Buckley vs. Vidal. Frost Vs. Nixon.
Smith vs. Murray?
Everyone is still talking about the extended debate between Libertarian comic Dave Smith and author Douglas Murray on “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
The Spotify superstar set the chat in motion, knowing the two had extremely different views that would make for a compelling exchange. It’s a sad sign of the times when a debate between two well-meaning adults is increasingly rare in pop culture.
The chat did more than let both pundits share their views. It reminded Rogan of an old saw that Uncle Ben taught a budding web-slinger long ago.
With great power comes great responsibility.
<div id="attachment_909815" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah6kirkSwTg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-909815" class="size-large wp-image-909815" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-23-PM-2662-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Joe Rogan Experience #2303. Dave Smith and Douglas Murray. PowerfulJRE. YouTube.com" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-23-PM-2662-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-23-PM-2662-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-23-PM-2662-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-23-PM-2662-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-23-PM-2662-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Screenshot: Joe Rogan Experience #2303. Dave Smith and Douglas Murray. PowerfulJRE. YouTube.com</div>
The underlying message in the chat? Rogan’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah6kirkSwTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hugely popular show</a> has been letting some cranks share his podcast microphone. That might not have mattered a few years ago, but now “The Joe Rogan Experience” has the power to shape the political landscape.
Many pundits suggest Donald Trump’s appearance on the show, along with Kamala Harris’ unwillingness to do the same, played a role in the real estate mogul’s victory.
Letting “historians” in Rogan’s studio who resist that label, spread erroneous facts, and refuse to take on their critics, may not be the best way to flex his podcast muscle.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-rogan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rogan</a> has played podcast footsie with conspiracy monger Alex Jones for some time. Now, he’s expanding that practice to the format’s detriment. Think Ian Carroll and Darryl Cooper as two recent examples.
The latter called Winston Churchill, <a href="https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu/cooper-koureas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“The chief villain of World War II.”</a>
“I feel you’ve opened the door to quite a lot of people who now got a big platform, who have been throwing out counter-historical stuff of a very dangerous kind,” Murray said early in the conversation. “These guys are not historians. They’re not knowledgeable about anything.”
“I just think, ‘I’d like to talk to that person.&#8217;” Rogan said of his guest choice.
The far-Left Hollywood Reporter, sensing a weakness in Rogan’s podcasting armor, called the podcaster’s recent tilt, “Dangerous.” That’s overstating it, but <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/joe-rogan-douglas-murray-podcast-1236192416/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it’s neither healthy nor helpful.</a>
A week later, Darryl Cooper arrived to perform his act, which can be described as offering outrageous provocations he then half walks back so he can repeat them all again tomorrow. In September, Cooper had appeared on Tucker Carlson’s podcast to say that Churchill was the real villain in World War II and that Nazis didn’t want to kill Jews in concentration camps; Jews only “ended up dead” because Germany didn’t have the resources to take care of them.
Murray and Smith didn’t name call or insult one another during the often-tense exchange. Rogan proved an avuncular host, trying to keep the parties on an even keel. The two sparred over foreign policy, the Ukraine war, and, most passionately, the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Murray’s silky-smooth delivery and impeccable grasp of the facts mattered. Smith brought an Everyman’s perspective to the party, often appearing overmatched in the dustup.
<div id="attachment_909817" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-909817" class="size-large wp-image-909817" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-13-PM-5832-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Joe Rogan Experience #2303. Dave Smith and Douglas Murray. PowerfulJRE. YouTube.com" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-13-PM-5832-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-13-PM-5832-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-13-PM-5832-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-13-PM-5832-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-13-PM-5832-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: Joe Rogan Experience #2303. Dave Smith and Douglas Murray. PowerfulJRE. YouTube.com</div>
Who “won” depends partly on who you were rooting for prior to the exchange. Both landed some blows, from Murray detailing the horrors of October 7 to Smith sharing the devastation in Gaza from the extended conflict.
It’s increasingly rare to watch these kinds of debates play out on the pop culture landscape. Hollywood’s near total domination by the Left means there’s little appetite for these healthy exchanges. 
Consider today’s late-night hosts. They all sing from the same progressive hymnal and invite progressive guests on to nod along with the audience. The host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” just raged against President Donald Trump in a Rolling Stone interview. Here’s part of his <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/jimmy-kimmel-trump-late-night-future-interview-1235315906/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jeremiad against all things GOP</a>.
&#8220;There’s no decency. It’s just a bunch of animals [emphasis added], and it’s disgusting… I mean, on the Fourth of July, I still put up a flag, and I’m never going to stop doing that, because I’m never going to let them have that symbol.&#8221;
Does that sound like someone willing to host a free and fair debate on his platform? Why can’t Kimmel invite someone like Dr. Jordan Peterson or Greg Gutfeld on his show for a civil conversation? It would make for compelling TV and might boost the show’s ratings.
Plus, audiences might take away something valuable from it beyond demonizing those with whom they disagree. It’s increasingly clear folks on the Left aren’t interested in that kind of exchange.
There is an exception, though. Classical liberal Bill Maher, both on his HBO talk show and “Club Random” podcast, routinely invites Right-leaning guests to talk out their differences. Think Dave Rubin, Kid Rock, and actor Zachary Levi, to name just three.
<div id="attachment_909819" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-909819" class="size-large wp-image-909819" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-36-PM-7260-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube/Club Random Podcast. " width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-36-PM-7260-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-36-PM-7260-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-36-PM-7260-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-36-PM-7260-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-36-PM-7260-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube/Club Random Podcast.</div>
Rogan probably didn’t like to hear someone like Murray, well-regarded in many circles, dressing him down on his own show. He needed to hear it all the same. It’s reminiscent of another pivotal moment from the show’s past.
Rogan invited then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on his show for what appeared to be a tepid chat that let Dorsey slink away from his platform’s censorious ways. Rogan got an earful from his fans who felt he had let the CEO off too easily. So he invited Dorsey back on the show, but brought backup.
He added journalist gadfly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCBRHOg3PQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Pool to the conversation</a>. Pool brought some unflattering receipts, and the exchange proved far more illuminating than the first interview.
Perhaps Rogan needed a reminder of why his show matters and the consequences of having one of the biggest podcasts in the country.
Uncle Ben would be proud if he took that lesson seriously.
* * *
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.

