“Grey’s Anatomy” star Katherine Heigl responded to leftist criticism after attending a charity event at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last weekend.
The 47-year-old actress was quick to defend her appearance at the Wine, Women &amp; Shoes annual fundraiser benefitting the no-kill animal shelter Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Heigl said her attendance was about &#8220;animal advocacy&#8221; and had nothing to do with politics.
It was Heigl’s first public appearance since 2024.
“Animals don’t vote,&#8221; Heigl said in a <a href="https://www.justjared.com/2026/03/11/katherine-heigl-is-directly-replying-to-many-instagram-comments-slamming-her-appearance-at-dog-rescue-event-at-mar-a-lago/">statement</a> to JustJared. &#8220;The only room they don’t like is the euthanasia room at a shelter. They are completely at the mercy of us, and they have no voice of their own.&#8221;
&#8220;This event was about animal advocacy — something that has always been deeply personal to me,&#8221; the actress continued. &#8220;Anyone who knows me knows that protecting animals is one of my greatest passions. My mother, Nancy, and I have spent years advocating for animals through the Jason Heigl Foundation. As a society, we should all come together to protect the voiceless and the innocent. This should not be a polarizing issue.&#8221;
Heigl also directly responded to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVwdl3Dkbbw/?hl=en">Instagram comments</a> from people who couldn’t believe she’d dare to visit a Trump property for any reason.
After she posted &#8220;animals don&#8217;t vote,&#8221; one commenter complained, &#8220;No, but if they did they would have better judgement than you!&#8221;
Heigl responded, &#8220;Just curious…what do you do that really matters…do you think comments on an instagram post matter to animals who have had humans pour gasoline on them and set them on fire? Who have had humans vote conservative or liberal but have been left to starve and suffer? Seriously…I’m very curious what you truly think matters to the voiceless and innocent…actions or just instagram posturing?&#8221;
The commenter went on: &#8220;There are so many amazing rescues to align yourself with that aren’t hosting events there — and so many ways to get involved that aren’t putting on a dress and drinking cocktails masquerading as helping.&#8221; 
&#8220;How are you so sure about that…have you been to any?&#8221; Heigl replied. &#8220;Have you donated a significant part of your income to anything? Anything you claim to care so much about? Have you done anything more than comment on what someone else is doing or not doing to your standard? Just curious…&#8221;
Other celebrities attending included famed dog trainer Cesar Millan, Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host who now serves as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and the charity&#8217;s co-founder, Lara Trump, per <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/03/11/lara-trump-katherine-heigl-jeanine-pirro-big-dog-ranch-rescue-mar-a-lago/89098185007/">USA Today</a>.
Heigl has not been openly political in the past. When asked about the presidential election in 2008, she said, “I don’t do politics. It’s not my forum, man, you know? I get annoyed.”

Katherine Heigl

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Katherine Heigl Defends Herself For Attending Mar-a-Lago Charity Event

Celebrities

Donald Trump

Entertainment

Florida

Hollywood

Lara Trump

Mar-a-Lago

U.S.

The internet has united in disgust against a new music video released by AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood, which has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-actors-union-slams-ai-synthetic-performer-pitched-as-the-next-scarlett-johansson">advertised as</a> “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”
The song “Take the Lead” is inspired by a recently published <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/ai-actor-tilly-norwood-song-music-take-the-lead-1236526080/">essay</a> written by Eline van der Velden, the creator of Norwood and CEO of production company Particle6 and AI talent studio Xicoia. The exec said it was all done in response to the backlash from Norwood’s debut last year.
The music video, released on Tuesday, begins with a disclaimer saying: “The following production was made by 18 real humans — from production designers to costume designers to prompters, editors, and an actor. No flamingos were harmed in the process.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Tilly Norwood | Take The Lead (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G7V2Biy3omw?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>
“When they talk about me, they don’t see the human spark, the creativity/ I’m just a tool, but I’ve got life,” the lyrics say in part. “They think I’m just a dollar dream but I’ve got more than they believe/ I’m not a puppet, I’m the star.”
“Be the creators we’ve always known/ It’s the next evolution, can&#8217;t you see?/ AI’s not the enemy, it’s the key,” another line says. 
The song also insists that the Norwood character possesses human qualities. 
“They say it’s not real, that it’s fake/ But I am still human, make no mistake/ My soul’s in every move I take/ And you can own the path you make,” the song lyrics read.
These assertions and the over-the-top nature of the music video have led to a slew of mockery.
“It took only 18 humans to achieve this level of soullessness? Imagine what 19 could have done!” one commenter wrote.
“This is the most offensive thing I&#8217;ve seen in a long, long time. And that&#8217;s really saying something,” a second person agreed.
“I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself,” echoed a third.
“Tilly is, and has always been, a vehicle to test the creative capabilities and boundaries of AI — not take anyone’s job,” van der Velden <a href="https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/tilly-norwood-creator-tells-actors-to-create-ai-avatars-1236638940/">wrote</a> in defense of the created character.
“As an actor myself, I have loved bringing Tilly alive for this video and feel that the ability to now use performance capture in this way, to fully inhabit an AI character, is a phenomenal way to bring an unknown actor like me closer to the craft.” 
She added, “However, at the end of the day, even with brilliant new technology, it’s still important to stress that great AI content isn’t instant — it always takes good ideas, taste, direction, judgment and time. In other words: people remain at the heart of it.”
The Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/ai-actor-tilly-norwood-song-music-take-the-lead-1236526080/">noted</a> that this music video is part of the launch of a “Tilly-verse,” where Norwood and other AI characters can “live, interact, and work.” 
Many prominent stars have come out against the creation of Tilly Norwood, including the media labor union SAG-AFTRA.
“It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience,&#8221; the organization wrote in a statement last fall. &#8220;It doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”

