Bill Maher came down hard on the liberal joke writers for “Saturday Night Live” over a skit they did in February which portrayed Trump supporters as racist.
The political commentator discussed his thoughts on the newest episode of Club Random, which featured fitness star Jillian Michaels as a guest. He was reacting to a skit with Tom Hanks from the “SNL” episode which features Hanks as a MAGA hat-wearing racist who wouldn’t shake the hand of a black man.
“I hated it, too, and I said it on my show. I know. I hated it,” Maher said. “Wearing the MAGA hat, not shaking hands with a black person. And that’s when I thought, ‘You people don’t know MAGA people.’”
“I mean, they have their issues and I certainly have my issues with them … of course, there’s some racists everywhere who are that bad, but generally, all the MAGA people I know have no problem shaking hands with a black person. You’re just hysterical and you’re not helping,” the podcast host continued.
Maher insisted again that it’s a “lie that MAGA people won’t shake hands” with a black person. “I get it, it’s part of a skit and it’s an exaggeration and that’s comedy. It’s a little too delicate a subject to go there,” he said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jillian Michaels | Club Random" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JgTy2Q4Lyg0?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>
“They probably think it’s great,” he said of the “SNL” writers. “As a liberal, I don’t like it. Again, because lying offends me. I’m a comedian, when the premise isn’t real, I can’t go with it. The premise doesn’t ring true. It might have rang true X years ago. It doesn’t now.”
Viewers on social media expressed similar sentiments about the skit when it first aired in February, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-hanks-bashed-for-playing-racist-trump-supporter-on-snl">reported</a>.
“This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter. Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show,” one reaction said.
“For its 50 year anniversary special, SNL had Tom Hanks play a racist Trump supporter afraid to shake a black man’s hand. Fun fact: Trump’s 2024 election win was the LEAST racially divisive American election since 1964,” another person wrote.
“Hollywood still doesn’t get it: Portraying Trump supporters as racist caricatures while he’s winning record minority support. SNL’s trying 2016 jokes in 2025,” another person commented.

Bill Maher

Bill Maher Blasts Anti-MAGA ‘SNL’ Skit As ‘Hysterical’: ‘You’re Not Helping’

Bill Maher Blasts Anti-MAGA 'SNL' Skit As 'Hysterical': 'You're Not Helping'

Entertainment

MAGA

Saturday Night Live

Tom Hanks

U.S.

Country singer Morgan Wallen addressed the viral moment when he broke precedent and abruptly exited the stage of “Saturday Night Live” while the cast was still saying their goodbyes.
The 31-year-old celeb discussed the incident during an appearance on the podcast “Sundae Conversations with Caleb Pressley.”
“Could you fix a TV, if it was on SNL?” Pressley asked Wallen during a conversation about his handyman skills.
“I could change it for sure,” Wallen said with a chuckle.
“Seriously, SNL, did they make you mad?” the host asked.
Wallen replied, “No, no. I was just ready to go home. I’d been there all week.”
Pressley mentioned the country singer’s subsequent Instagram post of a private plane sitting on a runway which said, “Get to me to God’s country,” which Wallen recalled with a smile and a “yeah.”
The singer lives in Nashville, while “SNL” is taped in New York City.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="MORGAN WALLEN 3: Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XyAvuB-l-Hk?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>
The “Last Night” singer quickly decided to capitalize on the virality of the moment, selling merchandise, including a t-shirt and a hat, repeating that caption. This likely refers to the Instagram story and could also reference a song title in his upcoming album, “I’m the Problem,” which comes out May 16.
Wallen whispered something in “Anora” actress Mikey Madison’s ear before departing the stage, but did not appear to say goodbye to anyone else, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/morgan-wallen-sells-get-me-to-gods-country-merch-after-viral-snl-exit?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Morgan+Wallen+Sells+%E2%80%98Get+Me+To+God%E2%80%99s+Country%E2%80%99+Merch+After+Viral+%E2%80%98SNL%E2%80%99+Exit">reported</a>.
“SNL” star Keenan Thompson addressed the moment during an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they decide to do stuff like that. I don’t know if he understood the assignment or not, or if he was really feeling a certain kind of way,” Thompson told the outlet.
“It’s definitely a spike in the norm,” the longtime cast member added. “We’re so used to everybody just turning around and high-fiving us, everybody’s saying, ‘Good job, good job, good job.’ So when there’s a departure from that, it’s like, hmm, I wonder what that’s about?”
While Thompson admitted that other guests, including Prince, had been “standoffish,” he thought Wallen’s actions were a little more egregious. Later, the comedian also complained about Wallen’s Instagram post.
“The ‘God’s country’ of it all is strange because it’s like, what are you trying to say? You trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella? That’s not necessarily my favorite,” Thompson added.

Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen Breaks Silence On Viral ‘SNL’ Departure: ‘Just Ready To Go Home’

Morgan Wallen Breaks Silence On Viral 'SNL' Departure: 'Just Ready To Go Home'