MixCollage-18-Apr-2025-04-07-PM-2073

Joe Rogan’s Smith-Murray Debate Shows The Power And Risk Of Platforming

comedian

Conservatives

Debate

Douglas Murray

Entertainment

Joe Rogan

Libertarian Party

Podcast

Pro-Israel

Pro-Palestinian

Spotify

Ukraine-Russia War

Winston Churchill

World War II

YouTube

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel has a theory about how Trump won the 2024 election. In his opinion, it came down to comedians being “canceled” for telling funny jokes.
The 57-year-old celebrity shared his opinion during a newly published <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/jimmy-kimmel-trump-late-night-future-interview-1235315906/">interview</a> with Rolling Stone. 
“I don’t put limits on what I laugh at,” Kimmel said. “But for me personally, as I’ve grown older, as I’ve matured, I won’t make a joke that I wouldn’t make if a person of that color or persuasion was in the room. That’s how I look at it. I think a lot of the outrage is completely manufactured, and it’s like, a lot of these people who are angry aren’t really angry. I think these liberals who’ve done such a good job of viciously attacking comedians are a big part of the reason why Trump is the president right now.”
The comedian expanded on what he meant, mentioning how he thought people were fed up with being told what they were allowed to think was funny.
“I just think human beings in general, when you see something that makes you laugh and you see a bunch of other people laughing, and then somebody steps in with their arms folded and goes, ‘That’s not funny, and here’s why that’s not funny,’ it just doesn’t give you a good feeling about a person. And you want to say to that person, ‘Lighten up,’” he said.
Kimmel went on, “There’s no black and white when it comes to comedy. There is no line. The line is different for every person. Dave Chappelle can say things that somebody else might not be able to. I don’t think anybody should be canceled. I really don’t.”
He also mentioned his intention of continuing to focus on President Trump during his nightly monologues. “It was 2016, and I had Hillary Clinton on,” he told the outlet. “I said to Hillary during a commercial break, ‘I hope Trump gets the nomination. I think he’ll be a slam-dunk for you.’ And she said, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ I’m not in the group of people who thought he might win. Listen, when O.J. was found not guilty, I was just absolutely shocked. I had that same feeling.”
&#8220;I had this faith in America that was shaken, and I still am not over it,” Kimmel said. “I thought that when it comes down to it, this country, we do the right thing. That’s obviously in the past.”

Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel: Libs ‘Attacking Comedians’ Over Jokes Is A ‘Big Reason’ Trump Is President

Celebrities

Comedy

Donald Trump

Politics

The White House Correspondents Association has dropped comedian Amber Ruffin from the annual dinner amid backlash over her recent comments about President Donald Trump and his administration.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich drew attention to the fact that Ruffin was scheduled to host — and that, during a Friday appearance on The Daily Beast podcast, she had referred to the Trump administration as &#8220;murderers&#8221; and had suggested that they should not be allowed to &#8220;feel human.&#8221;
&#8220;This year&#8217;s @whca dinner will be hosted by a 2nd rate comedian who is previewing the event by calling this administration &#8216;murderers&#8217; who want to &#8216;feel like human beings, but they shouldn’t get to feel that way, because you’re not,'&#8221; Budowich posted, sharing video of the podcast. &#8220;What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this? More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such as hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This year’s <a href="https://twitter.com/whca?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@whca</a> dinner will be hosted by a 2nd rate comedian who is previewing the event by calling this administration “murderers” who want to “feel like human beings, but they shouldn’t get to feel that way, because you’re not”
What kind of responsible, sensible journalist… <a href="https://t.co/tZCJS9fNOT">pic.twitter.com/tZCJS9fNOT</a>
&mdash; Taylor Budowich (@Taylor47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Taylor47/status/1905790231929934001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
WHCA President Eugene Daniels followed that with a letter on Saturday, stating that the organization would not have a comedian at the dinner at all in the interest of not contributing further to the <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/03/white-house-correspondents-dinner-scraps-plans-amber-ruffin-1236354014/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">politics of division</a>. He did not clarify as to whether the White House&#8217;s complaint had played any role in that decision.
&#8220;As a first step, I wanted to share that the WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year,&#8221; Daniels wrote in part. &#8220;At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists.&#8221;
The WHCA also skipped the traditional comedic portion of the annual dinner in 2019, during Trump&#8217;s first term, after comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-smacks-comedian-who-mocked-sarah-sanders-james-barrett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michelle Wolf</a> trashed then White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders during her 2018 performance. &#8220;What’s Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women?&#8221; she said, among other caustic comments.

Netflix’s “Survival Of The Thickest” Season 2 Premiere

White House Correspondents Association Dumps Comedian After She Calls Trump Admin ‘Murderers’

White House Correspondents Association Dumps Comedian After She Calls Trump Admin 'Murderers'

