accolades, conservative influencers did fine jobs identifying left-wingers who not only celebrated Kirk’s assassination, but offered attaboys to Tyler Robinson, the triggerman. Some even called for more violence. If you didn’t have time earlier, scroll through the Libs of TikTok’s and the Vigilant Fox’s threads, for starters. You’ll get an eyeful. “Somebody had to do it” wasn’t an uncommon refrain. Who, this side of hell, delights in an act of murder?


And the media …

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Charlie’s death reveals media’s worst

Originally, today’s newsletter was supposed to be about cartoonist Chip Bok screwing up with his political cartoon about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. My goodness you don’t depict a man having his head blown off.

I will get to that later in the newsletter, but Jimmy Kimmel had to make an ass of himself by mocking the reaction of MAGA and President Trump to Charlie’s death.

How bad was it, Donnie?

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6 Times Leftists Melting Down Over Jimmy Kimmel Were Happy To Deny Conservatives ‘Free Speech’

ABC News pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air on Wednesday. Not for being painfully unfunny, and not even for having an opinion. No, Kimmel got yanked because he flat-out lied and claimed: “the MAGA gang desperately [is] trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

It was a pure lie. Following widespread criticism, Nextstar Media Group said its ABC affiliate stations would not run Kimmel’s show over the comments.

h/t Patti Jo

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The academic puppeteers are more dangerous than the puppet who killed Kirk

We no longer fight ideas: we want to destroy those who hold them. Tyler is the puppet behind which stand the most lethal puppeteers: the university professors, the network of “progressive intellectuals,” the wicked teachers who turned Robinson into a killer.

He asked simple and rational questions. And in an era as crazy as ours, reason mixed with calm always gets on people’s nerves.

A few months ago, a video circulated of the debate between Charlie Kirk and the students of the Cambridge Union. On one side Kirk, on the other an eccentric English boy with improbable red hair.

“Tell me one thing,” Kirk asked: “Between Israel and Hamas, who’s the good guy?”

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Is This the Most Vile Reaction to Kimmel Getting Pulled Off Air?

Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann ignited backlash on social media over his response to Jimmy Kimmel’s show getting pulled off air over remarks he made about the suspect accused of murdering Charlie Kirk.

h/t Clink

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Pull ABC’s Broadcast License? After the Last Few Days? Hell, Yes!

We’ve all heard the old line that character is destiny. It’s one of those things you might have sticking in your head every time a risk you take goes wrong or there’s a teachable moment that plays out in front of you.

You can beat yourself up pretty badly with “character is destiny.” Because it’s very true, and it’s also harsh as hell.

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Founder of Armed Queers group investigated in Charlie Kirk shooting is radical trans leftist who advocated violence

The founder of Armed Queers SLC, a pro-gun LGBTQ group being investigated by the FBI for possible ties to accused Charlie Kirk sniper Tyler Robinson, has been identified as a radical transgender political organizer with ties to communist politics.

Armed Queers SLC quietly scrubbed its online presence after Kirk was assassinated, but a law enforcement source told The Post that all open-source information on the group was downloaded and handed over to the FBI.

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Why America is at a dangerous crossroads following the Charlie Kirk shooting

It has been a brutal week in America and I’m not the only one wondering whether the country can pull itself out of this spiral of hatred and violence.

After one of the most searing assassinations in US history, the governor of Utah pleaded for Americans to turn down the political temperature.

But hardly anyone that I’ve spoken to since Charlie Kirk’s death thinks that will be the path the country will choose. Not anytime soon, at least.

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‘I’m not buying this’: Maga dismisses claims Kirk assassin acted alone

Allies of Donald Trump have dismissed claims Charlie Kirk was killed by a lone assassin.

Senior figures in the Maga movement believe Tyler Robinson, the student charged with Kirk’s murder, is part of a wider conspiracy involving a Left-wing terrorist network, and that authorities need to widen the scope of their investigation.

The FBI has suggested suspect Mr Robinson may have worked with others, although no one else has yet been charged in connection with the crime.

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‘F–king livid’ Jimmy Kimmel, sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez spotted leaving LA studio after ABC yanks ‘Live’ from air

Jimmy Kimmel and his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez were spotted moments after ABC yanked the program following backlash to the late-night host’s remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Kimmel rushed into a black Chevy Silverado outside the El Capitan Entertainment Centre in Los Angeles on Wednesday night in Los Angeles shortly after receiving the news that his show is getting the boot.

The comedian — clad in a flannel shirt, jeans and a baseball cap — clutched his backpack as his assistant helped him climb into the backseat of the vehicle, according to video footage captured by NBC 4 Los Angeles.


Reactions to ABC’s Pulling of ‘Kimmel’ Reflect America’s Partisan Divide

Fans, celebrities and Democratic politicians on Wednesday expressed anger and disappointment after ABC announced that it was pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from the air indefinitely, saying that the move amounted to censorship and was an attack on free speech.

Conservative activists and media personalities, meanwhile, celebrated ABC’s decision, saying that Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the motives of the man accused of fatally shooting the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk last week warranted the network shelving his late-night show.

On Monday, Mr. Kimmel said the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”


Jimmy Kimmel propagated vicious radical left propaganda in an effort to shift blame for a heinous political murder. He can continue to do so, no one is stopping him. His employer may face consequences for allowing such behavior in the future just as you or I would have our licenses suspended or revoked for drunk driving.

The same people crying for poor Jimmy were just fine with banning President Trump from social media and censoring the Hunter Biden laptop revelations.

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