Country Music

One of President Donald Trump’s better qualities flies far under the radar. He doesn’t hold a grudge. That’s especially true when there’s a greater good in play.
Then-candidate Trump sparred aggressively with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly during the 2016 campaign. Late last year, Kelly endorsed Trump, speaking at a MAGA rally days before the Nov. 5 election.
The president once dubbed a presidential rival “Little” Marco Rubio. That politician is currently Trump’s trusted Secretary of State.
Now, Trump wants to make amends with Hollywood, an industry that loathes him with the heat of a thousand suns. This act of forgiveness dwarfs them all, but Trump sees movies as a vital part of the nation’s soft power as well as a critical industry.
<div id="attachment_877383" style="width: 873px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-877383" class="size-large wp-image-877383" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-863x576.jpg" alt="HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 06: Donald Trump star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California on Dec. 6, 2016." width="863" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-863x576.jpg 863w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-2048x1368.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-877916002-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 863px) 100vw, 863px" />shalunts. Getty Images.</div>
It’s why Hollywood should swallow hard and play nice with President Trump. Or, at the very least, lend him its collective ear.
Trump’s shocking outreach began with, what else, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-movie-industry-is-dying-puts-plan-in-place-to-save-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a social media post</a>. He promised 100% tariffs on movies made outside of the U.S.
<blockquote>I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” he added. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!&#8221;</blockquote>
All heck broke loose in La La Land, with entertainment news outlets spinning furiously against the vague proposal.
Call it Trump’s opening volley, part of the president’s knack for starting with big claims and negotiating from there. It’s similar to Trump’s earlier announcement that movie superstars Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight would form a group of “Ambassadors” to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-appoints-a-list-stars-as-ambassadors-to-hollywood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revive the flailing film industry.</a>
<blockquote>It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!</blockquote>
Except the news seemed to have caught the trio by surprise and, only recently, did one of the actors, Voight, step forward with <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/jon-voight-trump-hollywood-tariff-1236390109/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concrete plans</a> on making Hollywood great again.
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/07/nx-s1-5389865/trump-movie-tariffs-jon-voight-tax-incentives-hollywood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR described Voight’s vision</a> as “federal tax incentives, co-production treaties with other countries and subsidies for theater owners and film and TV production companies.”
<div id="attachment_861225" style="width: 987px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-861225" class="size-large wp-image-861225" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Jon-Voight-977x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: Actor Jon Voight speaks at Donald Trump's victory rally on January 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in on January 20. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)" width="977" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Jon-Voight-977x576.jpg 977w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Jon-Voight-300x177.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Jon-Voight-768x453.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Jon-Voight.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 977px) 100vw, 977px" />Scott Olson/Getty Images</div>
The “Midnight Cowboy” star acknowledged the rift between Trump and Hollywood, adding that it shouldn&#8217;t distract from the big picture.
“I think he’s been treated unfairly. I think I have too. But what’s the difference? Who cares?” Voight asks. “I mean, there’s been a battle, but now it’s time to put that aside. And I must say, in all of the interactions we’ve had [on addressing runaway production], politics has never come up. Never.”
Hollywood, Inc. would be foolish not to listen.
Yes, the box office came roaring back in recent weeks, courtesy of hits like “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie.” That doesn’t camouflage the sizable issues confronting movie studios, from the death of the modern movie star to escalating film budgets.
Case in point? The upcoming “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” has a <a href="https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/3/25/mission-impossible-8-has-a-400m-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$400 million budget</a>, meaning it will have to dramatically out-perform the best films in the series to make a profit.
Hollywood’s problems would make a depressing feature.
Film and TV productions have been fleeing Los Angeles for some time. Streaming platforms have proven to be far less profitable than hoped, with Netflix emerging as the strongest money maker for now.
The DVD/Blu-ray gravy train slowed some time ago, removing a safety net for films that didn’t catch fire at theaters.
Dueling 2023 strikes hurt the industry more than anticipated, and the threat of A.I. to the creative community looms in the not-so-distant future. Social media, YouTube and other distractions now dominate the culture, making young consumers <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/deloitte-gen-z-creator-content-streaming-price-1236171227/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less invested in Hollywood product</a>.
Meanwhile, California Democrats are <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-05-06/newsom-called-for-a-federal-tax-incentive-to-save-hollywood-but-will-that-actually-happen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrambling to prevent productions</a> from leaving the City of Angels for more receptive states and countries. That’s left countless Calif.-based crew members desperate for work. <a href="https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/new-york-film-subsidy-jersey-1236392167/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York just followed suit</a>.
Hollywood players hate Trump so much some wish they could erase his presence from pop culture of yore. “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/home-alone-2-director-trump-cameo-removed-1236369779/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">director said just that about Trump’s seconds-long cameo</a> in his 1992 film.
<div id="attachment_908099" style="width: 832px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-908099" class="size-large wp-image-908099" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Donald-Trump-Macauley-Culkin-822x576.jpg" alt="Macaulay Culkin" width="822" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Donald-Trump-Macauley-Culkin-822x576.jpg 822w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Donald-Trump-Macauley-Culkin-300x210.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Donald-Trump-Macauley-Culkin-768x538.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Donald-Trump-Macauley-Culkin.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 822px) 100vw, 822px" />Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images</div>
Others have alternately <a href="https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/louis-c-k-donald-trump-insane-bigot-dangerous-1201723679/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dubbed him Hitler</a> or <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/celebrities-wished-trump-dead/">wished him dead</a>. That sentiment may be hard to overcome.
The perfect storm of problems facing Hollywood may be too much for any presidential plan to solve. Gen Z’s drift away from movie watching can’t be assuaged by new policies. Stars still insist on <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/fantastic-four-rachel-zegler-problem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insulting potential customers</a>, from “Snow White’s” Rachel Zegler to the cast of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
The two sides need to put aside their differences for the greater good. A healthy film market impacts more than just studio executives, theater owners and various crew members.
Hollywood movies send a message to the world. Films like “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006) showcase the power of the American capitalist system. Others promote values like individual liberty (2012’s “Still Mine”) and triumphs over adversity (2016’s “Hidden Figures”).
It’s why China invests so heavily in its movie industry. The Communist nation wants to put the nation’s best foot forward on the big screen, removing sequences from foreign films that cast the country in a negative light.
President Trump may not make Hollywood great again. He could help the industry thrive against all odds.
* * *
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.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Wants To Make Hollywood Great Again — Will The Industry Listen?