Media

White House Correspondents Association

White House Correspondents’ Dinner

The Democrats are in disarray, and that’s not a partisan talking point.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-flail-schumer-fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">days in charge may be waning</a>. Polling suggests the Democrat brand is at a shocking low. Progressives keep taking the 20 side of 80/20 debates like trans women competing against biological female athletes.
And the GOP controls the White House, the Senate and the House, the latter albeit by a whisker.
Enter three Hollywood liberals who grasp their party’s sorry state. They’re rarities in this space, willing to share contrary views no matter the consequences.
They may be truth tellers, full stop. Perhaps they understand their party is making a mad dash for the electoral cliff and they want them to stop before they fall to their doom.
Take Bill Maher. He’s been a constant presence in pop culture for decades, first on ABC’s “Politically Incorrect” and now via “Real Time with Bill Maher” and the “Club Random” podcast.
And, for all of that time, he’s been a proud liberal with a dash of Libertarianism for good measure.
<div id="attachment_895897" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-895897" class="size-large wp-image-895897" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2153507689-384x576.jpg" alt="THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 1978 -- Pictured: Comedian &amp; writer Bill Maher during an interview on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2153507689-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2153507689-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2153507689.jpg 683w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images</div>
Maher has hated President Donald Trump from the jump and takes delight in mocking GOP figures like former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. He once <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/flashback-bill-maher-trashed-sarah-palin-family-inbred/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mocked her family</a> as a clan of “inbred weirdos” straight out of “The Hills Have Eyes” movie that featured mutant killers.
Palin’s child has Down Syndrome.
Yet in recent years Maher has been one of the Left’s most ardent critics. He’s savaged fellow progressives on the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64058436/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woke Mind Virus</a>, to use a certain billionaire’s phrase.
He even sided with President Trump recently regarding the move to pull funding from Columbia University for <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/03/08/maher-trumps-right-to-pull-some-funds-from-columbia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failing to protect Jewish students</a>.
Maher regularly invites conservative guests on his “Club Random” show and recently stood up to guest Don Lemon for calling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-shuts-down-don-lemons-racist-comments-about-black-trump-supporters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black MAGA supporters irrational.</a>
Radio show titan Charlamagne Tha God also refuses to toe the party line 24/7. The host of “The Breakfast Club” radio show often clashes with the progressive groupthink, much to the shock of many Democrats.
Recently, Charlamagne Tha God questioned why his fellow Democrats were fighting to stop Team Trump from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlamagne-tha-god-asks-why-anyones-raising-hell-over-gang-members-being-sent-away" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deporting dangerous illegal immigrants</a>.
“Like, there are some other deportation cases, I’m sure they could be fighting about, like folks who’ve been in this country for a long time, not committing no crimes, paying taxes, but have gotten caught up in the process,” he added. “Those are folks they should be fighting for. Why are they raising hell about a gang being deported?”
<div id="attachment_895899" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-895899" class="size-large wp-image-895899" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2150440215-384x576.jpg" alt="ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 27: Charlamagne tha God attends the 2024 Black Effect Podcast Festival at Pullman Yards on April 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network )" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2150440215-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2150440215-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2150440215.jpg 683w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network</div>
It’s a question few liberal celebrities are willing to ask. It’s one of many reasons the polls have been so cruel to modern-day Democrats.
He also defended rappers like Snoop Dogg from hardcore Leftists for performing at Trump’s second inaugural gala. You can’t savage stars for doing that while letting Democrats off the hook after they said Trump was Hitler 2.0 and a threat to democracy.
Those same politicians lined up to congratulate Trump following his 2024 electoral victory.
“We know why the rappers did what they did. We know why they’re doing it. They got paid. What’s the politicians’ excuse for normalizing Trump?”
The talker even called the “lawfare” attacks on Trump <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/01/13/charlamagne-tha-god-calls-prosecution-of-trump-pure-political-theater-ridiculous-watching-liberals-celebrate-this/">pure “theater</a>.” That’s something you’ll never hear on the late-night TV circuit or “Saturday Night Live.” It also resonates with voters across the political spectrum.
Few celebrities haunted President Trump quite like Michael Rapaport. The star of “Atypical,” “Beautiful Girls,” and many other projects used his podcast and social media to savage the president at every turn.
The <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/michael-rapaport-threatens-hog-tie-032648035.html">word “pig”</a> may be the only one suitable for family-friendly consumption.
That was then. In recent months, Rapaport has been busy attacking his own side on many fronts. 
Take <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/michael-rapaport-trump-charlottesville-lie/">the “Very Fine People” hoax</a>. The actor initially fell for it and blasted Trump via his social media platforms. He later learned the media had fed him a false narrative. He could have stayed quiet about it, but he had to speak out.
“When you see the full quote, that wasn’t what [Trump] said and I ranted on him hard for that, hard … I was like, ‘what are you talking about, man?&#8217;” Rapaport recalled.
Remember, Joe Biden launched his last presidential campaign with that lie.
How many liberal celebrities would not only do their own research on a chronic anti-Trump narrative but later go public with a mea culpa? That’s rhetorical.
<div id="attachment_895903" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-895903" class="size-large wp-image-895903" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2181559373-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: Andy Cohen and Michael Rapaport visit SiriusXM Studios on October 28, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2181559373-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2181559373-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2181559373-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2181559373.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jason Mendez/Getty Images</div>
The actor also has repeatedly lashed out at Hollywood liberals for staying silent on the Hamas hostage ordeal. He even starred in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5esBxX5YoI&amp;t=26s">faux Oscars sketch</a> where he used his monologue to mock activist celebrities for standing down when they should be screaming for the hostages’ release
This all matters because the vast majority of Hollywood liberals refuse to concede their party’s current, sorry state. We’ve recently seen late-night hosts take delight in domestic terrorist attacks against Tesla dealerships, for example, just to burnish their anti-DOGE, anti-Musk bona fides.
Both Jimmy Kimmel and “The Daily Show’s” Jordan Klepper teed up images of burning Teslas while their audiences clapped in approval.
That cruelty may appease the hardcore Democratic base, but it’s surely alienating left-leaning voters and independents alike.
As a result, Democrats will double down on their deeply unpopular beliefs. They might even watch as their polling numbers droop anew.
They’d be wise to follow Maher, Charlamagne Tha God and Rapaport. The trio is trying to save fellow Democrats from themselves. Their warnings still may fall on deaf ears, meaning the 2028 election cycle could look suspiciously like 2024 for Democrats.
* * *
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.