Tilly Norwood

Music Video For AI-Generated ‘Actress’ Tilly Norwood Gets Absolutely Wrecked

Artificial Intelligence

Music

Technology

Actress Rachel Zegler is still whining about how her leading role in a Disney live-action adaptation was a massive flop, and predictably, is blaming all the supposed racists out there for her failure.
The 24-year-old actress <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/a70479146/rachel-zegler/">told</a> Harper’s Bazaar about the backlash she received in 2021 after it was announced that she would play the lead “Snow White,” calling the whole ordeal “really confusing.”
 “I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for ‘West Side Story’ and too much of another for ‘Snow White,’” Zegler told the outlet, referencing pushback she received for being cast as Maria in “West Side Story” because her father is white.
“I grew up proud of being Colombian,” she went on. “Eating the food, wearing the dresses, drinking the coffee, doing all the things that were so intrinsic to who I was as a kid and who I am as an adult — but I do think there’s an argument to be made that, in the public eye at least, when you’re two things, you’re simultaneously nothing. But I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.”
Social media users pointed out how the main complaint with Zegler wasn’t about her ethnicity, but her attitude. The actress went viral for saying she hated the source material for “Snow White” and also for posting divisive political opinions online.
Zegler made several inflammatory statements, including saying she hoped Trump supporters “never know peace.” 
The actress also took heat for <a href="https://x.com/rachelzegler/status/1823146134769893534?lang=en">posting</a> on X in 2024, “and always remember, free palestine.”
Beyond posting political commentary, she also mocked the source material for the movie she was starring in, calling Prince Charming a “stalker” and saying the new version of “Snow White” wouldn’t resemble the original.
“We have a different approach to, what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story,” Zegler said in part. “[Snow White is] not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love,” she continued. “She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”
Zegler told Harper’s Bazaar that the consequences of her actions were “a complete study in intent versus impact.”
“I’ve said what I feel, and that will always be a testament to my core beliefs as a human. That’s where I stand,” she told the outlet. “You live and you learn, and there’s a caution that comes with that. There’s an understanding that the temptation to speak doesn’t always mean that it must be done, and that there are a lot of opportunities to make more meaningful change than a tweet.”
“Snow White” made just over $206 million worldwide, meaning it did not recoup its massive production budget. It has a 39% critics’ score and 69% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 
The film is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disneys-snow-white-nominated-for-6-razzies-including-worst-of-2026">nominated for</a> six Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), a film competition that awards the worst of the worst. We will soon find out if it takes home Worst Picture on March 14.

Rachel Zegler

Rachel Zegler Is Still Whining About ‘Snow White’ Backlash

Rachel Zegler Still Whining About Backlash To 'Snow White' Casting Announcement 5 Years Ago

Movies

Snow White

Former “Full House” actress Candace Cameron Bure said she and her husband, former professional hockey player Valeri Bure, once inadvertently attended a creepy underground Hollywood sex party.
The 49-year-old made the confession on Tuesday’s episode of her eponymous podcast while talking about “weird and embarrassing” moments.
“I went to a party once with Val ‘cause we were married. And it ended up being this underground party that was an S&amp;M sex thing that was so dark and demonic,&#8221; Bure told her guest, Madi Prewett of “The Bachelor” fame. &#8220;We walked in, and my eyeballs were popping out of my head because I saw stuff I&#8217;ve never seen before in my life.”  
“I’m looking at Val, going like, ‘How are we here? What is happening?’” Bure continued. “We made a hard U-turn and walked right out of there. It just was so slimy and weird.&#8221; 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="You Become Who You Surround Yourself With" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oEomteHrm-4?start=813&#038;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>
She recalled discussing the awkward situation with her husband afterward.
&#8220;I was like, &#8216;We&#8217;re going to pause before we ever say yes to going out with that friend again,&#8217;” she said. “We just had no idea what we were walking into, and it was so disgusting and gross.&#8221;
The title of the podcast episode is “You Become Who You Surround Yourself With.” During the conversation, Bure and Prewett discuss in depth the friends who drew them both closer to God and those who led them astray.
Candace and her husband have been married since 1996 and share three grown children: Natasha, 27, Lev, 26, and Maks, 24.
Bure has been outspoken about her faith and conservative values for years. In 2022, she faced backlash and was accused of “bigotry” and of “selling out” after she voiced her opinion about traditional marriage.
Last year, the actress said celebrities are less likely now to face backlash for publicly professing their faith.
“I feel like people are just a little less afraid of being canceled now that they can share their faith openly or whatever their opinions are [even] if they’re not congruent with some other people’s opinions,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/candace-cameron-bure-says-people-are-less-worried-about-being-canceled-if-they-share-their-faith?author=Katie+Jerkovich&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Candace+Cameron+Bure+Says+People+Are+Less+Worried+About+Being+Canceled+If+They+Share+Their+Faith">said</a> at the time.

Candace Cameron Bure

Candace Cameron Bure Accidentally Attended ‘Dark And Demonic’ Hollywood Sex Party