California

Film

Hollywood

Jon Voight

Los Angeles

Mel Gibson

Movies

Netflix

New York City

President Trump

Sylvester Stallone

The popular HBO drama “The Last of Us” has been getting a lot of negative attention since Sunday night’s episode, in which one of the main female characters announced she was going to be a “dad.”
In the fourth episode of the second season, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) learns that her love interest Dina (Isabella Merced), who is portrayed as bisexual, is three months pregnant. After Dina reveals the news, Bella responds,  “So we’re having a baby… I mean, we and also I guess Jesse — it was Jesse, right?”
“So we’re all having a baby,” Ellie continued. “Holy sh**. I’m gonna be a dad.”
At another point in the episode, the two characters arrive in Seattle and ponder remnants of gay pride amongst the post-apocalyptic background, including pride flags and a giant rainbow mural. 
The reviews for this season, which saw the death of main character Joel (Pedro Pascal), have been mixed, and not just because of woke moments. Some have accused viewers of “review bombing” the show on various websites, but many critics are just underwhelmed by the pacing, character development, and straying from the storyline of the video game upon which the series is based.
&#8220;It&#8217;s the usual bait and switch. Season 1 was fantastic. Season 2 was all over within the first 10 mins. Woke bs from the start with Pascal going to therapy, females being more male than any of the men and the push for refugee rights. When are they going to stop pushing political agendas and write decent stories again?&#8221; one person <a href="https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-last-of-us/season-2/">observed</a> on Metacritic. 
&#8220;The first season was good, and I can&#8217;t say the same for this season,” a second person agreed. “This is all teen drama with revenge plot, it&#8217;s so boring that I can&#8217;t turn off my brain to try to watch another episode. Killing off a beloved character for cheap reason is the final nail. This could be a good series but they clearly ruined it with bad writing. And don&#8217;t get me start on the agenda they try so hard to push but fail miserably.&#8221;
While fans say it made sense to make Ellie gay in the show to match the game, they say the showrunners&#8217; approach to the character is off the mark.
“I think people are missing that the way the show is going about this is not normal. At least in the game? Ellie being a lesbian wasn’t shoved in your face. It was natural. Like, ‘oh, she’s a lesbian? Okay. She’s still cool.’ But the show has Ellie being played by someone who looks nothing like her, even though they had options of actresses who did,” one X user <a href="https://x.com/BumpyBeatz/status/1920269455189516556">wrote</a>. 
“They consistently show Ellie being a judo bad*** when that’s not what she is? She’s a survivor. Even in the game? The melee animations show that she struggles and fights desperately. And now this? ‘Ima be a dad.’ This ain’t it. Just more ammo to be used against woke culture.”
Ramsey, 21, identifies as &#8220;non-binary&#8221; in real life, but has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/non-binary-actress-bella-ramsey-said-its-important-to-keep-gendered-awards-categories">said</a> she supports gendered categories for awards shows despite feeling it’s “not quite” right for her to be nominated for Best Actress.

Bella Ramsey

HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ Trashed For Going Woke, Female Character Says She’s ‘Gonna Be A Dad’

HBO's 'The Last Of Us' Trashed For Going Woke, Female Character Says She's 'Going To Be A Dad'

Television

Wokeness

The Department of Education, led by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, has cut off funding for a grant that supported controversial children’s programming at PBS and elsewhere.
The Trump administration has slashed funding to NPR and PBS. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS, announced in a <a href="https://cpb.org/pressroom/CPB-Statement-US-Department-Education-Terminating-Ready-Learn-Grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Tuesday that the federal government terminated the $23 million Ready To Learn program.
“Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting’s children’s content. For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children’s learning,” said Patricia Harrison, the president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program.”
Education spokeswoman Madi Biedermann said the Ready To Learn grant was being used to fund “racial justice educational programming,” according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/us/politics/doe-kills-grant-pbs-childrens-shows.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
“The Trump Department of Education will prioritize funding that supports meaningful learning and improving student outcomes, not divisive ideologies and woke propaganda,” said Biedermann.
The grant’s termination came after President Donald Trump last week signed an executive order for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies to cut funding to NPR and PBS.
Ready To Learn funded productions such as the popular children’s show “Sesame Street,” which has been mired in controversy in recent years over programs related to Black Lives Matter, the LGBT movement, and other political agendas.
The official social media accounts of “Sesame Street” have endorsed gay and trans “pride” by sharing the Pride Progress flag.
“On our Street, we celebrate inclusion, belonging, and freedom of authentic self-expression. Happy #PrideMonth to all the people in our neighborhoods!” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sesame-street-dragged-on-twitter-for-sharing-progress-pride-flag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> one June 2023 post.
In 2022, the popular children’s show encouraged children to receive the COVID vaccine.
“Thanks, @sesamestreet for saying parents are allowed to have questions! You then have @elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5. But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ted-cruz-blasts-sesame-street-for-promoting-covid-vaccine-for-young-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> at the time.
In June 2021, “Sesame Street” aired a “Family Day” episode that featured a gay couple, Dave and Frank, and their daughter, Mia. Alan Muraoka, who co-directed the episode, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/love-is-love-says-director-of-sesame-street-family-day-episode-which-stars-married-gay-couple-and-their-daughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touted</a> it on Facebook with a message of “Love is love,” a slogan used to spurn traditional views on marriage and family.
In March of that year, “Sesame Street” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sesame-street-casts-black-muppets-to-teach-children-the-abcs-of-racial-literacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> two black characters, a father and son named Elijah and Wesley Walker, to teach children about “racial literacy.”
PBS’s agenda-driven content has stretched beyond “Sesame Street.” The White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-publishes-list-of-grievances-trashing-pbs-npr-grift-that-has-ripped-us-off" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a list of grievances against PBS last month to justify slashing funding to the broadcaster. The list includes programming pushing transgenderism as early as 2017 in a movie titled “Real Boy” about a transgender-identifying teen.

