Few Hollywood stars loathed President Donald Trump quite like Michael Rapaport. Think Robert De Niro-level rage, with more colorful language.
The “Beautiful Girls” alum routinely hurled words against Trump that can’t be repeated here. The first word of a common Rapaport epithet? Pig.
Rapaport, touring the country as a stand-up comedian, views the President differently today.
The veteran actor/comic is a loud and proud defender of Israel. He has used his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcW_OJMsc2o">eponymous podcast</a>, social media accounts, and media interviews to let people know he hasn’t forgotten about them … even if his Hollywood peers have been shockingly silent on the matter. It’s given him a strange, and well-earned, new respect for the Commander-in-Chief.
“My views have changed,” <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/michael-rapaport-on-standing-up-for-the-israeli-hostages/id1740762722?i=1000731058479">Rapaport told this reporter</a> and the host of Denver’s “Ryan Schuiling Live” October 8 on 630 KHOW. The star recalled meeting several freed hostages along with the family members of some killed by Hamas terrorists.
“Knowing in my heart, in my guts, in my soul that that’s why I was able to meet them, it’s because of Trump … I can’t make fun of him anymore. I can make fun in a fun, loving way, but I can’t be disrespectful knowing what I know … and I’m good with that.
“He deserves my respect, and he deserves Jews’ respect. I’m proud that I’ve changed,” said Rapaport, days after the President struck a tentative peace deal that includes the release of all remaining hostages.
<div id="attachment_877391" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-877391" class="size-large wp-image-877391" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-865x576.jpg" alt="TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - FEBRUARY 24: Michael Rapaport speaks to the crowd as people gather outside the HaKirya base which serves as the IDF’s headquarters to demand the return of the hostages held by Hamas on February 24, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel.” Frustrations with the government have grown as over 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza, after more than four months of war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Roy Rochlin/Getty Images</div>
Rapaport has worked steadily in Hollywood for years, including on films directed by industry giants such as Spike Lee, Clint Eastwood, and James Mangold. He’s understandably frustrated that so few stars have spoken up on the hostages’ behalf.
“It’s very, very, very, very one-sided,” he said of the industry regarding the Israel/Palestinian divide. “I would accept [actors saying] ‘bring the hostages home and free Palestine,’” he said. “We’ve had two Oscars, two Grammys, two Emmys [ceremonies] in the two years, and not one person said it … These are my peers. It’s been very frustrating and disappointing.”
Rapaport spots a hypocrisy beyond the surface regarding the matter.
“This is a group that will scream and yell about everything … If there had been one, just one African-American from, let’s say, Miami, the entire perspective on this whole thing would be changed … or five college students from, say, Spellman or Clark or traditionally black universities.”
Rapaport, along with Debra Messing, Patricia Heaton, Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik, and David Schwimmer, has been among the very few stars to either defend Israel, demand the hostages be released, or both.
And while he refuses to play the Victim Card, the “Atypical” star hints it has cost him professionally.
“I’m a proud Jewish man, of course, I’m gonna stand up and fight vigorously. What I’ve dealt with, the sacrifices I’ve made &#8230; doesn’t compare to people whose lives have been lost … the agony and the trauma and the terror [hostage families have] faced.”
“I’m built and ready for every little bit of ramifications … I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to have the means and the forum and platform … I’ve been to Israel seven times. I’ve heard so many stories … I’ve gained far more than I’ve lost.”
<div id="attachment_986297" style="width: 748px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-986297" class="size-large wp-image-986297" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-738x576.jpg" alt="NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - SEPTEMBER 25: Michael Rapaport performs at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on September 25, 2025 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)" width="738" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-738x576.jpg 738w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-300x234.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-768x599.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 738px) 100vw, 738px" />NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ &#8211; SEPTEMBER 25: Michael Rapaport performs at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on September 25, 2025, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)</div>
The latter refers to potential acting roles and stand-up gigs. Pro-Palestinian protesters previously coaxed clubs in Michigan and Alabama to cancel his stand-up shows. A Portland-based effort featured a poster of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/antifa-michael-rapaport-portland-protest/">Rapaport with X’s over his eyes.</a>
His Denver appearances at Comedy Works from October 9-11 had workers wanding patrons to make sure no weapons entered the club.
And while many stars publicly supported late-night host Jimmy Kimmel following his controversial, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kimmel-claims-his-comments-on-charlie-kirks-assassination-were-maliciously-mischaracterized">week-long suspension</a>, artists haven’t rallied behind Rapaport’s free speech rights.
Why? “Because they agree,” he said bluntly. “Not all of them, <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/global/stars-sign-pledge-complicit-israeli-film-companies-1236511010/">but 3,900 of them</a>,” he said, referencing a recent open letter signed by some of the industry’s biggest stars, including Javier Bardem, Joaquin Phoenix, and Emma Stone, who won’t work with Israeli-based groups on film projects.
“But what about me? I’m an individual &#8230; what happens when my name comes up?” he asked.
Rapaport holds no grudge against Kimmel. Just the opposite. He spoke glowingly of the far-left talker, saying he couldn’t be “nicer” or “sweeter” in real life. Rapaport still bristled at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-really-got-kimmel-suspended-i-hear-that-that-monologue-was-very-hot">the infamous comments Kimmel made</a> following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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.”
“I don’t think there’s anything funny four days after somebody getting killed in cold blood,” Rapaport said of Kimmel’s monologue snippet. “I don’t care if [Kirk is] pro this, pro that &#8230; nothing to me is funny less than a week later about someone getting shot in front of the entire world in 4K for all of us to have to watch it, watch it, watch it.”
He still defended Kimmel’s right to say what he said.
“I’m a trash talker. I fully believe in free speech,” he added.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

