Some of the biggest names in comedy are rallying to Judy Gold’s side. Think Chris Rock, Rosie O’Donnell, Lewis Black, Kathy Griffin, Jon Stewart and Margaret Cho.
They’ve all given blurbs for Gold’s upcoming book, one with a title tied to the Cancel Culture zeitgeist.
“Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble” shares a welcome message for free speech supporters – from a rock-ribbed liberal, no less.
The aforementioned comics clearly cheer Gold on, both for her decades in show business and, more importantly, her vital message.
Consider:
“Judy Gold’s years of blazing free speech trails serve her well in this thoughtful funny book.” (Stewart )
“The fact that the world needs a book like Yes, I Can Say That is appalling. That the marvelous Judy Gold has written it is a gift.” (Black)
“Judy Gold warns us all what happens when they come for the comedians. She shows how urgent and critical it is that we, as comics, speak truth to power—before it’s too late. Yes, I Can Say That is funny and insightful—pure Judy!” (O’Donnell)
What do these comedians all have in common?
Yes, they’re all reliably progressive. Lewis is a self-described socialist.
That’s not the connecting tissue that matters. Each has been virtually silent on free speech, Cancel Culture and a society in recent weeks, a time when simply sharing an opinion can get you fired or, in the case of New York Times writer Bari Weiss, bullied out of a gig.
Let’s start with Stewart. The former “Daily Show” host has been mostly off the radar in recent years, toiling on feature films instead of his signature Comedy Central platform.
Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images
Yet he’s been making the press rounds for the last few weeks to promote “Irresistible,” his mostly fair and balanced satire starring Steve Carell and Rose Byrne as D.C. swamp creatures.
Surely Stewart could have spared a word or two about Cancel Culture, media groupthink and the pressure comics face to tell the “right” jokes. Heck, the best way to promote a film that’s ideologically neutral is for an avowed progressive like Stewart to rush to Conservative Nation’s defense.
Nothing doing.
If Stewart said anything like this, it’s been buried by the press. Instead, we watched as Stewart slammed the Trump administration and reluctantly backed Joe Biden during various interviews.
The most he could muster on the vitally important subject of free speech, alas, is a book blurb for a pal.
The same holds true for Black, Cho, Griffin and O’Donnell. They’ve been on the free speech sidelines while Ricky Gervais and Adam Carolla do the heavy lifting.
Griffin’s Trump Derangement Syndrome can’t be measured by man-made instruments. Here’s part of her book plug:
“In this staunch defense of comedians, Judy skewers a corrupt administration that regards the First Amendment as a nuisance.”
Remember when Griffin ran to the rodeo cowboy’s defense when he got fired for poking fun at President Barack Obama?
No one can … because it never happened.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Still, Griffin could side with those being canceled for saying the “wrong” thing. She’s lived that tale herself, thanks to her cruel, laugh-free image holding Trump’s severed head in grand ISIS style.
Why not take a page out of J.K. Rowling’s pristine playbook and become a warrior for free speech, not just a single Trump term?
She’d rather summon all of her courage for a single book blurb, apparently.
Rock may be the worst offender on the list. The revered comic is perfectly situated to speak out on Cancel Culture. He’s a legend in the field, and as a comic of color he has more gravitas than his white peers in the social justice universe.
Plus, he previously spoke out about why many comics don’t play colleges anymore. Students are too easily triggered.
Then again, Rock shared those views in 2014, a lifetime ago in cultural terms and an era when speaking back to the woke mob had few consequences.
Yet Rock is mum these days. Even worse? When fellow comic Jimmy Fallon got hammered for a 20 year old “blackface” sketch Rock didn’t rally to Fallon’s side.
Why would he? Well, Fallon was doing an impression of Rock and added face paint to complete the illusion. Surely Rock could have supported a peer and said something like, “yes, blackface is now off limits, but clearly Fallon meant the moment to poke fun at me in good humor.”
Instead, Rock stayed silent while Fallon groveled for forgiveness. Repeatedly.
Imagine the blow to Cancel Culture Rock could have struck with one sharp, sincere statement.
The Amazon page for Gold’s book indicates she’s targeting conservatives with her tome, but a recent interview with Adam Carolla suggests something else.
The Progressive Left, she told Carolla, bares the blame for corrupting free speech. We can also blame the progressive left, with but a few exceptions, for standing down when free speech needed a helping hand.
Amy Sussman/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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