Linda McMahon

Trump Admin Cuts Funds For ‘Divisive,’ ‘Woke’ Children’s Programing At PBS

Trump Administration Cuts Funds For ‘Divisive,’ ‘Woke’ Children’s Programing At PBS

Donald Trump

Politics

“Star Wars” fans are reeling from the unexpected rape scene in the new season of the popular series “Andor,” which just released the first three episodes of season two this week on Disney+.
So far, the “Star Wars” franchise has stayed away from sexual content beyond insinuations, but in episode three, that all changed. During the scene in question, an Imperial officer tries to rape the Rebel fugitive Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) when she’s hiding out in a farming settlement to avoid Imperial troops who are rounding up “undocumented” citizens, per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/andor-star-wars-season-2-bix-rape-interview-1236191397/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.
Bix wins out in the life or death battle that ensues, then clarifies what just occurred when she screams, “He tried to rape me!”
“Andor” creator Tony Gilroy explained why he felt it was important to include the scene, saying it helped convey the realities of war.
“I get one shot to tell everything I know — or can discover, or that I’ve learned — about revolution, about battles, with as many incidents and as many colors as I can get in there, without having [the story] tip over,” Gilroy told the outlet. 
“I mean, let’s be honest, man: The history of civilization, there’s a huge arterial component of it that’s rape,” he added. “All of us who are here — we are all the product of rape. I mean armies and power throughout history [have committed rape]. So to not touch on it, in some way … It just was organic and it felt right, coming about as a power trip for this guy. I was really trying to make a path for Bix that would ultimately lead to clarity — but a difficult path to get back to clarity.”
Gilroy also noted that the studio didn’t give him pushback about including the topic. “No one ever ever said anything about it, ever,” the “Andor” creator said. “But I mean, we have limits on what we can do. We are very aware of what we can do sexually and violence wise. Those limits are made very clear.”
Arjona said she felt empowered during the scene. “The fact that I get to speak [the word rape] out [loud] — I felt so much power in that,” she told <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/andor-adria-arjona-bix-attempted-rape-1236375525/">V</a><a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/andor-adria-arjona-bix-attempted-rape-1236375525/">ariety</a>. “I felt it throughout the day. I felt it when I finished filming, and I went home.”
Fans had mixed reactions to the episode. 
“SA in SW feels unnecessary. You can portray power dynamics and making the audience hate the empire in other ways without taking it to such a disgusting place,” one X user <a href="https://x.com/realswtheory/status/1914896363051212849">wrote</a>. “Vader wouldn&#8217;t tolerate that sh** nor does the Empire condone it. It has no place in Star Wars. Period. Unnecessary.”
“[S]ome of you really do need to grow up because this is exactly what the empire would do, despite it making you uncomfortable. thats the POINT? an imperial officer using his unchecked power to attempt to rape someone he deems illegal is exactly what the empire condones,” another person <a href="https://x.com/kattywumpas_/status/1915027886953681353">argued</a>.

Adria Arjona

‘Andor’ Creator Discusses Rape Scene In ‘Star Wars’ Series: ‘We’re All The Product Of Rape’

'Andor' Creator Discusses  Rape Scene In 'Star Wars' Series: 'We're All The Product Of Rape'

Disney

Rape

Star Wars

Several actors cast in the highly anticipated “Harry Potter” television series coming to HBO have just been announced.
Confirmed stars so far <a href="https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-0/hbo-original-harry-potter-series-casts-john-lithgow-janet-mcteer-paapa-essiedu-nick">include</a> John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Luke Thallon will also take on the recurring role of Quirinus Quirrell, while Paul Whitehouse is set to play the recurring role of Argus Filch.
“We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch,” showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and executive producer Mark Mylod said in a statement. “We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”
The main roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione have yet to be announced. Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/harry-potter-hbo-series-dumbledore-snape-mcgonagall-hagrid-1236368778/">noted</a> that HBO hosted open auditions for the part and received more than 30,000 submissions. 
According to the show&#8217;s logline, the series will be “a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling.”
“The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over twenty-five years,” it says. “Each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
HBO execs previously voiced support for “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and defended their decision to keep her on as executive producer despite the backlash she’s gotten from leftists. The billionaire author has been labeled a “TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) for rejecting radical gender theory.
“J.K. is an executive producer, and her insights will be helpful,” Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content said in 2023, as The Daily Wire previously reported. “We are in the Harry Potter business.”
“J.K. is a very online conversation … It’s very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into,” said Bloys. “Our priority is what’s onscreen. The Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive about love and acceptance, and that’s our priority, what’s on the screen.”
Filming on the TV series is slated to begin this summer.

John Lithgow

HBO Confirms ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Casting For Dumbledore, Snape, And Hagrid