MixCollage-22-Mar-2025-09-51-AM-7437

The Unlikely Trio Shaking Up The Hollywood Echo Chamber

Bill Maher

Charlamagne Tha God

Democrats

Hollywood

Leftists

Liberals

Michael Rapaport

U.S. Politics

Comedian Tracy Morgan got sick on Monday night while sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden during the second half of a New York Knicks game, vomiting on the hardwood.
Multiple videos captured the aftermath showing the 56-year-old being removed from the area in a wheelchair, <a href="https://x.com/realJoshBrownie/status/1901804368992534572">noting</a> that he could “barely stand up” and was “bleeding” from his nose.
The Knicks game against the Miami Heat was delayed in the third quarter for about 10 minutes due to the incident, per <a href="https://people.com/tracy-morgan-medical-incident-knicks-heat-game-madison-square-garden-11698767">People</a>. When the game resumed, the Knicks went on to win 116-95.
&#8220;We hope Tracy feels better soon and look forward to seeing him back courtside,&#8221; a representative from Madison Square Garden told the outlet. 
The comedian has diabetes and had a kidney transplant in 2010. He was also involved in a serious auto accident in 2014 when a Walmart truck rammed into his limo while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike. Morgan broke his leg and was in a coma for two weeks after the accident, per <a href="https://ew.com/tracy-morgan-addresses-driver-10th-anniversary-car-crash-coma-8660388">Entertainment Weekly.</a> He also had to use a wheelchair for five months and undergo intense physical therapy. The accident killed his mentor, James McNair, “Uncle Jimmy Mac,” who was also a comedian. 
&#8220;I suffered some terrible injuries — traumatic brain injury,&#8221; he said in 2017. &#8220;I broke every bone in my face, my ribs. I pulverized my femur. I&#8217;m from the ghetto, and after I came out the coma I was blind for a week, and where I come from you don&#8217;t want to be blind for a second. All kinds of s*** started coming up missing in my hospital room.&#8221;
Morgan forgave the truck driver on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy. 
&#8220;Today is 10 years since our fateful accident, and I want to say to everyone who was in the van with me that night I Love you, and we miss you, Uncle Jimmy Mac and God bless your family,” he said in a statement in June 2024.
&#8220;To the driver that night and his family, me and my comrades forgive you.&#8221;
Morgan sued Walmart for negligence a month after the accident, alleging that the company had forced the driver to make an 11-hour commute before his regular shift. Morgan said that meant the driver had been awake for more than 24 hours at the time of the crash. His claim was denied, and attorneys from Walmart countered that Morgan and the other passengers were not wearing seatbelts.
Ultimately, the matter was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2015.

Tracy Morgan

Tracy Morgan Vomits On Court During Knicks Game, Causes Delay

Tracy Morgan Gets Sick Courtside During Knicks Game, Causes Delay 

Madison Square Garden

New York

New York City

New York Knicks

U.S.

Emmy-nominated roast comedian Nikki Glaser will once again host the Golden Globes awards show in January 2026 after she hosted this year’s show, receiving very positive reviews.
“Hosting the Golden Globes this year was without a doubt the most fun I have ever had in my career,” Glaser said in a statement on Thursday to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/golden-globes-nikki-glaser-to-return-as-host-in-2026-1236162520/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> following the announcement from CBS and the Golden Globes.
“I can’t wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from ‘The White Lotus,’ who will finally recognize my talent and cast me in season four as a Scandinavian Pilates instructor with a shadowy past,” she added.
President of the Golden Globes, Helen Hoehne, added that, “Nikki Glaser brought a refreshing spark and fearless wit to the Golden Globes stage this year. Her sharp humor and bold presence set the tone for an unforgettable night, making the ceremony feel vibrant and most of all fun.”
Despite Glaser’s praise as host, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/golden-globes-host-roasts-stars-for-trump-re-election">Golden Globes</a> actually saw a slight drop in ratings from the previous year, <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/golden-globes-2025-ratings-1236267097/">Variety</a> reported.
Nielsen showed a dip of two percent in the ratings for the awards show, with 9.3 million viewers, compared to the average of 9.4 million viewers the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/golden-globes-see-spike-in-ratings-for-first-time-since-2020">Golden Globes</a> brought in 2024.
Last year’s show was up 51 percent from when the show aired on NBC in 2023, when it drew an average of 6.25 million viewers — marking the second-smallest audience in the network’s 28 years of broadcasting the awards show, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tv-ratings-sunday-jan-7-2024-1235782200/">per Nielsen</a>. 
To put this year’s numbers in context, before the pandemic, the Globes averaged nearly 20 million viewers between 2008-2019, the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-01-08/golden-globe-awards-9-4-million-viewers-cbs-robert-downey-jo-koy">LA Times</a> noted.
At this year’s show, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-ricky-gervais-golden-globes-host-promises-celebs-wont-be-offended-by-her-monologue">Glaser</a> took a page out of long-time Golden Globe’s host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/audience-response-makes-it-clear-golden-globe-viewers-want-ricky-gervais-back">Ricky Gervais</a> manual when she kicked off the night by roasting celebrities over President Donald Trump’s re-election.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ricky Gervais&#039; Monologue - 2020 Golden Globes" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LCNdTLHZAeo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In a clip posted on <a href="https://x.com/goldenglobes/status/1876077747359088733">X</a>, the comedian/host called out the biggest members of Hollywood for not being persuasive enough to convince people who to vote for in the 2024 election, as the majority of stars had been very vocal supporters of the Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I am not here to roast you tonight,” Glaser told the crowd after pointing out that she’s known for being a comedian on roasts. “I want you to know that. How could I really. You are all so famous. So talented.”
“So powerful,” she added. “I mean you could really do anything. I mean except tell the country who to vote for. But it’s okay, you&#8217;ll get them next time. If there is one. I’m scared.”
Ahead of the award night, the comedian hinted at what her monologue would be about — and took the opportunity to warn viewers that she wasn’t going to be just like Gervais, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-ricky-gervais-golden-globes-host-promises-celebs-wont-be-offended-by-her-monologue">reported</a>.
In January 2020, Gervais hosted the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCNdTLHZAeo">Golden Globes</a> and famously torched the stars, telling them, “So, if you do win an award tonight, don&#8217;t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/golden-globes-host-roasts-stars-for-trump-re-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden Globes Host Roasts Stars For Trump Re-Election</a>