“Jeff Ross: Take A Banana For The Ride” Broadway Opening Night

‘I Can’t Make Fun of Him Anymore’: Michael Rapaport On Trump, Israel, And Redemption

'I Can’t Make Fun of Him Anymore': Michael Rapaport On Trump, Israel, And Redemption

actors

comedian

Comedy

Donald Trump

Entertainment

Free Speech

Hostages

Israel

Middle East

“Jimmy Kimmel Live” will return to the air on Tuesday after being suspended last week, Disney announced on Monday.
&#8220;Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,&#8221; a Disney spokesperson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/disney-announces-jimmy-kimmel-live-returning-tuesday-after-suspension">told</a> Fox News Digital in a statement.
Kimmel’s suspension caused a complete uproar in the Hollywood community and across social media as critics accused the network of “censorship” and squashing free speech.
The comments from Kimmel that prompted the suspension included the host falsely claiming that Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA supporter. Investigators say that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man arrested for Kirk’s killing, was deeply steeped in leftist ideology and disliked the conservative commentator for his beliefs.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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,” Kimmel said during his show last week.
The late-night host’s suspension came amid pressure from broadcast companies that own ABC affiliates, including Nexstar and Sinclair, who pulled the show from their stations.
Last Wednesday, FCC chair Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel’s comments, leading many to assume that Kimmel’s show was pulled due to government pressure.
Multiple petitions and protests were ongoing. Kimmel made no public statements, but was seen visiting his attorney, per multiple reports. Other late night hosts came out with full fury in support of their colleague, with Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, and others saying the suspension was wrong.
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner also came out publicly against the suspension.
Meanwhile, many people observed that Kimmel’s ratings have been less than stellar for a while, leading them to speculate that the suspension was about more than a single issue.

JIMMY KIMMEL

Disney Caves, Will Let Jimmy Kimmel Return To Air On Tuesday

Disney

Jimmy Kimmel

Television

U.S.

Howard Stern announced on his radio show Monday that he canceled his Disney Plus subscription as a form of protest against Jimmy Kimmel being suspended.
“I’m trying to say with the pocketbook that I do not support what they’re doing with Jimmy,” the shock jock told his audience. “I can no longer keep my mouth shut … I feel obligated to say something, because s***’s getting outta control,” Stern said at another point.
“I just know, when the government begins to interfere, when the government says, ‘I’m not pleased with you, so we’re going to orchestrate a way to silence you,’ it’s the wrong direction for our country,” Stern added. “And I should know. I’ve been involved in something like this,” he said, referencing multiple fines from the FCC his show has received over the years for indecent content.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” was suspended last week after comments the host made about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel falsely claimed that Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA supporter.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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,” Kimmel said during his show.
The late-night host’s suspension came amid pressure from broadcast companies that own ABC affiliates, including Nexstar and Sinclair, who pulled the show from their stations.
While most of Hollywood is crying about censorship, there’s an alternate explanation being given for Kimmel’s show getting pulled, which has to do with low ratings. 
“If Howard is sad about Kimmel’s absence on air, he should talk to ABC who made the decision to pull down his unfunny and unpopular show,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/22/media/howard-stern-blasts-abc-suspension-of-jimmy-kimmel-cancels-disney/">the New York Post</a>.
“This has nothing to do with free speech; low-ratings loser Kimmel is free to make whatever bad jokes he wants, but a private company is under no obligation to lose money producing unpopular shows,” she added. “Kimmel’s ratings have declined over 63 percent since his show moved to its current time slot and he has lost over 43 percent of his audience since President Trump returned to office.”

Howard Stern

Howard Stern Says He Canceled His Disney Plus Account Over Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

boycott

Media

Irish comedian Graham Linehan trolled a British court on Thursday when he arrived outside the Westminster courthouse wearing a sandwich board proclaiming, &#8220;There is no such thing as a transgender child.&#8221;
Standing outside the court, Linehan turned the sign around after several moments to reveal another that read, &#8220;Keep men out of women&#8217;s sports.&#8221; The underside of one of the signs was also briefly visible: &#8220;Gender ideology does not belong in schools.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan arrives for trial over alleged harassment of a transgender woman <a href="https://t.co/dOTDtXoDK9">pic.twitter.com/dOTDtXoDK9</a>
— Irish Daily Mirror (@IrishMirror) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrishMirror/status/1963528987658874997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irish-comedian-recounts-shocking-arrest-over-anti-trans-social-media-posts">Linehan</a> was approached by armed officers upon his arrival at London&#8217;s Heathrow airport, some of whom apparently were unable to even explain to him what he&#8217;d done to warrant being &#8220;arrested at an airport like a terrorist.&#8221;
&#8220;The moment I stepped off the plane at Heathrow, five armed police officers were waiting. They escorted me to a private area and told me I was under arrest for three posts on X,&#8221; Linehan wrote in an op-ed for <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/i-posted-on-x-the-british-police-arrested-me-free-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Free Press</a>. “In a country where pedophiles escape prison, where knife crime is out of control, the state had mobilized five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer for these three posts.&#8221;
The posts that prompted the arrest, as The Daily Wire previously reported, include one that says, &#8220;If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.&#8221;
Another has a photo of a trans activist gathering and includes the caption, &#8220;A photo you can smell.&#8221;
The third one says, &#8220;I hate them all. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em.&#8221;
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines commented on the video of Linehan outside the court, cheering him on.
&#8220;This is how Graham Linehan shows up for trial in the UK just days after being arrested in the London airport for posting &#8216;offensive tweets.&#8217; This is how you deal with the trans mob. Double down. We&#8217;re cheering you on, @glinner.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is how Graham Linehan shows up for trial in the UK just days after being arrested in the London airport for posting &#8220;offensive tweets&#8221;
This is how you deal with the trans mob. Double down. We&#8217;re cheering you on, <a href="https://twitter.com/Glinner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Glinner</a> 👏🏼🔥<a href="https://t.co/vWVItcwUGK">pic.twitter.com/vWVItcwUGK</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1963571669571612847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Nigel Farage flew across the Atlantic to discuss British censorship. Graham Linehan came the other way to head to court, and was arrested by armed police over a set of posts. Politicians who pretend Britain doesn&#8217;t have a free speech problem are only fooling themselves,&#8221; Sam Ashworth-Hayes of The Telegraph added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nigel Farage flew across the Atlantic to discuss British censorship. Graham Linehan came the other way to head to court, and was arrested by armed police over a set of posts.
Politicians who pretend Britain doesn&#8217;t have a free speech problem are only fooling themselves: <a href="https://t.co/MlOX5SK50m">pic.twitter.com/MlOX5SK50m</a>
— Sam Ashworth-Hayes (@SAshworthHayes) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAshworthHayes/status/1962950250961740138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The more I think about the #GrahamLinehan case, the more disgusted I feel. An Irish citizen, living in the USA, is arrested by 5 ARMED cops when he arrives in the UK, because of some tweets he wrote on a website that&#8217;s owned by an American &amp; based in the USA. Total clownery!&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The more I think about the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrahamLinehan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrahamLinehan</a> case, the more disgusted I feel. An Irish citizen, living in the USA, is arrested by 5 ARMED cops when he arrives in the UK, because of some tweets he wrote on a website that&#8217;s owned by an American &amp; based in the USA. Total clownery!
— Simon Fox (@SimonFoxWriter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SimonFoxWriter/status/1963134862522519914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Graham Linehan court case