HBO Confirms 'Harry Potter' TV Series Casting For Dumbledore, Snape, And Hagrid

Harry Potter

J.K. Rowling

World

A writer for the 1990s show “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” says the casting decisions made at the time were a “mistake.”
&#8220;None of us are thinking stereotypes,&#8221; former &#8220;Power Rangers&#8221; head writer Tony Oliver said during the newly-released episode of the docuseries “Hollywood Demons,” which is titled &#8220;Dark Side of the Power Rangers.”
The writer mentioned how “the black character [was] the Black Ranger and the Asian character [was] the Yellow Ranger.&#8221;
Oliver said his &#8220;assistant pointed it out in a meeting one day.&#8221;
&#8220;It was such a mistake,&#8221; he added, per <a href="https://ew.com/power-rangers-writer-calls-black-and-yellow-ranger-casting-a-mistake-11710918">Entertainment Weekly</a>.
The popular kids series “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” debuted on Fox Kids in 1993. The head writer said the Black Ranger, Zack Taylor (Walter Emanuel Jones) &#8220;seemed to have the swagger of the group,&#8221; while the Yellow Ranger, Trini Kwan (Thuy Trang), was &#8220;the peaceful one, who tends to be the conscience of the group.&#8221; 
He also noted that Trang was not initially cast as the Yellow Ranger but was added after the pilot was shot and their first pick, Audri DuBois, quit the show.
Series co-creator Shuki Levi said in a 2013 <a href="https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/elijah-watson/mighty-morphin-power-rangers-interviews-behind-the-scenes">interview</a> with Complex that casting Jones and Trang in those particular roles &#8220;wasn&#8217;t intentional at all.”
The documentary also aired camcorder footage from the set showing Jones saying, “My name’s Walter Jones, I play Zack. I’m black, and I play the Black Ranger — go figure.”
“At that time, [executive producer and co-creator Haim Saban] and I were new to this country. We didn&#8217;t grow up in the same environment that exists in America with regard to skin color. We grew up in Israel, where being a black person is like being any kind of color. It&#8217;s not something we talked about all the time. It wasn&#8217;t a big issue,&#8221; Levi said at the time.
Amy Jo Johnson, who played the Pink Power Ranger, said, &#8220;Walter Jones used to crack good-humored jokes about that. I think it&#8217;s funny if it was done unintentionally by the big bosses. But really? Come on. It wouldn&#8217;t happen today.”
“If they didn’t do it, people would say, ‘Well, why didn’t they make the Black Ranger a black Ranger?’ You could get criticized either way,” actress Barbara Goodson, who played villain Rita Repulsa, told the outlet at the time. She also noted that the characters changed each season. 
“The girl who played the Yellow Ranger after Thuy wasn’t Asian, she was black. You could find something to scoff at everywhere,” Goodson said of the controversy.

Power Rangers

‘Power Rangers’ Writer Discusses ‘Mistake’ With Casting Black, Asian Stars In Series

'Power Rangers' Writer Discusses 'Mistake' With Casting Black, Asian Stars In Series

Race

To be true to yourself and stand firm on your values takes courage. I would argue that this is especially true if your values are more based in nature — and even more so the case in the world of Hollywood.
When actors and actresses rise through the ranks of Hollywood, they often conform to the woke social and political image that Hollywood has not only deemed worthy but also silently required of celebrity status. Typically, if an actor’s beliefs aren’t aligned with Hollywood’s, they’ll either be cast out of that world or not even get a starting chance to climb the ranks. But a new actor rising to stardom is defying that preset narrative. Gabriel Basso upleveled to celebrity status after starring in the hit Netflix show “The Night Agent,” and during the 2024 election, he proved he’s not going to be a carbon copy of every other celebrity in the industry.
<div id="attachment_905181" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-905181" class="size-large wp-image-905181" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195095897-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 13: (L-R) Noah Centineo and Gabriel Basso attends The Recruit and The Night Agent Photo Call at The Plaza on January 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195095897-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195095897-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195095897-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195095897.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix</div>
Basso played JD Vance in the 2020 film “Hillbilly Elegy,” based on the book Vance wrote about his upbringing in rural Appalachia. The film was nominated for two Oscars, but this was before Vance ran as vice president. When Trump announced Vance as his running mate, everyone in Hollywood expected Basso to denounce having played Vance — but he didn’t. In fact, he <a href="https://ew.com/gabriel-basso-says-it-was-weird-to-play-cool-dude-jd-vance-8778261" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> him a “cool dude” in <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/gabriel-basso-night-agent-season-2-jd-vance-quitting-acting-1236277805/">an interview</a> with Variety after the second season of “The Night Agent” was released. Variety <a href="https://www.instagram.com/variety/p/DFGX53lvVzg/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Instagram that in their feature, “Basso opens up about starring in ‘The Night Agent,’ why he&#8217;s ‘not really a political person’ and playing JD Vance in 2020&#8217;s ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’”
Now, anytime someone says they are not political or don’t care to delve into politics, you can expect a large swath of people to swarm. Sure enough, the comments on Variety’s post proved as much, with some claiming privilege to be the key indicator as to why Basso doesn’t want to discuss politics. But connecting Basso to privilege is incredibly ironic because, as he makes quite clear in all his interviews, he intentionally avoids a privileged lifestyle. Variety writes of Basso:
<blockquote>There’s something fundamentally paleo about Basso, from his out-of-another-era firm handshake to his not carrying a cellphone. (His publicist and I text one another to triangulate his location as he arrives.) “I’m a medieval peasant,” he says. “I reject what I see in society. If a guy was to come into my village and peddle these black mirrors that everyone stares into all day, I’m trying to get this guy out of my village.”</blockquote>
Variety paints Basso as a very different kind of guy, honing in on what they seem to view as out-of-fashion characteristics. The interview reads as though a firm handshake is of a past time and maintaining eye contact is bizarrely uncommon. But these are just basic manners — a few of the exact ones my dad taught me growing up — yet Variety repeatedly mentions Basso’s eye contact and makes him seem like he’s some kind of anomaly.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-comments-section-with-reagan-conrad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Comments Section with Reagan Conrad</a></h3>
What is anomalous is Basso’s commentary; he’s saying what no other actor is saying. Take, for example, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubf19RcB8yw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> he did with Good Morning America earlier this year. In it, Lara Spencer praised “The Night Agent” as an amazing, addictive show, drawing in staggering numbers of viewers. 
Then, she asked Basso, “What do you think it is about your character, Peter, and the premise of the show that has caught on like this?” 
And Basso responded, “An inherent distrust for government.” 
An audible gasp ripped through the studio. That’s certainly not a statement you hear out of Hollywood, but it’s definitely a statement we all can relate to. With answers like that, he maintains a public-facing apolitical presence. While I don’t actually think he is apolitical, I do know he despises when actors talk as though they are experts in the political field, which he has made clear in other interviews. When Jamie Laing of Great Company <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/great-company-with-jamie-laing/id1735702250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> Basso about his fame, he said:
<blockquote>I don’t believe that actors should be famous. We’re saying words that we’re told to say, we’re told how to say them, we’re told where to stand, and then we’re telling people how to vote? You should be quiet, you should do your job, you should be a jester, entertain people, then shut the f*** up. You know, we’re the court jesters. We’re there to perform a job, to entertain, and then all the sudden the jester, because he’s in the court room starts to be like, ‘I might want to go sit on the throne.’</blockquote>
He acknowledges the role of an actor and follows that up by acknowledging what evolves with celebrity status: The court jesters suddenly have the power of a king, and that shouldn’t be the case. He’s kept this same energy going on social media, like when he called out Instagram on his story for offering “overpaid actors” ways to “farm” their “audience for money” to then “morally lecture them about donating to causes that you are told to care about.” Then, he told people to buy seeds, chickens, or absolutely anything else. Last week, he deleted his Instagram entirely, a move he made in the middle of the most fame he’s ever experienced in his life.
<div id="attachment_905169" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-905169" class="size-large wp-image-905169" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2193411076-864x576.jpg" alt="THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 2078 -- Pictured: (l-r) Actor Gabriel Basso during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2193411076-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2193411076-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2193411076-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2193411076.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images</div>
When he went on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@fallontonight/video/7460168448124095790?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Late Night</a>, he couldn’t have seemed less unimpressed by the fact he was sitting in the chair next to Jimmy Fallon. Fallon asked him about doing his own stunts, giving Basso a perfect opportunity to talk openly about his talents. (Let’s be real: It’s objectively cool he doesn’t have a stunt double.) Instead, Basso turned the answer to be about the audience, saying, “I enjoy acting. I don’t like lying. There’s just a difference. And for the sake of audience immersion, for the sake of believability, they like Peter, to watch him take hits, is important.” It’s a simple premise, but it caught Fallon totally off guard. That’s obviously not the kind of answer he’s used to getting from the seat reserved for actors who normally take every opportunity to boast about themselves. But that’s clearly not what Basso’s about. Much of the art of acting is being able to pretend and to deceive, and Basso likes acting, but he doesn’t want to lie if he doesn’t have to. It’s such a refreshing take.
Even though “The Night Agent” soared to number one on Netflix, Basso still thinks it’s important to have a day job. He shared with the hosts of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05XkWKJKoVw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This Morning</a> that he has his DSWA walling license (as in, drystack walls) because he thinks “actors are insulated from reality in a lot of ways” — and he is intentionally choosing to actively engage in reality when we all know he really doesn’t have to. He’s been an actor since childhood, so he’s going out of his way to get these side jobs as his fame is increasing. He told This Morning, “There is something that I think is wrong in today’s day and age where I can retire at 30 years old. I don’t think I should be able to. I think that it’s my responsibility to work, as a man. You know, you get a trade, you become self-sufficient, and it feels wrong to go through life with people getting me water. It feels wrong. I’ll do that when I’m old and can’t get up from the couch.” Again, it’s just refreshing to see an actor who believes that as an actor, his place in society is to act — nothing more. That is why he sees the value in serving his community in other ways, not the value in just being served.
Basso is one of the exceptionally few actors whose mind has broken out of the Hollywood matrix, or perhaps it was never drawn into it in the first place. He will, of course, get pushback from people who want the jesters to entertain and tell us peasants what we should believe. But plenty of people are picking up on it and <a href="https://x.com/friedman_yitz/status/1891935051761303894" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appreciating</a> what Basso is doing — me being one. Americans at large are loving his takes, and I would love to see more of this same behavior from other actors. He appreciates the art of acting, but he isn’t obsessed with the popularity that comes with success. That’s precisely why I hope he has 10 times more success in the future and can serve as a lesson to Hollywood to bring more people like him into the industry.