Spend five minutes on social media and you might think the conservative movement is falling apart.
Republicans are arguing about a lot these days, from foreign policy to strategy for the next election.
Healthy debate is part of politics. But while those arguments dominate the headlines, something far more significant is happening quietly in the background.
Conservatives are starting to win the culture war again.
And the recent collapse of the proposed <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/warner-bros-signs-110-billion-deal-with-paramount-ends-bidding-war-with-netflix-2026-02-27/">Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery deal</a> is a perfect example.
Netflix <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/netflix-taps-bank-explore-bid-warner-bros-discovery-2025-10-30/">sought</a> to absorb the company, which would have created an even larger streaming giant with massive influence over what Americans watch and, increasingly, what messages they are expected to absorb.
Hollywood and the streaming industry no longer just produce entertainment. They shape culture. They shape narratives. And for years, many of these institutions have leaned heavily into progressive activism and the kind of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-ceo-asked-if-company-is-too-woke-says-it-will-cater-audience-2022-10-26/">“woke” messaging</a> that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/01/24/u-s-media-polarization-and-the-2020-election-a-nation-divided/">alienates</a> millions of Americans who simply want to enjoy a movie or television show without being lectured.
Then the political pressure began.
President Trump publicly opposed the merger. Conservative voices <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/03/senate-netflix-warner-bros-discovery-merger">raised concerns</a> about media consolidation and about expanding the power of cultural institutions that already lean heavily to the Left.
Suddenly, what looked like a routine corporate deal became something else entirely — a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-says-he-will-stay-out-netflix-paramount-fight-over-warner-bros-2026-02-05">cultural flashpoint.</a>
And in late February, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/warner-bros-signs-110-billion-deal-with-paramount-ends-bidding-war-with-netflix-2026-02-27/">the deal collapsed.</a>
Even more interesting is what happened next. Paramount, another bidder — backed by Larry Ellison, one of the most outspoken <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/business/factbox-oracle-chairman-larry-ellisons-history-of-support-for-trump-idUSKBN2652RV/">pro-Trump voices</a> in American business — stepped forward.
That’s not just a business development. It’s a signal.
For years, conservatives were told the culture war was unwinnable. Hollywood was too powerful. Silicon Valley was too dominant. Corporate America had permanently aligned itself with <a href="https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/corporate-america-is-caught-dei-ratchet-2025-02-21/">progressive politics</a>.
The message from the Left was simple: accept it.
But over the past few years, conservatives discovered something important: pressure works.
Bud Light learned that lesson the hard way. A <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-anheuser-busch-inbev-earnings-46b6412f84b5e8884caea941fc069d2f">tone-deaf marketing campaign</a> sparked one of the most successful consumer boycotts in modern American history. Billions in market value evaporated and one of the country’s most recognizable brands suffered lasting damage.
Cracker Barrel experienced <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cracker-barrel-logo-trump-8b496da282deef3d8d0618c3f9f4db46">similar backlash</a> when customers pushed back against progressive messaging that had little to do with serving breakfast.
Now Netflix is feeling that same pressure.
For years, corporate executives believed they could align openly with progressive activism without facing real consequences. Diversity bureaucracies <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/factbox-us-companies-drop-diversity-policies-after-trumps-order-2025-02-27">expanded</a>. Political messaging crept into advertising campaigns, entertainment content, as well as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-investors-reject-proposal-withdraw-hrcs-diversity-index-2025-03-20/">corporate statements</a>.
The assumption was that conservatives might complain, but they would keep buying the product.
That assumption is no longer safe.
Businesses respond to incentives. They always have.
When conservative consumers stay quiet, companies drift Left. When conservative consumers push back, companies suddenly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/bud-light-loses-top-us-beer-spot-after-mulvaney-ad-boycott-2023-06-14/">start reconsidering their strategy</a>.
The Biden years showed what happens when one side dominates the cultural conversation. Progressive activists shaped corporate messaging. DEI programs spread rapidly across major institutions. Hollywood and streaming companies increasingly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-noise-culture-wars-analyst-2023-09-20/">reflected the worldview of a narrow ideological class</a> in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.
How many culture-war victories did conservatives get during those years? Not many.
But elections change incentives. President Trump’s election sent a clear signal: the cultural dominance of the Left was no longer inevitable.
Corporate leaders began to realize that tens of millions of Americans were no longer willing to be dismissed or mocked by the cultural institutions that dominate entertainment and media.
Does this mean conservatives suddenly control Hollywood? Of course not. The entertainment industry will remain overwhelmingly liberal for the foreseeable future.
But the dynamic has changed.
For the first time in a long time, the cultural institutions that shape American entertainment are being <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-noise-culture-wars-analyst-2023-09-20/">forced to recognize</a> that half the country will no longer sit quietly while those institutions push politics into every corner of popular culture.
That recognition alone represents a major shift.
Conservatives win when they stay engaged. When they vote. When they speak up. And when they refuse to accept the idea that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/01/24/u-s-media-polarization-and-the-2020-election-a-nation-divided/">cultural power belongs exclusively to elites in Hollywood</a>, Manhattan, and Silicon Valley.
The culture war isn’t decided in one election or one corporate deal. It’s a long struggle over the values that shape American life.
But corporate America is beginning to understand something it ignored for years: pressure works.
Bud Light <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-anheuser-busch-inbev-earnings-46b6412f84b5e8884caea941fc069d2f">learned it.</a> Cracker Barrel <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cracker-barrel-logo-trump-8b496da282deef3d8d0618c3f9f4db46">learned it.</a> And now Netflix is learning it too.
* * *
Jason Chaffetz served as a member of the U.S. Congress from 2009 to 2017. He chaired the House Oversight Committee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Elon Musk Urges X Followers To Cancel Netflix Subscriptions Over Controversial Animated Show