Comedian Trolls Court, Doubles Down After Arrest For ‘Anti-Trans’ Posts

Irish Comedian Trolls British Court, Doubles Down After Arrest For 'Anti-Trans' Posts

Courts

Politics

Social Media Censorship

Transgender

Comedian Druski, who is black, is being criticized for disguising himself in “whiteface” and filming himself pretending to be a racist NASCAR fan.
The 30-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Andrew Desbordes, covered his face and upper body in very realistic paint to make himself appear to be a Caucasian man with a farmer’s tan sunburn. He wore no shirt under a pair of overalls, and accentuated the look with an American flag cowboy hat, American flag tattoos, a mullet, and a beard and mustache combo.
Clips of the skit have gone viral, with the X clip of the bit racking up 84 million views.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
That Guy who is just Proud to be AMERICAN🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Xcc5ZJypqz">pic.twitter.com/Xcc5ZJypqz</a>
— DRUSKI (@druski) <a href="https://twitter.com/druski/status/1963017485114040343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The comedian targets certain people in the video, spitting at the feet of a passing black man and stopping another black man to say, “Are you lost, boy?” and spitting again. 
“Here’s to love. Here’s to honor. If you can’t come in her, come on her,” Desbordes says in a mock toast in the clip. The comedian also shouts the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” while driving in a vehicle. 
Reactions to the skit were mixed in the comments, including from Druski’s fans.
“Notice how no white folk acted like you were? And WHY did you spit at the feet of black people? I wish you would go back and ask them how many times that happened that day — you treated them worse than any white person did I assure you,” one popular comment <a href="https://x.com/ThinkArchimedes/status/1963020832143196176">said</a>. “Always have to invent the racism.”
“So what you’re telling me is that blackface is back in style now?” one person <a href="https://x.com/chooseliberty_/status/1963268412081139755">wondered</a>.
Others supported the skit.
“If you can’t laugh at this, you’re a loser,” one person argued.
“Best video on the internet,” another commenter agreed.
“Deadass, some of y’all will find racism in literally everything and that’s pathetic,” another person <a href="https://x.com/saintz_tweet/status/1963040809919640025">said</a>. “If you’re really out here calling Druski racist, it just shows how slow and hypocritical y’all are. Bro’s just doing the classic Key &amp; Peele move … holding up a mirror to white folks acting extra. Like, it’s comedy, not a hate crime.”