The Kelly Clarkson Show – Season 6

The Star Of ‘Night Agent’ Offers A Glimmer Of Hope In Hollywood

The Star Of 'Night Agent' Offers A Glimmer Of Hope In Hollywood

actors

Celebrities

JD Vance

Reagan Conrad

“The White Lotus” creator Mike White responded to criticism he’s received from fans about the third season of the popular HBO series, which just aired its season finale last Sunday.
Fans and critics have been complaining that compared to the previous two seasons, this latest installment had a slower pace and was just “<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tv/article-14507879/White-Lotus-fire-fans-critics-alike-glacially-slow-season.html">boring</a>.” White, who serves as writer and director, said it was all very intentional.
“The pacing and the vibe … it definitely gets under their skin,” White said in response to the criticism on the official “White Lotus” podcast, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/mike-white-defends-white-lotus-season-3-slow-boring-1236362151/">Variety</a>.
“There was complaining about how there’s no plot. That part I find weird. It never did … part of me is just like bro, this is the vibe. I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me then get out of my bed.”
“I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed,” the showrunner continued, referencing slang for intentionally delaying gratification during sexual encounters.
“Do you know what I mean?” White continued. “Get the f*** out of my bed. Don’t come home with me.&#8221;
Despite the criticism for season 3, it earned some of the highest numbers yet for “The White Lotus,” with 6.2 million people watching the finale. This bested the previous record for viewers by 30%, the outlet noted.
During the same podcast interview, White revealed a deleted scene he wished there was time to include, which involved Piper Ratliff losing her virginity to Belinda’s son, Zion.
“She decides to lose her virginity in the script in the last episode,” White said of Sarah Catherine Hook’s character Piper.
“And she actually has sex with Zion,” he added. “There’s this whole scene where she’s like, ‘It’s true. Saxon is right about this one thing. I need to get this over with.’ And you know how after she leaves the monastery she’s just like, ‘I need to have sex.’ But in the end, it was one of these things where it was like, it’s already an hour and a half.”
White said, “It would have added 10 minutes to the thing. And it had a little bit of a rom-com vibe in the middle of trying to kill the family with the pong pong fruits. It just felt like I was trying to do too much narratively.”
Ultimately, the finale included the deaths of revenge-bent Rick Hatchett (Walter Goggins), his girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), and Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn), the hotel owner who Rick thought killed his father, but turned out to actually be his father.