The Lesson Corporate America Keeps Learning The Hard Way

Business

Conservatives

Corporations

Leftists

Netflix

Paramount

Warner Bros

Woke Culture

In order to understand why opera and ballet fans are so mad at actor Timothée Chalamet, you’ll need to go back to a February 24 town hall interview he did with Matthew McConaughey for Variety and CNN.
At the time, the 30-year-old “Marty Supreme” star disparaged the two art forms, claiming they were outdated and irrelevant.
&#8220;I admire people, and I&#8217;ve done it myself, who go on a talk show and go, &#8216;Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. You know, we gotta keep this genre alive,'&#8221; Chalamet said at the time. &#8220;And another part of me feels like, if people want to see it, like &#8216;Barbie,&#8217; like &#8216;Oppenheimer,&#8217; they&#8217;re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it.&#8221;
&#8220;I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore,’&#8221; the actor went on. &#8220;All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost fourteen cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Timothée Chalamet &amp; Matthew McConaughey | Variety &amp; CNN Town Hall - Full Conversation" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/424w9fJRgYk?start=2998&#038;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>
This led to Chalamet being slammed by the opera and ballet community. There are even debates over whether the actor reduced his likelihood of winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in less than a week, with betting markets reducing Chalamet’s odds for taking home a golden statue after predicting him as a likely winner for months.
Many have pointed out that it’s only his reputation that risks being ruined, because the Oscars ballots were submitted long before the clip went public.
Chalamet’s comments went viral on social media and got some big reactions. The Metropolitan Opera posted a video showing all the work that goes into productions and added the caption, &#8220;All respect to the opera (and ballet) people out there…This one’s for you, @tchalamet.&#8221;
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LA Opera posted an update to say they were considering giving the actor free tickets, but decided not to because “it’s selling out.&#8221; The caption added, “There are a few seats left to purchase if you hurry.” The U.K.’s Royal Ballet and Opera also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVi9Gf5DLKq/">stressed</a> how popular their shows were and invited Chalamet to come check out the “sheer magic” of a live performance.
Seattle Opera offered 14% off tickets to “Carmen” for patrons using the promo code TIMOTHEE. &#8220;Timmy, you&#8217;re welcome to use it too,&#8221; they said.
And it wasn’t just ballet companies getting in on the mockery. On a recent episode of “Jeopardy!” a category featuring ballet and opera was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVrf5Pcj2ER/?hl=en">shared</a> in Instagram reels alongside the caption, &#8220;NOBODY @ HIM 👀 #timotheechalamet.”
The ladies of “The View” also weren’t happy with Chalamet. Panelist Sunny Hostin said she was “offended” and “disappointed” by his comments, while moderator Whoopi Goldberg had a rant of her own.
“You come from a dance family. And so, when you crap on somebody else’s art form, it doesn’t feel good,” Goldberg <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X2royZId0A">said</a>. “It doesn’t feel good to see, and you probably didn’t realize that until you said, ‘Oh, I’m in trouble.’ But then you compounded it, and said &#8217;14 cents.&#8217; No, when people get mad, it’ll be a lot more than 14 cents. So be careful. I’m just saying, be careful, boy.”
“And really, don’t apologize when you’ve insulted, because it doesn’t sound right. You can’t say, ‘Oh, this is dumb and no disrespect for’ — that’s absolute disrespect!” she went on.
Chalamet missed becoming the youngest ever Best Actor winner at last year’s Oscars for his role in “A Complete Unknown.” He took home his first ever Golden Globe earlier this year for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in &#8220;Marty Supreme.&#8221;

Timothee Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet Still Getting Slammed For Saying Ballet And Opera Are Dead

I still remember one of the last times America shared a laugh. 
It was a silly blunder that occurred on &#8220;Saturday Night Live,&#8221; involving an unfortunate rising pop-star named Ashlee Simpson. By now, you might already recall the story. While performing her hit single “Pieces of Me,” poor Ashlee flubbed her lip-syncing, stopped performing, looked around awkwardly, and began dancing the hoedown to her own vocal track. Fade to commercials. Oof.
Today, such a story might be mentioned on a few entertainment sites or be shared on a few neatly curated social feeds, but this was 2004. Netflix was still a DVD mailing service. Our entertainment options were limited. &#8220;SNL&#8221; was still funny. And everyone saw it.
The following Monday, school was buzzing with talk of Simpson’s slip-up. Millions of little conversations and shared laughs. Millions of little human connections. Thanks, Ashlee! And sorry for your luck.
The very next year, YouTube went live for the first time. Two years later, Netflix began streaming. Then, the iPhone hit store shelves, and we all know the rest. America’s shared culture shattered into millions of algorithmically tailored little pieces. The communal experience of an entire nation curled up on the couch to watch Leno or Letterman turned into 300 million Americans scrolling endlessly through mini-cultures personalized just for them. At the time, we had no idea what we had lost.
We have a better idea now. And we’re all on the verge of killing each other.
The final nail in the coffin came when late-night institutions gave up on trying to entertain the “deplorable” half of the country. CBS replaced Letterman with an angry, bitter, partisan hack named Stephen Colbert. &#8220;SNL’s&#8221; Farley, Sandler, and Farrell gave way to Kate McKinnon performing somber eulogies to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. And on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, you’re just as likely to see a washed-up Biden Administration cabinet member as you are a glamorous movie star.
Now, all the jokes are strained variations of “F*ck Trump.” Get it? No?
As it turns out, even most leftists hate this dreck. Late-Night ratings are at record lows, with critics now calling the medium antiquated and dead.
But is it, really? Is it possible to go back? The hunger we all feel for the days of shared experiences is undeniable. It’s one of the most fundamental human needs, and, as a great man once said, “Life finds a way.”
We’re seeing this now among younger generations who grew up in our atomized culture. Kids are looking for something — anything — that can connect them with others. The manifestations are as banal as can be. Last summer, “The Minecraft Movie,” something most humans objectively agree is a pile of steaming hot garbage, made almost a billion dollars because the practice of watching a crap movie with friends while erupting into applause every time Jack Black’s character said “chicken jockey” became a meme.
But it gets even sillier than that. Over the last year, GenZ and GenAlpha have united around the shared experience of saying “6-7.” That’s it. That’s the whole meme. You say “6-7” and everyone laughs at a meaningless little gesture that feels more meaningful because we all share it.
The hunger for nationwide shared experiences is clearly there.
The Babylon Bee rose to prominence by serving up jokes that half the country embraced and the other half ignored — or actively scorned. It’s a fun gig, but it’s always mingled with melancholic memories of better days, when Americans could all laugh at a joke together.
The question is, can we ever have something like that again?
I think we can, but it won’t be easy. Entertainers on both sides will have to find love and respect in their hearts for the half of the country they disagree with. Comedians need to see themselves as service providers again, and their audience as customers deserving of human dignity. They’ll have to leave the preaching to others.
Comedy is noble work, and the only people truly up to the task are those willing to check their pride and self-importance at the door. John Cleese, in a Babylon Bee interview, called on comedians to discover “pointless silliness” again. Sage advice for a media landscape dominated by sneering, meta-irony, narcissism, and disdain.
But in a nation so divided, can we even still laugh at the same things anymore? Are we too different? If you want an answer to that question, find a friend of a different political persuasion and invite him or her to watch Monty Python’s “The Fish Slapping Dance” on YouTube together. Good luck not giggling at that.
Can we save late-night? I think it’s worth a shot, but there’s only one way to find out.
Maybe we can have a shared laugh again, if only to keep us from killing each other.
* * *
Joel Berry is the managing editor of The Babylon Bee, a Marine Corps veteran, and the author of &#8220;The Postmodern Pilgrim&#8217;s Progress.&#8221; Follow him on X: @JoelWBerry
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Saturday Night Live