Golden Globes

Roast Comedian To Host Golden Globes Again

host

Ricky Gervais

Comedian and actor Michael Rapaport slammed a leftist Canadian politician for encouraging lawmakers to ban him from doing stand-up comedy shows in the country.
The 54-year-old made his opinions known in a <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/michael-rapaport-comedian-canada-ban-antisemitism">column</a> he wrote for The Free Press in which he mentioned Canada’s New Democrat Party member Heather McPherson encouraging others to protest the comedian’s performance.
McPherson referenced Rapaport’s “significant criminal history,” history of “Islamophobic speech,” and tendencies towards “inciting violence” as reasons for the proposed ban.
“We are witnessing an alarming increase in Islamophobia in Canada and globally,” she <a href="https://x.com/HMcPhersonMP/status/1895235206522818866">wrote</a> as part of a lengthy X thread shared late last month. “All Canadians deserve to feel safe in our communities. New Democrats are calling on the Liberal government to deny entry to Michael Rapaport.”
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Statement calling on Canadian government to deny entry to Michael Rapaport &#8211; February 27, 2025 New Democrats are alarmed that American personality Michael Rapaport is scheduled to perform in Canada. <a href="https://twitter.com/nccm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nccm</a> 1/x
&mdash; Heather McPherson (@HMcPhersonMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HMcPhersonMP/status/1895235093876330981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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She concluded by saying, “Hate has no place in Canada,” and tagging several other members of the Canadian Parliament in the post.
Rapaport called McPherson’s reasoning the “craziest campaign against me yet.” 
He also responded to all the parliament member’s charges, writing, “I have no criminal history other than calling my ex-girlfriend Lili Taylor too many times back in 1997. (I’m not ashamed; I was in love). I have no outstanding warrants. I don’t have any parking tickets. As far as racist Islamophobia, my only phobia currently is of radical jihadists. I’ll admit: I have a phobia of anybody who wants to kill, hurt, or dehumanize Jews.”
Rapaport continued, “The irony is that McPherson, in her post, asserted that ‘hate has no place in Canada’—except, of course, when hate is directed toward Jews, which Canada apparently has no problem with,” he wrote, linking to a report which found a “670 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in Canada since October 7, 2023.”
“Rather than call attention to that—or the horrific antisemitism sweeping her own country—this member of Parliament is spending her capital making pleas to keep me out, rather than fixing whatever is going wrong in her own backyard,&#8221; he wrote. 
Rapaport noted that his shows were still going on as planned later this week. “Luckily, at least for now, it seems [Canadian Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau and his party aren’t listening. I’ll still be crossing the border this week,” he concluded.
“If you’re reading this, Heather, I have front-row seats reserved for you and the New Democrats. That’s a genuine offer.”

Comedian Michael Rapaport Blasts Canadian Lawmaker Trying To Get Him Banned From The Country

Canada

World

Actor Alec Baldwin recently lost his temper with comedian Jason Scoop, who was dressed as Donald Trump during an interaction on a New York City street. The comedian triggered Baldwin by bringing up the death of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 
A video of the confrontation shows the actor threatening the comedian, saying, “If this camera wasn’t here, I’d snap your f***ing neck in half and break your f***-ing neck right here.” Their interaction has since gone viral on social media.
Baldwin was loading items into the trunk of his car when the comedian approached him. 
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Alec Baldwin Loves Me.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thebaldwins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thebaldwins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trump?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#trump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/snl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#snl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alecbaldwin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alecbaldwin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jasonscoop?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#jasonscoop</a> <a href="https://t.co/ILSIGU66O8">pic.twitter.com/ILSIGU66O8</a>
&mdash; Jason Scoop (Trump Impersonator) (@JasonScoop) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonScoop/status/1894056180546224170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Alec, it’s your favorite president,” Scoop can be heard saying in the clip, alluding to the fact that Baldwin impersonates the current president on Saturday Night Live. “Look, Alec, I will offer you a total pardon, because I want to be friends, right? I want to be friends. I will give you a total pardon for murdering that woman if you kiss the ring.”
Scoop points his ring finger at Baldwin, “Kiss the ring, Alec.” At first, the actor ignores Scoop, but the comedian kept poking the cage. 
“Alec, if you don’t want that pardon for murdering that woman in cold blood, you can call it first degree, you can call it whatever you want, but it was not good. She’s looking down on me right now, smiling, happy. ‘Thank you for confronting the man who took me out, who killed me.’”
At that point, Baldwin responded.
“You got a camera on me here?” the actor says, approaching Scoop and instructing him to look him in the eye. “You realize my kids live in this building? I want you to know something. I want you to be real careful,” he adds before threatening to “break his f***ing neck.”
Scoop remains in character as Baldwin tells him to leave. “I want you to get out of here,” Baldwin says, telling him, “I’ll take that camera and shove it up your a**.”
Baldwin was accused of involuntary manslaughter in October 2021. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when a gun Baldwin was holding discharged on set, but the actor has maintained all along that he never pulled the trigger. The prosecution argued that Baldwin was reckless and criminally negligent for firing the gun, while the defense maintained that as an actor, their client was not responsible for gun safety on set.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case on the third day of the trial after learning that the prosecution did not reveal a cache of bullets to the defense. That decision was later appealed, but then the prosecutor dropped the appeal in December, effectively ending Baldwin’s battle in the courts.
The actor previously settled a civil lawsuit with Hutchins&#8217; family.