Druski

Comedian Druski Wears ‘Whiteface,’ Mocks NASCAR Fans In Viral Comedy Skit

Comedian Druski Wears 'Whiteface,' Mocks NASCAR Fans In Viral Comedy Skit

NASCAR

Racism

The following article was originally posted on “<a href="https://thenewjerusalem.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Jerusalem</a>” on Substack.
* * *
In October, 2015, Vanity Fair magazine ran a feature story about television’s late night comedy talk shows. It was headlined “Host-to-Host Sensation.” The accompanying fold-out photo of ten top talk show comics caused a sensation of its own. Much imaginary ink was as if spilled over the shocking fact that all the hosts were men. But, of course, there was nothing shocking about that. Women aren’t funny. Even the funny ones aren’t that funny. As many another foolishly honest man has pointed out, women don’t need to be funny, not at a professional level at least. Overlooked, unathletic, angry high school boys need to be funny. If they’re not funny, their genetic strain will likely die with them. That’s the kind of urgent motivation that’s required to create a grown man with the insane courage to make jokes onstage and risk being met with dead silence.
But there was something that really was shocking about the Vanity Fair picture, something very few people who were not me bothered to mention. Every single comedy talk show host depicted — all ten of them — had exactly the same political opinions. They were all Left-wingers, and they would all come to detest and despise Donald Trump.
Now, you might say that was to be expected. The Venn Diagram of overlooked, unathletic, angry little men and Left-wing men is basically a circle with a small crescent of Nazis bulging out of one side. But what was shocking — and really kind of despicable — was this: the corporations who platformed these angry little funny leftists apparently saw no reason, financial or otherwise, to hire anyone to entertain the half of the audience who held more conservative views. Their idea seemed to be that they could make all the profits they needed by amusing one half of the audience at the expense of the other. They must have thought that was good business. They must have thought it was morally acceptable. They must have thought: “Screw you, half of America. We hurl disdain in your general direction!”
Well, strange to say, this business model did not perform all that well over time.
Listen, I’m a Christian man. I try very hard not to take pleasure in the misfortunes of my philosophical opponents. But in this case, I just can’t help it. The smug entitlement of an elite monoculture that despised the common man and woman — the men and women who, in the words of George Bailey, “do most of the working and paying and living and dying” in this country — was just begging for a comeuppance. And that uppance has come.
Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show on CBS has been cancelled and will go off the air next May. The show was making 40 million fewer dollars a year than the 130 million dollars it cost to produce. And while Colbert’s paltry ratings were the highest among his Left-wing colleagues, he and they were regularly being beaten by Greg Gutfeld, the libertarian smart aleck on Fox News. That’s cable, where the shows reach around half of the network audience, and where production costs are considerably lower.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show">WATCH: The Andrew Klavan Show</a></h3>
Now, Colbert was not born talentless. His Jon Stewart spin-off show, The Colbert Report, in which he satirized conservative commentators like Fox’s Bill O’Reilly, was often amusing. But once he landed the CBS late night spot in 2015, the laughter died. Maybe it was the big money. Maybe it was the Trump Derangement-fueled rage. Maybe it was being flattered by hand-picked audiences cheering wildly for unfunny rants. But something went sour inside Colbert. Lines like “The only thing Trump’s mouth is good for is being Putin’s cock holster,” might have seemed hilarious to the kind of ten-year-olds who laugh through their noses. But to adults — especially adults weary of having self-satisfied show biz millionaires insult them with a wholly undeserved tone of moral superiority — they seemed a tad juvenile.
But Colbert’s abilities are beside the point. Stephen Colbert was bad for America. Not on his own, maybe. On his own, he was just another Hollywood putz who mistakenly thought he had something important to say. But as a brick in a solid wall of Left-wing entertainment, he did more damage than any laughter could rectify.
Networks broadcast on airwaves that are a public trust. Their stations are licensed by a federal agency, the FCC. If the monologues on network late night comedy shows can be said to have any kind of higher purpose, surely it has something to do with bringing us together, helping us laugh in the evening at the politics and passions that drive us apart during the day. If you ridicule Barack Obama, then I’ll be willing to see what’s ridiculous about Donald Trump. If you make jokes about Ted Cruz, then maybe leftists will be able to find something funny about AOC. Fair both-sides comedy has the power to soften our angry certainties with self-awareness and humility.
But if instead, you declare late night a one political party zone, what comity can your comedy produce? If you think a crafty Chicago machine pol like Obama is so perfect that there is “not a flaw or hook that you can caricature,” (as one Saturday Night Live writer put it), why should I be amused when you hammer Trump for his many peccadillos night after night after night?
During the monologue in which Colbert announced his cancellation, he turned to the camera and told President Trump, “Go f&#8212; yourself.” But hadn’t he been saying exactly that for these many years to all the tens of millions of Americans who voted for Trump, who thought him, in their good will and wisdom, a better choice than the candidates Colbert supports?
What exactly did Colbert think he knew that allowed him to dismiss so many of his countrymen? Insult each night so many of his countrymen? Disparage and belittle so many of his countrymen by continually mocking their candidates while at the same time using his mouth as a cock holster for any lying, corrupt, incompetent, third rate Democrat lucky enough to come on his show?
What angel visited Stephen in the quiet of his cultural sequestration and told him it would be all right for him — and for every single one of his corporate comedy colleagues — to consider those tens of millions of Americans as nothing more than the butts of their jokes? If they had intended to convince those voters to change sides, wouldn’t it have been wiser to spread the jokes around even just a little? But that wasn’t their intention. They despised those voters. They hectored them out of the audience. They sent them a clear message: You are not worthy of being amused.
And, of course, it’s not just the comedians. It’s every morally flatulent entertainer who ever accepted his or her Oscar or Emmy or Grammy with a speech denouncing the politicians half the electorate prefers. As the writer tells the actress in the classic show biz film All About Eve: “I shall never understand the weird process by which a body with a voice suddenly fancies itself as a mind.”
For more than twenty years, I’ve been making speeches to conservatives, telling them they should pay more attention to the arts. To movies, to novels, to music and so on. I quote James Joyce to them: artists “forge the uncreated conscience” of a people. I quote Percy Shelley: “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” I tell them that complaining about movies and music and publishing will get them nowhere. The arts can only be redeemed by those who love them.
But maybe I was talking to the wrong people. Maybe I should have gone to the artists themselves. The arts aren’t leftist by nature, but they are liberal by nature. They find worth and dignity even in the Other. In the West, they always have. The Greeks mourned for the Trojan women. The Crusaders sang the nobility of their Muslim foes. Shakespeare reinvented the stock Evil Jew of the medieval Easter Play by granting him his full humanity.
Is there nothing of that spirit left in Hollywood? Or in publishing? Where conservative actors and writers have to talk in whispers? Where even to be a white male is to risk being barred from your vocation? No. They will not even award the Pulitzer to an iconic photograph depicting Trump’s courage under fire. They will not even put our glamorous First Lady on the covers of their fashion magazines. Ideology has made our cultural gatekeepers petty and small and mean.
Well, forgive me if that meanness has made me mean as well. The backlash is coming and has come, and I am glad to see it. With all my striving toward good will, the best I can muster for Stephen Colbert is to repeat to him the immortal words of a man more relevant, more daringly counter-cultural and, yes, a whole lot funnier than he is: “You’re fired.”
* * *
The following article was originally posted on “<a href="https://thenewjerusalem.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Jerusalem</a>” on Substack.
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-That-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries/dp/1613166869/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGZUC370LG46&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y_NI0mDOKeowShheDQTVx5NH-fAeimJoCD56_T0Acpl8C0mup7uJf-nGGSRLEItaaekoDnvS2vWLMa4Zd2UBXQ8Y-g-P502jOWz-Y8IX3ZQsdlO7WMLrg1xIhNoKmjCorSWUR4C2l_RbiZ7apJ1MfPzGOrrEf7AdAXX6xwnJRVP_XqUfWuMuVthTWscaU3P4vgmS86-96n-721enHfX12CFQWTajqFbVnrsDkexfUf4.6_gTH6h1Bb9Pn375QdF_VAVZSayDvjQBBKGXE-MTiFo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=klavan&amp;qid=1754049918&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C80&amp;sr=8-1">After That, The Dark,</a> is now available for Pre-Order. Follow him on X: <a href="https://x.com/andrewklavan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@andrewklavan</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert Was Bad For America