Ashlee Simpson, Monty Python, And The Last Time America Laughed Together

Babylon Bee

Comedy

Opinion

The Tonight Show

A man accused of murder is now the subject of a musical and the crowds can’t wait.
“Luigi: The Musical,” will debut in New York City this June, just blocks from the scene of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder. The show, first staged in San Francisco, transforms suspected assassin Luigi Mangione into a comic antihero. The New York premiere has sold out. Late-night audiences have cheered at the mention of his name.
Not long ago, political violence — even fictionalized — sparked bipartisan outrage. Today, it sells tickets. And the speed of that shift says more about us than it does about one off-Broadway production.
<div id="attachment_1055155" style="width: 471px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055155" class="size-large wp-image-1055155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-461x576.jpg" alt="Source: thegreenroom42/Instagram" width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-461x576.jpg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-240x300.jpg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-768x960.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC.jpg 1080w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" />Source: thegreenroom42/Instagram</div>
Pop culture has a way of giving us an eerie snapshot into America’s moral decline.
We could point to Bad Bunny’s over-sexualized Super Bowl halftime show, new media attempts to trans the kids, or Brittany’s new DUI. But also consider the outrage over the 2006 film “Death of a President,” the faux documentary featuring President George W. Bush’s assassination. The film released just as far-Left protesters labeled the president “Hitler” over his War on Terror tactics. The project even drew bipartisan fury from former First Lady Hillary Clinton, who dubbed the film “<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061023003633/http:/www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060916%2FUPDATE%2F609160394">despicable</a>.”
More than a decade later, the culture recoiled over an image of comedian Kathy Griffin holding the bloody head of President Donald Trump. Griffin’s comedy career collapsed overnight, and only in recent years has she returned to the quasi-mainstream. Griffin apologized, but quickly reversed course. Today, no such apology would be required.
Those moments, however, seem almost quaint compared to “Luigi: The Musical.”
The comedy enjoyed brisk sales during its short San Francisco debut last year. The show features Mangione sharing a jail cell with Sean “Diddy” Combs and crypto crook Sam Bankman-Fried.
<div id="attachment_1055173" style="width: 816px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055173" class="size-large wp-image-1055173" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-806x576.jpg" alt="Source: Playbillhttps://playbill.com/article/luigi-mangioni-musical-to-get-nyc-reading" width="806" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-806x576.jpg 806w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-768x549.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage.jpg 970w" sizes=" (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px" />Source: Playbill</div>
The production will hit New York City’s Green Room 42 on June 15, 2026. That’s a short subway ride from the scene of Thompson’s cold-blooded murder.
Media reports have depicted “Luigi” in conflicting fashion. Some suggest the show doesn’t glamorize the alleged murderer. Others hint at the opposite, while crowds have been cheering his presence at various shows, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/luigi-mangione-musical-set-to-premiere-on-nyc-stage/">according to The New York Post.</a>
Is it merely dark humor rushing to the surface? Or something more sinister squeezing into our conversations?
The minds behind the musical insist <a href="https://playbill.com/article/luigi-mangioni-musical-to-get-nyc-reading">they’re not advocating violence</a>.
&#8220;Luigi: the Musical uses comedy to bring deeper questions to the surface. Why did this case garner the reaction that it did? And what happens when people stop trusting their institutions?&#8221; Luigi director Nova Bradford said in a statement.
Yet even this kind of cringe theater shouldn’t come as a shock. Nor should the fact that the show <a href="https://www.nysun.com/article/luigi-mangione-musical-sells-out-its-new-york-performance-and-adds-extra-dates">swiftly sold out</a> and added additional dates for its Big Apple debut.
Shortly after the murder, the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” shared how some of his young female staffers had developed a crush on the alleged murderer and his washboard abs. Kimmel flashed screenshots of his <a href="https://www.tvinsider.com/1166115/jimmy-kimmel-luigi-mangione-hot-kiiller-monologue-video/">employees fan-girling over the suspect,</a> 
<blockquote>“People are saying a NY jury has the power to find him innocent, bc we all love him,”
“I’m not mad at him.”</blockquote>
Kimmel and the audience chortled over the revelations, although the host wisely blocked the names of the staffers in question. It still speaks volumes about the show and its fan base.
<div id="attachment_978781" style="width: 858px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978781" class="size-large wp-image-978781" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-848x576.jpg" alt="Jimmy Kimmel" width="848" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-848x576.jpg 848w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-768x522.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" />Randy Holmes via Getty Images</div>
This wasn’t a “Gutfeld!” audience.
And it wasn’t the only comedy showcase lining up on Mangione’s side. “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart informed his far-Left audience that the alleged killer had been collared by the cops.
The response? The “boos” <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/the-daily-show-unitedhealthcare-shooter-boos-jon-stewart/">rained down</a> on a clearly baffled Stewart. “Look, I’m sorry, guys,” Stewart stammered.
A similarly strange moment came courtesy of “Saturday Night Live.” The NBC show’s ‘Weekend Update’ segment found co-faux anchor Colin Jost dropping Mangione’s name. The comic had to pause the bit to be heard. His audience began clapping and shouting with excitement.
Jost, as stunned as Stewart, blurted out, “Yeah, definitely ‘woo … You’re ‘wooing’ for justice, right?&#8221;
Not even close. And it’s not an accident, either.
<div id="attachment_1055183" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055183" class="size-large wp-image-1055183" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Jon Stewart attends Comedy Central's &quot;The Daily Show&quot; FYC Event at Linwood Dunn Theater on June 07, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Comedy Central)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Comedy Central</div>
Late-night comedians have leaned into anger and violence for some time now, fueling our culture’s decay. Hosts like Seth Meyers and John Oliver <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/john-oliver-media-portland-violence/">downplayed</a> the violence raging in Portland, Oregon, during the George Floyd riots of 2020. Stephen Colbert uttered a sexually coarse <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaHwlSTqA7s">gag aimed</a> at President Donald Trump during the Russian collusion hoax, but he never suffered for the outburst.
More recently, late-night comics chuckled over progressive activists attacking Tesla dealerships to protest owner Elon Musk’s White House maneuvers vis-à-vis DOGE.
Kimmel sarcastically told his crowd to stop the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/19/opinion/democrats-silence-is-damning-as-leftist-violence-explodes/">Tesla-based</a> attacks.
<div id="attachment_1055185" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055185" class="size-large wp-image-1055185" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-384x576.jpg" alt="Source: https://luigithemusical.info" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor.jpg 1280w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Source: https://luigithemusical.info</div>
Comedy remains subjective. Even the darkest subjects can make us howl or defang hate or bigotry. Just ask Mel “Springtime for Hitler” Brooks.
Consider “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7eoZt-bUSI&amp;t=152s">Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11</a>,” a sobering documentary about stand-ups who told jokes tied to the terrorist attack mere days after it happened. Comedy can help us process pain and adjust to startling new realities, or it can showcase just how far we’ve fallen as a society.
Context is everything. And it helps to remember an old saw: “Comedy is tragedy plus time.”
Mangione has yet to face a jury of his peers.
Watching patrons gleefully cheer on an alleged murderer is something radically different and frightening. The New York City debut of “Luigi: The Musical” will <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/luigi-mangione-musical-new-york-city-summer/">capture the zeitgeist, no doubt</a>.
Mangione’s real-life New York state trial is slated to begin on June 8, 2026, while his federal trial will have to wait until September.
* * *
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.