Mike White

‘The White Lotus’ Creator Responds To Fans Complaining About Season 3 Pacing: ‘Get The F*** Out’

'The White Lotus' Creator Responds To Fans Complaining About Season 3 Pacing: 'Get The F*** Out'

HBO Max

Late-Night TV may never be the same.
HBO’s John Oliver, host of “Last Week Tonight,” is facing a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/01/media/healthcare-exec-sues-john-oliver-for-defamation-over-toilet-hygiene-rant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new defamation lawsuit</a> from health care executive Dr. Brian Morley who claims the comedian slurred him “for ratings and profits.” 
In an April 2024 telecast, Oliver played an alleged audio clip of Morley at an administrative hearing <a href="https://ew.com/john-oliver-sued-by-healthcare-official-he-called-out-on-last-week-tonight-11708201" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, “People have bowel movements every day where they don’t completely clean themselves and we don’t fuss over [them] too much. People are allowed to be dirty … You know, I would allow him to be a little dirty for a couple of days.”
Oliver’s immediate on-air response: “F*** that doctor with a rusty canoe! I hope he gets tetanus of the balls.”
Morley’s lawyer claims the recording was altered by the program.
Suing comedians for telling the wrong jokes seems an uphill legal battle at best. The First Amendment allows for plenty of creative embellishments, although Oliver’s comments proved highly specific and potentially damaging to the doctor’s reputation.
The courts will have the final say on the matter.
Should Dr. Morley emerge victorious it could have a much larger impact. Yes, “Last Week Tonight” would take a sizable hit, but consider the big picture.
What if other satirical comics have to watch what they say moving forward? Will they require fact-checkers on set? Should Stephen Colbert run his anti-Republican rants by CBS Legal before hitting the stage each night?
Comedians have considerable leeway when it comes to political satire as opposed to everyday citizens. Those wide guardrails matter, allowing for satirists to skewer elected officials without fear of political ramifications.
How far is too far, though? Thanks to the sorry state of modern late night TV, the question matters more than ever.
<div id="attachment_903043" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-903043" class="size-large wp-image-903043" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2176959872-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK CITY - OCTOBER 8: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Vice President Kamala Harris during Tuesday's October 8, 2024 show. (Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2176959872-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2176959872-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2176959872-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2176959872.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images</div>
The hosts in question, however, bend the truth so regularly it’s often unrecognizable. It’s not a bug but a feature. Yes, Legacy Media outlets warp reality in damning ways, too. The list of Fake News narratives continues to grow in the Age of Trump.
Colbert and co. often walk in lockstep with their journalist pals.
Look no further than the Russian Collusion Hoax™. Yes, the media fed that narrative beast for far too long, but late-night hosts parroted even the most extreme collusion talking points while assuming they had the goods on President Donald Trump.
They didn’t.
CBS’s Colbert hit the lowest low when he called President Donald Trump Vladimir Putin’s <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/you-cant-say-television-colbert-edition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BLEEP holster.</a> in one incendiary monologue. He also played up the Fake News story known to many as the Trump “pee-pee tape.”
The litigious world leader could have had something to say about that.
Colbert and fellow far-Left host Jimmy Kimmel also defended President Joe Biden from accusations, later confirmed, that he was suffering from dementia-like conditions during the 2024 presidential campaign. Both comedians had seen Biden up close during separate fundraising events.
They must have witnessed his diminished state firsthand. They didn’t share what they saw with their audiences, and Kimmel took that a step further. He used his “Jimmy Kimmel Live” bully pulpit to call anyone who said Biden froze up during his <a href="https://www.tvinsider.com/1140442/joe-biden-freezing-video-fundraiser-jimmy-kimmel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fundraising effort a liar</a>.
The projection was strong that night.
Other hosts have taken the media’s warped baton and run with it. Take the host of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” The “Saturday Night Live” alum skewered President Trump in 2017 for <a href="https://time.com/4705083/seth-meyers-trump-meals-on-wheels-budget-cuts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gutting</a> the “Meals on Wheels” program.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fake-news-did-trump-just-kill-meals-wheels-not-ben-shapiro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Except Trump didn’t.</a>
Meyers also played down the rampant violence spreading in Portland in 2020, as did some press outlets, in ways that felt like propaganda, not satire. And he wasn’t alone.
<div id="attachment_903053" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-903053" class="size-large wp-image-903053" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1248172738-864x576.jpg" alt="LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS -- Episode 1405 -- Pictured: (l-r) Comedian John Oliver during an interview with host Seth Meyers on March 13, 2023 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1248172738-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1248172738-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1248172738-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1248172738.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images</div>
Oliver also downplayed the ongoing violence swirling around parts of Portland, <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/john-oliver-media-portland-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serving up this epic distortion</a>.
“Protests had been mostly peaceful there… it’s about one block that was actually starting to see fewer confrontations between protesters and police before federal agents moved in.”
Fake News? It’s beyond debate. But is it worth suing over? That’s where the conversation gets sticky.
What about late-night alum Amber Ruffin? She briefly hosted an ill-fated talk show on Peacock and has written for “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Ruffin recently cited the serially debunked <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amber-ruffin-dropped-white-house-correspondents-dinner-response_n_67eb51c2e4b0ff137ab490b4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Very Fine People” hoax</a> anew during a late-night chat to smite President Trump.
Said hoax claims Trump praised Neo Nazis following a 2017 Charlottesville rally which left one woman dead. The lie proved so brazen even Snopes called it out (albeit several years after the lie gained cultural ground).
It’s not just late-night comedy, of course. Comedians use their considerable platforms to spread lies that could be seen as libelous.
Take <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-burr-goes-full-ahole?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Ben+Shapiro&amp;title=Bill+Burr+Goes+Full+A**hole&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Burr</a>, who insinuated Kyle Rittenhouse was a White Supremacist during his Netflix special “Bill Burr Presents: Friends Who Kill.”
<div id="attachment_903055" style="width: 730px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-903055" class="size-large wp-image-903055" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1428254659-720x576.jpg" alt="BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Comedian Bill Burr performs at the Bob Golub Stand-up For Deaf, Hard Of Hearing Fundraiser at Flappers Comedy Club and Restaurant Burbank on September 27, 2022 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images)" width="720" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1428254659-720x576.jpg 720w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1428254659-300x240.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1428254659-768x614.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1428254659.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" />Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images</div>
Rittenhouse shot three people, killing two and injuring one during a 2020 fracas tied to the BLM protests. A court of law found him innocent, agreeing with his self-defense explanation. Elements of the press and the Left insisted his actions were racist, even though his victims were white and they couldn’t pin any racially-charged comments to the young man.
Burr picked up that false narrative, saying Rittenhouse was a <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/bill-burr-kyle-rittenhouse-white-supremacist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White Supremacist.</a>
“You gotta drop me off like two blocks away so my other racist friends don’t see my mommy drove me,” he cracked in the special, channeling Rittenhouse.
Comedians have more leeway when it comes to politicians, but no one elected Rittenhouse to elected office.
There’s a better solution here, one that doesn’t require legal challenges for First Amendment squabbles. A healthy, robust press would let viewers know that much of what’s said on late-night TV just isn’t true.
Journalists routinely regurgitate late-night jokes. They do the same with “Saturday Night Live” skits. That’s all well and good, but that practice is hollow if it doesn’t include fact checking when appropriate.
If comedians knew they’ve be held accountable for twisting the truth into so many pretzels, they might crack smarter gags that actually speak truth to power.
* * *
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.