Andrew Klavan

Stephen Colbert

Woke Culture

Comedian Matt Rife announced on Friday that he is the new &#8220;guardian&#8221; of a supposedly haunted Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle.
“We are the legal guardians and caretakers of all 750 haunted artifacts and items in the Warren museum, including the Annabelle doll,” the 29-year-old celeb <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_rife/video/7533784806237211917?lang=en">said</a>, referencing himself and TikTok influencer and ghost hunter Elton Castee. He clarified that while he doesn’t own the items, he is responsible for them for the next five years. 
&#8220;This is the most random hobby ever, but it’s so f***ing cool, man,” the comedian said on TikTok. “I should probably collect stamps or something — might be a little safer.”
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“INSANE ANNOUNCEMENT,” Rife wrote in the caption of an Instagram post sharing the news. “I have officially purchased Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home and Occult Museum, including being the legal guardian for at least the next 5 years, of the entire haunted collection including THE ANNABELLE DOLL, with my good friend @eltoncastee!!&#8221;
“If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with the paranormal and all things haunted,” Rife’s post went on. “You also may know The Conjuring films are my favorite scary movies of all time. So I’m incredibly honored to have taken over one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history. Ed and Lorain Warren arguably put demonology and paranormal into the mainstream and are the very heart of some of the most famous haunted stories of all time, The Conjuring House, Amityville Horror, et…&#8221;
The comedian said he and Castee plan to “open the house for overnight stays and museum tours so you yourself can experience and learn all the haunted history surrounding this amazing place.”
The announcement comes after Annabelle’s previous guardian, Dan Rivera, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/paranormal-investigator-dies-while-touring-with-demonically-possessed-annabelle-doll">died of natural causes</a> last month while touring with the doll, sparking a lot of conversation online. 
The New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) described this particular doll as “demonically possessed.” It was given to a nursing student in 1968, and she claimed that something wasn’t right with it.
“Almost immediately, the roommates noticed strange occurrences with the doll and they were introduced to a medium who told them the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle,” the organization <a href="https://tonyspera.com/about/">reported</a>. “The two roommates tried to accept the doll’s spirit and please it only to have it reciprocate maliciousness and violent intent.”
The society’s late founders, Ed and Lorraine Warren, kept the doll stored in a glass case to “contain the evil spirited entity.”
The film &#8220;Annabelle&#8221; from the Conjuring franchise is based on the story of the “haunted” doll. Meanwhile, many people are skeptical of the claims that the doll is possessed.

Matt Rife and Annabelle

‘Haunted’ Annabelle Doll Now Under Care of Comedian Matt Rife

Celebrities

Dolls

Toys

Bill Burr, the comedian — or perhaps I should call him an ex-comedian —is still pretty angry at me.
That’s because all the way back in February, I said that he had gone rogue. He got really sad. That was after he suggested that the healthcare CEOs of America might deserve to be murdered.
On Thursday, Vulture — which still surprisingly exists — published an <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/bill-burr-woke-politics-billionaires-left-right.html">interview</a> with him.
“I want to ask about politics because it has been an interesting few months for you in this arena. You’ve had a few things happen, including Ben Shapiro talking about going to one of your shows and complaining that you’re becoming ‘woke,’” Vulture began. 
 