Luigi II

Brace Yourselves: ‘Luigi: The Musical’

Brace Yourselves: 'Luigi: The Musical'

Broadway

Luigi Mangione

Murder

New York City

San Francisco

Theater

UnitedHealthcare

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos gave his first interview since the company pulled out of their deal to acquire Warner Bros., saying contrary to the rumors, it wasn’t President Trump’s influence that killed the merger.
The entertainment exec called the competing offer from Paramount “irrational” and claimed he had no regrets about how it all played out. Sarandos said it came down to having a set price amount they weren’t willing to go beyond and being outbid by David Ellison’s rival offer.
“We had a very tight range that we’d be willing to pay and made that offer back when we closed this deal,” Sarandos told Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg in an <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-27/how-netflix-forced-paramount-to-cough-up-more-for-warner-bros?cmpid=screentime&amp;utm_campaign=screentime&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_term=260301&amp;embedded-checkout=true">interview</a> published Saturday. “I’m happy where we got in and happy where we got out.”
Rumors swirled that the Department of Justice may have influenced the breakdown, or that Trump himself may have had sway. But Sarandos said those narratives are false.
“I don’t know that there was growing political resistance,” the Netflix exec said. “It was a growing narrative of political resistance. But we were on a normal regulatory path. … This story has been fed out for everybody, but it’s just not accurate. We were not only involved with the DOJ, we were involved with 50 regulatory bodies around the world. These things have been going exactly the way they should.”
Sarandos told Shaw that Trump “stayed completely neutral on this.”
“The truth of it is, someone was going to lose it for a dollar,” Sarandos said of the deal. “And the quicker you accepted that, the better.”
Shaw described Paramount as being an “unusual other buyer,” which Sarandos agreed with.
“Unusual, yeah, unusual, irrational, whatever words you want to use in that,” he replied. “It’ll be fascinating to see the next steps. I have been on the record a lot in the last two weeks talking about what I think the future looks like. I’m confident in our future that we’re not impacted by all that. In fact, maybe it’s to our advantage. But I hope I’m wrong for the sake of the industry.”
Warner Bros. agreed in December to an $82.7 billion deal with Netflix. Paramount responded with several hostile takeover bids over the following months, culminating in a surprise twist as the streaming giant bowed out in February.
“&#8230;this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” Sarandos and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in a statement at the time, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netflix-backs-down-in-fight-for-warner-bros-leaving-paramount-inches-from-victory">reported</a>.