Alec Baldwin

WATCH: Alec Baldwin Threatens Trump Impersonator During Street Confrontation

Alec Baldwin Threatens Trump Impersonator Following Confrontation On Street

Nate Bargatze is doing everything right – except follow the Hollywood formula.
Stand-up comedians often jump on the first big-screen project that comes their way. Not Bargatze, who still hasn’t made a feature-length comedy all his own. Others snag a sitcom deal promising a lifetime of residual checks if the stars align.
Think — Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr, Jerry Seinfeld, Brett Butler, Martin Lawrence and other funny folks.
Bargatze isn’t going that route. He’s content to Hoover up money on the road. He was 2024’s most successful comedian, <a href="https://news.pollstar.com/2024/08/27/why-nate-does-great-comedy-chart-topper-nate-bargatze-is-americas-favorite-funny-man/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earning nearly $80 million in ticket sales</a>. That’s in a landscape where Jim Gaffigan, Kevin Hart, Sebastian Maniscalco and others happily roam.
His Prime Video special, <a href="https://deadline.com/2024/11/nate-bargatze-the-breadwinner-tristar-pictures-1236166588/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Nate Bargatze: Hello World” became the</a> streamer’s most popular comedy special in less than a month. He even scored a viral “Saturday Night Live” sketch at a time when the NBC showcase rarely rocks the zeitgeist.
That “Washington’s Dream” clip earned more than 19 million views as well as a video sequel with nearly 9 million more.
<div id="attachment_865155" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865155" class="size-large wp-image-865155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-864x576.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 1866 -- Pictured: (l-r) Kenan Thompson, host Nate Bargatze, Mikey Day, and Bowen Yang during the &quot;Washington's Dream 2&quot; sketch on Saturday, October 5, 2024 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images</div>
He’s a clean comedy machine, and he’s unabashedly heartland friendly.
Bargatze’s red state appeal is no monkey trick. He’s from Tennessee, and his gentle southern accent is just one giveaway. A 2022 profile describes his Tennessee home as surprisingly modest, understanding he could afford a home that would make Architectural Digest readers swoon.
He’s opened up about his Christian childhood with tenderness and humor.
“I think Jesus had more fun than I did [growing up],” he said playfully on the stand-up circuit. “I’m not complaining. My parents did a great job, I was just naïve a little bit longer than most kids were.”
His self-effacing shtick scores with fans, and he’s never more self-critical than when he describes his marriage.
He also loves to pay it forward. His Nateland Entertainment <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Nateland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube channel</a> features both his podcast and shows featuring fellow comedians who lack his national presence. If Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” helped launch stand-ups in the 1970s and ‘80s, podcasts like “The Joe Rogan Experience” and “Nateland” do something similar for today’s cutups.
<div id="attachment_865205" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LqGm0csbqo"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865205" class="size-large wp-image-865205" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Nateland Entertainment" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Screenshot: YouTube.com/Nateland Entertainment</div>
Bargatze’s runaway success is part of the larger, clean comedy revolution. The term “clean” once meant “clunky,” “edge-free” or just plain dull to some. Now, with superstars like Gaffigan, Maniscalco, Brian Regan and Bargatze working the comedy circuit that’s hardly the case.
Established comics like Adam Carolla wash their own mouths out with soap to appear on Utah’s Dry Bar Comedy circuit.
It’s worth noting Bargatze is the opposite of an overnight sensation. He’s been telling jokes for more than 20 years, but for much of his career he wasn’t a household name. Blame social media clips, Netflix specials, or just a never-say-die spirit. He’s now the biggest name in comedy.
<div id="attachment_865227" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865227" class="size-large wp-image-865227" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-1024x576.jpg" alt="Credit: NateBargatze.com. Nateland Entertainment. Grand Rapids, MI." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: NateBargatze.com. Nateland Entertainment. Grand Rapids, MI.</div>
Podcaster and actor Marc Maron called it years ago, telling Rolling Stone magazine Bargatze was “<a href="https://variety.com/2022/legit/features/everyman-comic-nate-bargatze-1235319057/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a comic who should be big</a>.” Finally, America agrees.
Perhaps his gentle brand of humor, observational and endlessly kind, is just what we needed in troubled times.
Rebel comedians aren’t hurting for work, either. Tony Hinchcliffe’s nasty jab at Puerto Rico during that infamous Madison Square Garden Trump rally could have hurt the mogul’s re-election chances, but Hinchcliffe emerged from the non-scandal bigger than ever.
Comedy podcasters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Tim Dillon and Andrew Schulz throw razor-sharp elbows and have made themselves rich in the process. There’s room for all shades of comedy in 2025.
Still, Bargatze can&#8217;t imagine that <a href="https://variety.com/2022/legit/features/everyman-comic-nate-bargatze-1235319057/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cobalt blue approach.</a>
“I was always uncomfortable making people uncomfortable. I’d be sad if I made somebody feel bad. That would break my heart. I didn’t realize my purpose was to be a relief, but the people who come to my shows — all different backgrounds, political belief, ages, especially since the pandemic — you can feel the relief when you hear them laugh.”
<div id="attachment_865157" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865157" class="size-large wp-image-865157" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-864x576.jpg" alt="THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 2071 -- Pictured: (l-r) Comedian Nate Bargatze during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images</div>
The funniest part of his shocking rise to fame? A Slate.com profile attacking him for <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2024/12/nate-bargatze-comedian-snl-netflix-special-your-friend-comedy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ducking the culture war battles.</a>
Of course, Bargatze’s neutrality is a politicized stance in its own right. His dogmatic avoidance of controversy might be celebrated in progressive circles, but it also renders his catalog incapable of addressing any of the glaring frailties in American culture.
As it turns out, Bargatze has been waiting to make his big-screen closeup on his terms. He recently signed up to star and <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nate-bargatze-reveals-plans-future-144600920.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">co-produce “The Breadwinner</a>,” a comedy with few details available at the moment. It’ll be his first starring role in a feature film, and the pressure will be immense.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl=1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">CELEBRATE #47 WITH 47% OFF DAILYWIRE+ MEMBERSHIPS + A FREE $20 GIFT</a></h3>
There’s zero chance it’ll duplicate the bawdy antics of a “Hangover” or “Old School” style romp. Bargatze has wisely protected his brand up until now. Why fix what isn’t broken?
&#8220;I was never great at auditioning for other people’s movies. So I kind of figured I would have to just make my own. I want to be able to create movies that hopefully the whole family can come out to. I believe people still want to go to movies and [that they] still like appointment-type television.&#8221;
Be warned. Sebastian Maniscalco took that path last year with “About My Father,” a story based on his life co-starring Oscar-winner Robert De Niro. It flopped. So did Bert Kreischer’s “The Machine.”
There’s no shame in sticking with what works.
* * *
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.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Michael J. Fox Foundation – A Country Thing: Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson’s