“He doesn’t even know what that word means,” Burr insisted. “His definition of woke is white liberals’ definition of woke, and they didn’t even know what it was; they just took the word from black people. That’s the worst thing about our people — not only do we take from other cultures, we don’t even take the time to understand the definition. He went there to be annoyed so he can then have something to talk about and then he can make money off dividing his own country. Those people, it’s treasonous what they do.”
“The fact is that it worked for what his goal was: for it became a thing online where a certain portion of the right complained about how you’re woke —” Vulture posited.
“Racists. They’re racists,” Burr complained. “They send pictures of monkeys to me and my wife. They’re f***ing horrible people. And they’re cowards, and they never say it to your face. &#8230; What I’m finding is that people keep trying to categorize what it is that you’re doing. Like that idiot Ben Shapiro: ‘He’s woke now!’ That f***ing guy. He was trying to bring me into his fold. At one point, the guy liked me. And then when I didn&#8217;t, all of a sudden I&#8217;m a, I mean, I&#8217;m supposed to look at that guy like he&#8217;s an adult?’
Vulture: “Do you feel misunderstood if people take your words one way or the other?”
“No, I&#8217;m not, mis — I’m deliberately misunderstood,” Burr moaned.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2251-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Okay, a couple of quick housekeeping notes there. First, I don&#8217;t need to pay to go to your comedy show to be annoyed. There&#8217;s a lot of stuff in the world that annoys me. And typically, I don&#8217;t shell out hundreds of bucks and then take my wife and my friends to a show in order to be annoyed. I&#8217;m sorry; you did a bad show, and a bunch of people didn&#8217;t laugh in Florida, and then you fussed like a child and then walked off the stage. It was really ridiculous.
That&#8217;s on you, dude. You probably should give the people refunds because they paid for Bill Burr at Red Rock. Instead, they got Joy Behar at some dive bar.
You used to do jokes like this. “Look at the WNBA. They&#8217;ve been playing in front of 3 to 400 people a night for a quarter of a century. Not to mention it&#8217;s a male-subsidized league. We gave you a league. Where are all the feminists? That place should be packed with feminists wearing jerseys, flashing it &#8230; going nuts like the guys do in the upper deck &#8230; ‘Me on the jumbotron. Am I doing it?’”
Or: “Women failed the WNBA. Ladies, ladies, name your top five all-time WNBA players. Name five WNBA teams. Name the WNBA team in your city. You can&#8217;t do it.”
Or: “You don&#8217;t give a f*** about them. They play night in and night out in front of nobody. It&#8217;s a f*** tragedy.”
That&#8217;s what you used to be. But now your latest material is like this: “Then they&#8217;re talking about looting, but CNN and Fox News are not going to bring up the insurance companies that are just going to keep everybody&#8217;s premiums and still give themselves a bonus. Free Luigi!”
Or: “For conservative people to act like they&#8217;re not the biggest babies also is hilarious. Have you seen this? My people? Whitey, we&#8217;re all upset. There&#8217;s enough of us to get it going, trending, anyway. (laughing) We&#8217;re upset about the new Cinderella movie. ‘The actress playing Cinderella isn’t white. There&#8217;s no prince. They changed the story. What am I gonna tell my kids?’ The things my people get upset about. ‘What am I going to tell my kids?’ Well, talk around it the way you do, the way we talk around the real history of this country.”
I&#8217;m glad he&#8217;s laughing at himself because nobody else is. Man, what a fall.
Not liking your show isn&#8217;t “treason,” you doof; you&#8217;re not the president. You&#8217;re the guy who came in second in the Billy Corgan lookalike contest because you showed up sloppy drunk and forgot to shave again.
Here&#8217;s what I mean by wokeness: There is a definition, and I&#8217;ve explained it over and over and over again on the show. It&#8217;s not my definition. It&#8217;s the definition that Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic — who literally wrote a book on Critical Race Theory — laid out in explaining the basic principles that match up with wokeness.
One: racism is ordinary, not aberrational.
Two: Our system of white over color-ascendancy serves important purposes, both psychic and material.
So you put those together for wokeness. What that means is that the system of America is designed to create racially disparate outcomes. Any proof of racially disparate outcomes is evidence of the malignancy of the system.
There&#8217;s another element of wokeness that is self-contradictory here, that there is a racial essentialism that stops you from criticizing as unfactual the viewpoints of others. “You don&#8217;t understand because you&#8217;re not black,” or ‘You can&#8217;t understand because you&#8217;re not gay.”
This ends conversations and contradicts the fundamental basis of wokeness, because the basis of wokeness is that everybody is basically the same, which means all group outcomes should be the same, which means any inequality of group outcome is evidence of systemic inequity.
But then wokeness will also posit that racial groups are so different that you can&#8217;t even talk to one another. You can&#8217;t even criticize the viewpoints of members of another racial group. It&#8217;s a bizarre defense mechanism.
I call Bill Burr woke because he is. He believes that America is a deeply racist place and that it&#8217;s embedded in all of our social systems, and the evidence of that is our economic inequality, and therefore, it&#8217;s probably okay to shoot healthcare CEOs.
And if you criticize him as woke, it&#8217;s because you don&#8217;t really understand the term “woke” because black people invented that term, and when white people use the term “woke” as a descriptor, it’s cultural appropriation.
Oh, how times have changed. 
Bill Burr used to tell this joke: “The black guy who brought up leg-shaking, saying, ‘Elvis took leg-shaking from us.’ It&#8217;s like, ‘Really? Leg-shaking? No, nobody thought to do this. Black people came up with that. You telling me that? I&#8217;ll even give you that. Let&#8217;s say you came up with that. Where did that black dude learn how to do it? Didn&#8217;t he watch some older black guy do it because he&#8217;s the same color? He&#8217;s not stealing. He&#8217;s just carrying on the tradition. But if Elvis does it. Oh, what the f***. Now he&#8217;s the biggest thief ever.’ That doesn&#8217;t make any sense to me.”
The current Bill Burr would presumably call that Bill Burr insensitive and unresponsive to the needs and definitions of black people, which is amazing, because Bill Burr is whiter than a painting of a polar bear in snow on a white canvas.
He&#8217;s the most annoying form of a woke person: a white lib, the kind he likes to criticize. The white person who apologizes for being white by pretending that he can speak on behalf of black people about the systemic privileges of being white.
While pulling down millions of dollars to be an angry thumb of a human.
So Bald Rumpelstiltskin over there — who gets mad when you call him by his real name — is still pissed off. I didn&#8217;t enjoy his comedy show last year, and he thinks that my wife and I and our friends paid to attend his show just so that I could criticize him.
Here&#8217;s the thing. On a random weekday night, if I&#8217;m going to a comedy show, I&#8217;m going because I want to laugh. We paid to attend your show because you used to be funny, and then you transed yourself and turned into a white, bald, allegedly male version of Sunny Hostin on The View screeching at me about income inequality and racism.
You&#8217;ve decided that you&#8217;re a victim and that everyone you know is a victim and that America is cruel and nasty, and you&#8217;re deliberately misunderstood just because you won&#8217;t put on a great show anymore.
I used to enjoy watching Bill Burr. But now watching him is like watching Robin D&#8217;Angelo, but even whiter and even faker and less funny and with a screechy Boston accent to boot.
You turned into Billy, the piss-drunk woke leprechaun. Good luck with that, dude.
Listen, I hope you turn it around. I really do, because the world needs better comedians, and I like a lot of comedians that disagree with me, including Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle.
But we don’t need 57-year-old men trying to earn street cred with fellow kids by turning into a human embodiment of those stupid “In this house” lawn signs. That makes me sad. It does.
And yeah, you&#8217;re being a woke jackass.