Ted Sarandos

Netflix CEO Sets Record Straight On Trump Rumors After Warner Bros. Deal Fizzles

Tragedy struck the world of comedy again this week.
Katherine Short, the 41-year-old daughter of legendary funnyman Martin Short, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/martin-shorts-daughter-katherine-dies-at-42?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Martin+Short%E2%80%99s+Daughter+Katherine+Dies+At+42">passed away</a> on Feb. 23. Her passing came only weeks after comedienne Catherine O’Hara’s death at 71.
Short and O’Hara have been making us laugh for decades without so much as an interruption. O’Hara’s turn as Moira Rose on “Schitt’s Creek” capped a career that included memorable turns in “Home Alone,” “Beetlejuice” and other comedy classics.
Short’s comedy resume is among the longest and the best in the business.
And both got their start on &#8220;Second City Television&#8221; or “SCTV,” a show that has been perpetually overshadowed by a glossier American sketch comedy series. Yet, decades later, “SCTV’s” legacy is only getting bigger while “Saturday Night Live’s” continues to contract.
<div id="attachment_1051159" style="width: 430px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1051159" class="size-large wp-image-1051159" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-asdfas-420x576.jpg" alt="Second City Entertainment. SCTV. IMDB." width="420" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-asdfas-420x576.jpg 420w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-asdfas-219x300.jpg 219w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-asdfas.jpg 700w" sizes=" (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px" />Second City Entertainment. SCTV. IMDB.</div>
Short and O’Hara cut their comedy teeth as members of “SCTV,” a sketch comedy troupe that delivered laughs from north of the border. The show aired stateside starting in the late 1970s, but it never quite gained the cultural traction “SNL” enjoyed.
The latter gave us superstars like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, and Will Ferrell but those comedy titans came from endless cast iterations. For every standout like Dana Carvey or Bill Hader there were dozens whose “SNL” time turned into brief highlight reels.
That wasn’t the case with “SCTV,” which ran from 1976 to 1984. The show’s small, fairly consistent cast featured talent after talent, and their post-show work shined as brightly as the best “SNL” alums.
Maybe even brighter.
<div id="attachment_1051127" style="width: 402px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1051127" class="size-large wp-image-1051127" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-cast-1980s-392x576.jpg" alt="SCTV. IMDB." width="392" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-cast-1980s-392x576.jpg 392w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-cast-1980s-204x300.jpg 204w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/SCTV-cast-1980s.jpg 680w" sizes=" (max-width: 392px) 100vw, 392px" />SCTV. IMDB.</div>
The show’s cast came from Toronto’s edition of Second City, an improv group made famous for sparking NBC’s “SNL” series in 1975 (along with National Lampoon’s media empire). The Canadian series was built around a fictional TV studio, allowing for recurring comic characters and wacky sketches.
It’s where Short perfected his Ed Grimley character – later seen on “SNL.” (Short graced both sketch comedy institutions, but “SNL” for only a single season (1984-85). Co-star Eugene Levy’s Bobby Bittman character exuded oily ‘70s smarm, while Joe Flaherty’s Count Floyd sent up horror movie hosts to perfection.
Those characters endure, but so do the performers’ post-show resumes.
Last year’s “I Like Me” documentary captured the short, remarkable life of “SCTV” alum John Candy. The husky comic died at 43, but not before leaving us with one indelible turn after another. He swiped scenes in “Home Alone,” “Vacation” and “Splash” while anchoring raucous comedies, including “Uncle Buck,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “Summer Rental.”
<div id="attachment_1051147" style="width: 1016px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1051147" class="size-large wp-image-1051147" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/candy-john-1006x576.jpg" alt="Second City Entertainment. SCTV. IMDB." width="1006" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/candy-john-1006x576.jpg 1006w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/candy-john-300x172.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/candy-john-768x440.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/candy-john.jpg 1221w" sizes=" (max-width: 1006px) 100vw, 1006px" />20th Century Fox. Hughes Entertainment. &#8220;Home Alone&#8221;</div>
Lovable with a pinch of sadness beneath his grin, Candy’s persona enhanced a crush of comedies before his 1994 death. “I Like Me” nailed both his comic gifts and ability to connect with audiences in ways many comedians never could.
O’Hara’s comedy career ended with her most recent role in Apple TV+’s “The Studio,” the latest example of her versatility. And she didn’t need a script to make us howl. Recall her improv chops in four Christopher Guest “mockumentaries” – “For Your Consideration,” “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind.”
Short’s film career wavered after a series of under-achieving comedies like “Three Amigos,” “Innerspace” and “Clifford,” but he never stopped working. Most recently, he’s anchored Hulu’s comedy series “Only Murders in the Building” alongside Steve Martin and Selena Gomez.
<div id="attachment_1051167" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1051167" class="size-large wp-image-1051167" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short-864x576.jpg" alt="Photo by Courtesy of Hulu. Copyright Hulu.Only Murders in the Building, Nail in the Coffin Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Only-Murders-martin-short.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by Courtesy of Hulu.</div>
One “SCTV” alum’s career stalled, but only due to a deeply personal choice. Rick Moranis, so memorably in films like “Spaceballs,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Ghostbusters,” stepped away from Hollywood following the death of his wife in 1991.
He tried to be both a working actor and single parent, but he realized he couldn’t do both without sacrificing key parts of the latter. So he left the business on his terms. Decades later, his return as Dark Helmut in the “Spaceballs” sequel, due in 2027, is one of the film’s biggest selling points.
Moranis’ on-screen hoser/partner, Dave Thomas, never matched Moranis’ early fame. He still worked steadily over the years, bouncing from sitcom roles to writing gigs on shows like Fox’s “Bones.”
<div id="attachment_1051149" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1051149" class="size-large wp-image-1051149" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/sctv-great-white-north-1024x512.jpg" alt="Second City Entertainment. SCTV. IMDB." width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/sctv-great-white-north-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/sctv-great-white-north-300x150.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/sctv-great-white-north-768x384.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/sctv-great-white-north-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/sctv-great-white-north.jpg 2002w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Second City Entertainment. SCTV. IMDB.</div>
And the pair reunited for 1983’s “Strange Brew,” bringing their Bob and Doug characters to the big screen alongside Max Von Sydow. The film wasn’t a smash, but it swiftly became a cult classic. And deservedly so.
Some “SCTV” alums shined even brighter behind the camera. Yes, Harold Ramis was one of the four core “Ghostbusters,” but he’s better known for directing “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Caddyshack” and “Groundhog Day.”
That, plus a series of strong supporting roles (“Knocked Up,” “As Good As It Gets”) complemented his impressive post-“SCTV” life until his death in 2014.
“SCTV’s” Andrea Martin has enjoyed a blue-collar career following the show’s end, netting endless work, including a silly supporting role in the “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” franchise. She also found voice actor gigs and joined former “SCTV” chum Short on “Only Murders in the Building” since 2022.
<div id="attachment_1051145" style="width: 793px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1051145" class="size-large wp-image-1051145" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/cast-sctv-783x576.jpg" alt="Second City Entertainment. SCTV." width="783" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/cast-sctv-783x576.jpg 783w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/cast-sctv-300x221.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/cast-sctv-768x565.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/cast-sctv.jpg 1169w" sizes=" (max-width: 783px) 100vw, 783px" />Second City Entertainment. SCTV. IMDB.</div>
And while we lost O’Hara this year, her “Schitt’s Creek” husband, the amiable Levy, keeps making us smile. Levy’s exhaustive film and TV career includes key turns in the aforementioned mockumentaries and the “American Pie” franchise.
“SCTV” signed off for good in 1984, while “SNL” recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. That said, the latter keeps burning down its legacy with biased political gags and bland bits. The NBC show may still crank out a future star or two, but “SCTV’s” killer ratio of repertory players who made it big remains unmatched.
* * *
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.