The Clean Comedy Machine

Jimmy Fallon

Nashville

Nate Bargatze

Netflix

Saturday Night Live

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/golden-globes-host-roasts-stars-for-trump-re-election">Golden Globes</a> actually saw a drop in ratings this year after picking roast comedian Nikki Glaser as the host of the annual awards show on Sunday night.
It was initally reported by CBS that the 82nd annual awards show ratings jumped seven percent from last year’s show, bringing in an average of 10.1 million viewers, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2025-golden-globes-ratings-rise-1236098645/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported. The network also reported that live streams on its app and Paramount plus were up nine percent from the show in 2024, per VideoAmp, the company CBS uses for ratings amid its contract dispute with Nielsen.
However, <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/golden-globes-2025-ratings-1236267097/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a> later released numbers from Nielsen that showed a dip of two percent in the ratings, with 9.3 million viewers, compared to the average of 9.4 million viewers the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/golden-globes-see-spike-in-ratings-for-first-time-since-2020">Golden Globes</a> brought in 2024.
Last year&#8217;s show was up 51 percent from when the show aired on NBC in 2023, when it drew an average of 6.25 million viewers — marking the second-smallest audience in the network’s 28 years of broadcasting the awards show, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tv-ratings-sunday-jan-7-2024-1235782200/">per Nielsen</a>. To put Sunday’s numbers in context, before the pandemic, the Globes averaged nearly 20 million viewers between 2008-2019, the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-01-08/golden-globe-awards-9-4-million-viewers-cbs-robert-downey-jo-koy">LA Times</a> noted.
At this year&#8217;s show, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-ricky-gervais-golden-globes-host-promises-celebs-wont-be-offended-by-her-monologue">Glaser</a> took a page out of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/audience-response-makes-it-clear-golden-globe-viewers-want-ricky-gervais-back">Ricky Gervais</a> hosting manual when she kicked off the night by roasting celebrities over Donald Trump’s re-election and more.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPDATE: Though Paramount initially reported that 10.1 million average viewers tuned into the Golden Globes using data from VideoAmp — which would have marked a 7% increase from last year’s 9.4 million — industry standard measurement company Nielsen counted a 2% decrease to 9.3… <a href="https://t.co/dRjPvtTxqp">pic.twitter.com/dRjPvtTxqp</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1876679388068229180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
In a clip posted on <a href="https://x.com/goldenglobes/status/1876077747359088733">X</a>, the comedian/host called out the biggest members of Hollywood for failing to convince people who to vote for in the 2024 election, with the majority of stars being very vocal supporters of the former Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
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“I am not here to roast you tonight,” Glaser told the crowd after pointing out that she’s known for being a comedian on roasts. “I want you to know that. How could I really. You are all so famous. So talented.”
“So powerful,” she added. “I mean you could really do anything. I mean except tell the country who to vote for. But it’s okay, you will get them next time. If there is one. I’m scared.”
She then turned to actress and singer Ariana Grande and asked her to “hold my finger,” a reference to the bizarre interactions between Grande and her costar Cynthia Erivo on the press tour for their movie “Wicked.”
At one point in her opening monologue, Glaser also cracked jokes about the weight loss injection “Ozempic” — calling it the drug’s biggest night — and the sexual harassment in Hollywood that was mentioned numerous times during the #MeToo movement.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/golden-globes-host-roasts-stars-for-trump-re-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden Globes Host Roasts Stars For Trump Re-Election</a>