Shaq’s Fun House

Bill Burr Went Woke. Now He’s Whining About It.

Ben Shapiro

Bill Burr

President Donald Trump took to social media on Tuesday to deny any involvement in the ouster of CBS late-night comedian Stephen Colbert, whose stint on &#8220;The Late Show&#8221; is set to end in May of 2026.
Trump made the <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114938657898917536">comment</a> first on his Truth Social platform, arguing that Colbert&#8217;s downfall was not the result of any demand he made or any action he took — instead saying that the longtime host had become &#8220;a victim to himself&#8221; because he wasn&#8217;t funny enough to get decent ratings.
&#8220;Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true!&#8221; Trump posted. &#8220;The reason he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 Million Dollars a year in losses — And it was only going to get WORSE!&#8221;
Trump cited reports that Colbert, despite bringing in some $60 million in advertising for his show, had operated at a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/go-f-yourself-colbert-unleashes-anti-trump-tirade-amid-report-his-show-loses-40m-annually">$40 million loss</a> because &#8220;The Late Show&#8221; had an annual price tag of $100 million.
He then went on to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-is-next-trump-keeps-pouring-salt-into-open-wound-after-colbert-ouster">repeat his claim</a> that Colbert would not be the only casualty with regard to late-night comedy, saying that comedians Jimmy Kimmel (&#8220;The Jimmy Kimmel Show&#8221; on ABC) and Jimmy Fallon (&#8220;The Tonight Show&#8221; on NBC) would be the next dominos to fall.
&#8220;Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Fallon,&#8221; he predicted. &#8220;The only real question is, who will go first? Show Biz and Television is a very simple business. If you get Ratings, you can say or do anything. If you don’t, you always become a victim. Colbert became a victim to himself, the other two will follow.&#8221;
Trump was responding to a number of people who have attempted to claim that Colbert was let go because of the ongoing merger with Paramount or due to the lawsuit that was just settled between Trump and the network over a creatively-edited interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-question-my-integrity-spartacus-returns-in-dramatic-senate-floor-showdown-for-jersey">Cory Booker</a> (D-NJ) even claimed on the Senate floor on Tuesday that Colbert had been pulled off the air — despite the fact that he will remain with the network and continue to host the show until next May — because he made jokes about Trump.

Trump Denies Responsibility For Colbert Ouster: He ‘Became A Victim To Himself’

Trump Denies Responsibility For Colbert Ouster: He 'Became A Victim To Himself'

Comedian Bill Maher ate a little crow during a recent episode of his &#8220;Club Random&#8221; podcast, conceding that he&#8217;d been firmly on the wrong side with a prediction he&#8217;d made earlier in President Donald Trump&#8217;s current term.
Maher, who hosted YouTuber Bryan Tyler Cohen for Monday&#8217;s episode, reminded his audience that he&#8217;d predicted that Trump&#8217;s tariff plan would result in economic disaster — probably before the Fourth of July had come and gone — but that had not happened.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CBLvNb5Ehgs?si=GRPdI1CultJfueiX&amp;start=1025" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Cohen suggested that for commentators on the Left, the &#8220;onus&#8221; was on them to &#8220;filter&#8221; through what President Donald Trump said in order to stay on top of the issues that were really important.
&#8220;First of all, be honest. Don&#8217;t just be partisan,&#8221; Maher offered his advice on that front. &#8220;I will always call it as I see it, no matter what it is, and I don&#8217;t care who likes it or doesn&#8217;t. That&#8217;s my bond with the audience. It&#8217;s worked for me pretty well.&#8221;
Maher then fell on his own sword a bit, admitting to getting things wrong when he — along with many others —predicted that Trump&#8217;s threatened tariffs would tank the economy.
&#8220;I remember I, along with probably most people, were saying at the beginning, oh, you know, by the Fourth of July — somebody had a thing out about how the economy was gonna be tanked by then. And I was kinda like, &#8216;Well, that seems right to me,&#8217; but that didn&#8217;t happen,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;Now, it could happen tomorrow. I&#8217;m just saying, that&#8217;s reality.&#8221;
Maher went on to argue that Democrats were missing the point if they still believed that simply declaring their opposition to Trump amounted to a political strategy.
&#8220;&#8216;I just hate Donald Trump.&#8217; &#8230; That&#8217;s boring and doesn&#8217;t get us anywhere and leads you to dishonesty,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;Because the truth is, I don&#8217;t know what his strategy is. But look, the stock market is at record highs. I don&#8217;t see a country in a depression at all. I see people out there just living their lives, and I would have thought — and I gotta own it — that these tariffs were going to f***ing sink this economy by this time, and they didn&#8217;t.&#8221;
&#8220;So, you know, how do we deal with that fact? Because that&#8217;s the fact,&#8221; he went on, arguing that Democrats needed to base their strategy on reality rather than just retreating to their partisan corners.
During the same episode, Maher took a similar tone when he revealed the biggest mistake he thought Democrats were making.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Bill Maher *GOES OFF* on &#8220;the left&#8221; over its most idiotic mistake🚨
&#8220;The stupidest thing the left does — and this dinner is a perfect example of it — is having this attitude toward the right that: &#8216;We won&#8217;t even break bread with you. We are so far above you that we won&#8217;t… <a href="https://t.co/8DZKOdSDZ0">pic.twitter.com/8DZKOdSDZ0</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1949824666207482273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The stupidest thing the Left does — and this dinner is a perfect example of it — is having this attitude toward the Right that: &#8216;We won&#8217;t even break bread with you. We are so far above you that we won&#8217;t even sit down at the same table with you!'&#8221; Maher complained. &#8220;That is their attitude — and that makes me sick too! I&#8217;m glad I break bread!&#8221;
&#8220;Good luck. See how far that gets you,&#8221; he quipped.

Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers

‘I Gotta Own It’: Bill Maher Admits One Thing He Got Wrong About Trump 2.0

Bill Maher

Economy

Tariffs

Former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres confirmed what many had suspected, stating that the re-election of President Donald Trump prompted her move to the United Kingdom.
The 67-year-old comedian confirmed it on Sunday while speaking with British broadcaster Richard Bacon at an event in Cheltenham. When asked if rumors about her and wife, Portia de Rossi, leaving the United States due to the election results were accurate, DeGeneres said, “Yes,” according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8d638rrndzo">BBC</a>.
&#8220;We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, &#8216;He got in,'&#8221; she said. &#8220;And we&#8217;re like, &#8216;We&#8217;re staying here.’&#8221;
The talk show host also raved about her new home. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s absolutely beautiful,&#8221; DeGeneres said at the event. &#8220;We&#8217;re just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture &#8211; everything you see is charming and it&#8217;s just a simpler way of life.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s clean,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Everything here is just better &#8230; the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.”
&#8220;We moved here in November, which was not the ideal time, but I saw snow for the first time in my life. We love it here. Portia flew her horses here, and I have chickens, and we had sheep for about two weeks.&#8221;
When asked about being openly gay in Hollywood, the comedian said it’s “still a problem.”
“People are still scared,&#8221; DeGeneres said of other public figures coming out.
During the conversation, she also mentioned the fallout from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ellen-degeneres-laughs-off-idea-shes-mean-in-final-stand-up-special?author=Katie+Jerkovich&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ellen+DeGeneres+Laughs+Off+Idea+She%E2%80%99s+Mean+In+Final+Stand-Up+Special" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being called “mean”</a> and accused of creating a toxic work environment on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think I can say anything that&#8217;s ever going to get rid of that [reputation] or dispel it, which is hurtful to me. I hate it,” she said, per the outlet. “I hate that people think that I&#8217;m that because I know who I am and I know that I&#8217;m an empathetic, compassionate person.&#8221;
DeGeneres mentioned the possibility of doing a British talk show, but said she would choose her next project carefully. 
&#8220;I just don&#8217;t know what that is yet,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I want to have fun, I want to do something. I do like my chickens but I&#8217;m a little bit bored.&#8221;

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres Confirms Rumor She Moved To United Kingdom Because Of Trump

Ellen DeGeneres Confirms She Moved To U.K. Because Of Trump

Ellen Degeneres

United Kingdom

World

Longtime filmmaker Terry Gilliam said the reelection of President Donald Trump has changed the landscape of comedy.
The “Monty Python” alum reflected on the change during an <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/terry-gilliam-interview-trump-brazil-mary-poppins-umbria-1236307758/">interview</a> with The Hollywood Reporter that was published earlier this week. Gilliam, 84, said comedy had been hesitant and safe for a long time, but now with the Trump administration, that’s starting to shift.
“I think Trump has changed things considerably. He’s turned the world upside down,” the director said. “I don’t know if people are going to be laughing more, but they’re probably less frightened to laugh.”
He added, “There have been woke activists with a very narrow, self-righteous point of view. That’s frightened so many people, and so many people have been very timid about telling jokes, making fun of things, because if you tell a joke, these people say you’re punching down at somebody. No, you’re finding humor in humanity!”
“So, irony, satire were basically dead,” Gilliam said. “And humor, to me, is probably one of the most essential things in life. You’ve got six senses, and the seventh sense is humor, and if you don’t have that, life is going to be miserable.”
The filmmaker also observed how Trump’s return hasn’t been great for his upcoming comedy, “The Carnival at the End of Days.” The project is a satire about Satan trying to stop God from wiping out humanity and leans heavily on mocking woke leftism, which Gilliam said is very different in the current world.
“[Trump has] f***ed up the latest film I was working on. Because it was a satire about the last several years when things were going as they were. He’s turned it upside down. So he’s killed my movie,” Gilliam said.
“That was how I approached it. I think Trump has destroyed satire. I mean, how can you be satirical about what’s going on in the way he’s doing the world?” he added.
He next joked about adding a “preamble” in the movie to call out the “Trump lost years from 2020 to 2024.”
Gilliam said something similar in an <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/07/terry-gilliam-interview-brazil-next-project-1236450896/">interview</a> with Deadline, also published this week. 
“&#8230;The script, in some ways, is out of date because it was a satire of the world two years ago, and Donald Trump has come along, and he is the carnival. He’s turned the world upside down — everything,” he told the outlet. 
“We may have to rework some of the story because parts of it was very specific about the wonderful world of woke before The Donald took over again. That very narrow way of thinking of life. We’ll see where it goes. At the moment, I may be out of a job for another 10 years,” the filmmaker said.

Terry Gilliam

‘Monty Python’ Alum Said Trump Resurrected Comedy, People Are ‘Less Frightened To Laugh’

'Monty Python' Alum Said Trump Resurrected Comedy, People Are 'Less Frightened To Laugh'

Humor

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