SCTV cast II

Before ‘SNL’ Ruled Late Night, This Show Rewrote The Rules

Before 'SNL' Ruled Late Night, This Show Rewrote The Rules

actors

Canada

comedian

John Candy

Martin Short

Television

In a stunning twist in the months-long war between Netflix and Paramount over which company would purchase Warner Bros., the streaming giant has <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-backs-out-warners-deal-paramount-win-1236516763/">bowed out</a>.
After Warner Bros. released a statement on Thursday saying that the company’s board of directors viewed Paramount’s latest offer as a “<a href="https://ir.wbd.com/news-and-events/financial-news/financial-news-details/2026/Warner-Bros--Discovery-Board-of-Directors-Determines-Revised-Proposal-from-Paramount-Skydance-Constitutes-a-Company-Superior-Proposal/default.aspx">superior proposal</a>,” and that Netflix had four days to respond, the streamer backed out of the bidding war.
&#8220;Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a &#8216;Company Superior Proposal,'&#8221; Warner Bros. stated in their <a href="https://ir.wbd.com/news-and-events/financial-news/financial-news-details/2026/Warner-Bros--Discovery-Board-of-Directors-Determines-Revised-Proposal-from-Paramount-Skydance-Constitutes-a-Company-Superior-Proposal/default.aspx">press release</a>.
Netflix Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters responded in a <a href="https://ir.netflix.net/investor-news-and-events/financial-releases/press-release-details/2026/Netflix-Declines-to-Raise-Offer-for-Warner-Bros-/default.aspx">statement</a> of their own.
“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid,” Sarandos and Peters said.
The company heads added that they believe Netflix would have taken good care of the Warner Bros. IP (intellectual property) and “strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S.”
“But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” they concluded.
Paramount’s most recent bid raised the per-share price to $31, and featured a ticking fee, which would have paid shareholders if the deal took too long to come to fruition. Additionally, the company offered a $7 billion breakup fee, which would be paid if the deal were to fall through due to regulatory issues, and a nearly $3 billion fee that Warner Bros. owes Netflix as a result of their prior deal not materializing.
Netflix’s last offer was valued at $82.7 billion, and was aimed at purchasing Warner Bros.’ film and streaming divisions (HBO Max), as well as DC Comics. Paramount, on the other hand, would be purchasing all of Warner Bros. Discovery, including its linear and cable TV networks.
There has been much consternation in Hollywood, especially following the Disney-Fox acquisition, over the Warner Bros. bidding war, with many in the industry voicing concerns that further media consolidation would do irreparable damage to the movie and TV business, with lost jobs and fewer options for creatives.
Though neither company (Paramount or Netflix) were favored by those in the industry, Netflix was viewed with a particularly skeptical eye as some questioned the streaming giant’s commitment to the theatrical experience. Others view Paramount CEO David Ellison&#8217;s apparently close relationship with the Trump administration as a reason for pause.

There’s A Winner In The Netflix/Paramount Bidding War

Actor Jonathan Majors will return to the screen for the first time in four years, and it will be for an as-yet-unnamed Daily Wire production.
The 36-year-old star, best known for his roles in “Creed III” (2023) and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2023), will begin working on the project this week in South Carolina, per <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/02/jonathan-majors-movie-comeback-daily-wire-south-carolina-1236737180/">Deadline</a>. 
Not many details are immediately available about the movie beyond the fact that it’s an action film similar to 80s and 90s classics such as “Red Dawn” and “Toy Soldiers.” Kyle Rankin (“Run Hide Fight”) wrote the screenplay and will serve as director, while Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro and Dallas Sonnier of Bonfire Legend will be producing the project.
Travis Mills (“Frontier Crucible&#8221;), Lillian Campbell (“The Pendragon Cycle”), and Sydney Aucreman (“Terror On The Prairie”) will also serve as producers, the outlet noted.
TMZ founder Harvey Levin weighed in on the news, saying Majors was returning to movies after being &#8220;screwed&#8221; by Hollywood following a court case which resulted in the actor being found guilty of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment against his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, but being acquitted of other more serious charges.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jonathan Majors is back on a film set more than two years after his assault case. <a href="https://t.co/66s9VArdgF">pic.twitter.com/66s9VArdgF</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/2027115462463537383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The jury voted unanimously that it didn&#8217;t happen,&#8221; Levin said of the alleged assault in an Uber. The TMZ founder added that the Uber driver testified as well and suggested that Majors slightly pushed Jabbari into the vehicle but did not assault her in the car. &#8220;He won that case,&#8221; Levin added. &#8220;But Hollywood is so skittish that they basically banished him.&#8221;
&#8220;He&#8217;s back, and he&#8217;s a big star,&#8221; Levin said. &#8220;I gotta say, I always thought that Hollywood screwed him.&#8221;
The Daily Wire has made a notable push into entertainment through DailyWire+, releasing several feature films in various genres, including “Run Hide Fight” (2020), a thriller about a teenage girl who fights back against school shooters, which drew significant attention. 
The company also produced “Shut In” (2022), a survival thriller, and “Terror on the Prairie” (2022), a Western starring Gina Carano, who was fired from Disney’s “The Mandalorian” and ostracized from Hollywood after Lucasfilm objected to her social media posts. “Lady Ballers,” a sports comedy tackling men in women’s sports, was released in 2023.
There have also been several popular documentary films, including “What Is a Woman?” (2022), a documentary hosted by Matt Walsh that exposed the madness of left-wing gender theory. That was followed up with “Am I Racist?” (2024), another Matt Walsh documentary that dealt with affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
In 2026, “The Pendragon Cycle,” an adaptation of Stephen R. Lawhead&#8217;s beloved series of novels, was released on DailyWire+. This ambitious series was done with incredible scale and production value and has been getting tremendous buzz from viewers. “Pulp Fiction” screenwriter Roger Avary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pulp-fiction-writer-says-the-pendragon-cycle-left-him-completely-blown-away?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Pulp+Fiction%E2%80%99+Writer+Says+%E2%80%98The+Pendragon+Cycle%E2%80%99+Left+Him+%E2%80%98Completely+Blown+Away%E2%80%99">said</a> he was “completely blown away” during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast earlier this month. 
To access all DailyWire+ entertainment content, head to <a href="http://dailywire.com/subscribe">DailyWire.com/subscribe</a>.

Jonathan Majors

Jonathan Majors Returns To The Screen In Daily Wire Action Movie

DailyWire+

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