Nikki Glaser

Golden Globes See Drop In Ratings From 2024 With Roast Comedian Hosting

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/golden-globes">Golden Globes</a> host Nikki Glaser is being praised for her performance on Sunday night, including her willingness to poke fun at the celebrities in attendance. Now, the 40-year-old stand-up <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/comedian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comedian</a> is sharing ten jokes that were cut from her monologue for various reasons.
Glaser revealed the provocative <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">jokes</a>, including quips about Adolf Hitler, Diddy, and Alec Baldwin, during an appearance on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show on Monday, per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nikki-glaser-golden-globes-hosting-joke-regrets-1236102260/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>. She <a href="https://youtu.be/i33-r26oFuY">told</a> the talk show host she added these particular jokes to the &#8220;Stern files&#8221; because, &#8220;We can&#8217;t say that on TV. We cannot say that to people&#8217;s faces.&#8221;
First up was a general remark about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sexual assault accusations and who else might be implicated. So far, the only other named celebrity in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jay-z-issues-denial-to-rape-claim-we-dont-play-these-games">one of the lawsuits</a> is Jay-Z.
One of the cut jokes said, “This is the last time all of you will be in the same room together until the Diddy trial.” 
Glaser told Stern, “We had another Diddy mention that worked better … and you only get one Diddy mention. You’re also accusing the people in the room of being involved in that, and they might turn on you.”
Instead of that, during the show, Glaser said, “[‘Challengers’] was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card. I know… I’m upset, too. The after-party isn’t going to be as good this year, but we have to move on.” 
Glaser then joked, “Stanley Tucci freak-off doesn’t have the same ring to it,” adding, “No baby oil this year, just lots of olive oil.”
Another joke that got cut was about the Catholic church. The joke went, “I loved ‘Conclave.’ It’s about choosing a new pope. It was heartwarming. It will touch you so much that the church will have to move it to another theater. Hot tip: You don’t need ID to get into the Conclave afterparty.”
“We didn’t do those because they were Catholic Church pedophile jokes — we’ve all heard them, we don’t need more of that,” Glaser told Stern.
Another joke that never got told was an extended version of the comedian calling Adrien Brody a “two-time Holocaust survivor,” referencing the fact that he appeared in two Holocaust movies (“The Pianist” and “The Brutalist”). The part that was cut said, “If Adrien Brody could go back in time, he would thank baby Hitler for his career.”
“I loved that one such much,” Glaser told Stern. “But my assistant is Gen Z and she was like, ‘I don’t get it&#8217;” due to the time travel/kill Hitler reference being, apparently, a bit dated. “Oh, we’re going to lose a whole generation on that joke, and then I’ve said ‘Hitler’ for nothing.’”
Another cut joke referenced the Hawk Tuah girl, Hailey Welch. 
It said, “‘Only Murders in the Building’ is amazing. I think it’s so cool that legends like Steve Martin, Martin Short and Meryl Streep are still at it. It just goes to show you that you’re never too old to still need money. Why are you still working so hard? What’s going on, did you get caught up in the Hawk Tuah crypto scheme?”
Another of Glaser’s jokes referenced Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 
“Glen Powell is nominated tonight for &#8216;Hit Man.&#8217; Who would have thought you’d only be the second-hottest hit man in America?” the joke said, but Glaser cut it because the story faded out of the news cycle.
Another cut joke said, “The only show where you can see the biggest stars in movies and television join together with a common goal: Getting out here tonight before Dax Shepard asks them to do his podcast.” 
The comedian said she cut a joke about Nicole Kidman so the actress wouldn&#8217;t make a face at it: “The Wild Robot is nominated tonight — and by that I mean Nicole Kidman after two white wines,” the joke said.
Glaser also mentioned one that said, “Timothée Chalamet took lessons in guitar, dialect, movement and vocals to become Bob Dylan [in ‘A Complete Unknown’]. While Bob Dylan became Bob Dylan the old-fashioned way: heroin and autism.”
A joke about Alec Baldwin was ultimately deemed “too mean” by the stand-up comedian.
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It said, “Michael Keaton was so great in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.’ And Alec Baldwin sadly did not come back to play a ghost because he was too busy making them.”
Another cut joke said, “Here’s Ben Affleck. I can’t wait to see which Jennifer you try to ruin next.”
The Golden Globes host said she’s upset about messing up the Affleck joke she did include in her monologue. 
During the broadcast, Glaser said, “Wicked, Queer, Nightbitch — these are not just words Ben Affleck yells after he orgasms. These are some of the incredible movies nominated tonight.”
“It was supposed to be ‘when he orgasms’ and I said ‘after’ and it really bugged me,” she told Stern. “It still works. It’s just less clear. It’s 2 percent more funny [the other way].” 
Ultimately, Glaser told the podcast host she was pleased with her monologue. “I went to bed happy,” she said.

Nikki Glaser Reveals Jokes Cut From Golden Globes: ‘Can’t Say That On TV’

Nikki Glaser Reveals 10 Jokes Cut From Golden Globes Monologue: 'Can't Say That On TV'

Golden Globes host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-ricky-gervais-golden-globes-host-promises-celebs-wont-be-offended-by-her-monologue">Nikki Glaser</a> clearly took a page out of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/audience-response-makes-it-clear-golden-globe-viewers-want-ricky-gervais-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ricky Gervais</a> hosting manual when she kicked off the show Sunday by roasting celebrities for Donald Trump’s re-election.
In a clip posted on <a href="https://x.com/goldenglobes/status/1876077747359088733">X</a>, the comedian/host kicked off the 82nd annual award show by calling out the biggest members of Hollywood for failing to convince people who to vote for in the 2024 election, with the majority of stars being very vocal supporters of the former Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris .
“I am not here to roast you tonight,” Glaser told the crowd after pointing out that she’s known for being a comedian on roasts. “I want you to know that. How could I really. You are all so famous. So talented.”
“So powerful,” she added. “I mean you could really do anything. I mean except tell the country who to vote for. But it’s okay, you will get them next time. If there is one. I’m scared.”
She then turned to actress and singer Ariana Grande and asked her to “hold her finger,&#8221; a reference to the bizarre interactions between Grande and her costar Cynthia Erivo on the press tour for their movie “Wicked.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Say hello to your roast for the night—Oops, we mean HOST for the night&#8230; <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiGlaser?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikkiGlaser</a>! 🎙️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> <a href="https://t.co/MVa5FQ1NoS">pic.twitter.com/MVa5FQ1NoS</a>
— Golden Globes (@goldenglobes) <a href="https://twitter.com/goldenglobes/status/1876077747359088733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
At one point in her opening monologue, Glaser also cracked a joke about the weight loss injection “Ozempic,” calling it the drug&#8217;s biggest night, and the sexual harassment in Hollywood that was mentioned numerous times during the #MeToo movement.
“I gotta say this feels like I finally made it,” Glaser told the audience. “I’m in a room full of producers at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and this time all of my clothes are on. So, yeah, it was worth it.”
Ahead of the award night, the comedian hinted at what her monologue would be about — and took the opportunity to warn viewers that she wasn’t going to be just like the famed Globes host Gervais, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-ricky-gervais-golden-globes-host-promises-celebs-wont-be-offended-by-her-monologue">reported</a>.
“I am doing what I was hired to do, which is, I got this because of the Tom Brady roast. That is not lost on me,” Glaser said. “So I’m going to bring that to this for sure. It’s not gonna be watered down, [but] the tone will be different for this. I’m not gonna go so hard that anyone’s gonna be offended.”
“I’ve made a point not to, and that’s not to disappoint anyone who’s hoping I’m going to pull a Ricky Gervais. I’m not Ricky Gervais,” she added. “This isn’t my last Golden Globes, this is my first one. He really went hard on his last one. He was ready to burn some bridges [because] it didn’t matter anymore. Celebrities shouldn’t be nervous because it’s a great opportunity for them to look cool.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/audience-response-makes-it-clear-golden-globe-viewers-want-ricky-gervais-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audience Response Makes It Clear: Golden Globe Viewers Want Ricky Gervais Back</a>

Golden Globes Host Roasts Stars For Trump Re-Election

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