76th Primetime Emmy Awards – Show

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Composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, the man behind the theme song for the first three seasons of &#8220;The White Lotus,&#8221; says he quit ahead of season four amid drama with the show’s creator and director, Mike White.
The 51-year-old composer did a tell-all <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/style/white-lotus-composer-season-4-leaving.html">interview</a> with The New York Times ahead of the season three’s highly anticipated finale, which airs on Sunday. It was just announced that the popular HBO comedy-drama has been renewed for another season.
Tapia de Veer told the outlet that he had &#8220;hysterical&#8221; discussions with producers about the theme music, which changes for each season to match the new location. The composer compared the drama to &#8220;a rock ’n’ roll band story&#8221; where &#8220;the guitar player doesn’t understand the singer at all.&#8221;
He said that he &#8220;announced to the team a few months ago” that he was “not coming back,&#8221; and that he purposely &#8220;didn&#8217;t tell Mike for various reasons&#8221; and &#8220;wanted to tell him just at the end for the shock.”
Tapia de Veer also described some disputes over the music he’s been having with White over the years.
&#8220;I thought we could do some kind of &#8216;Hawaiian Hitchcock,&#8217; and [White] really grabbed on that and he started laughing,&#8221; the composer said of season one’s music. &#8220;I was on the phone with her [Heather Persons, one of the show’s producers] all the time, and she was trying to convince Mike about this theme, because he didn’t want the theme.&#8221;
Tapia de Veer said his original idea for season three’s music was altered. There has been a lot of discussion and feedback on social media about how the theme music was much different than the first two seasons, which he also blamed on White.
&#8220;I had TMZ calling me, even people from England and from France, because they wanted some kind of statement about the theme,&#8221; he told NYT. &#8220;People are furious about the change of the theme, and I thought that was interesting.&#8221;
That made Tapia de Veer want to share the &#8220;uncut ending&#8221; of the song publicly.
&#8220;I texted the producer and I told him that it would be great to, at some point, give them the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realize that it was going there anyway. He thought it was a good idea. But then Mike cut that — he wasn’t happy about that,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I mean, at that point, [Mike and I] already had our last fight forever, I think. So he was just saying no to anything. So I just uploaded that to my YouTube,&#8221; Tapia de Veer said.
The composer said he’s &#8220;pretty proud&#8221; that he &#8220;never gave up&#8221; fighting for the music he envisioned.
&#8220;Maybe I was being unprofessional, and for sure Mike feels that I was always unprofessional to him because I didn’t give him what he wanted. But what I gave him did this, you know — did those Emmys, people going crazy,&#8221; the musician said. Tapia de Veer added, &#8220;it was worth all the tension and almost forcing the music into the show.&#8221;
When asked how White reacted to him leaving, Tapia de Veer said, &#8220;He says a lot of things, but I can’t really talk about that.&#8221;
He continued, &#8220;There was a French movie, &#8216;La Cage Aux Folles.&#8217; You know how there’s Albin, which is like the star, and there’s Renato, who is the producer who is always taking care that Albin doesn’t lose his mind about something, because Albin is the diva and Renato is the guy who is trying to make everything work. To me, the show felt very much like that.&#8221;
A representative for HBO told Entertainment Weekly in a <a href="https://ew.com/white-lotus-composer-leaving-show-mike-white-feud-11708331">statement</a> via email, &#8220;We’ve got nothing to add at this time (but can confirm only that Cristobal isn’t returning to the show).&#8221;
Tapia de Veer won three Emmys for his work on the show&#8217;s music, including one for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and two for Original Dramatic Score.

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‘The White Lotus’ Theme Song Composer Details Drama With Creator Mike White, Says He Quit The Show

'The White Lotus' Theme Song Composer Details Drama With Creator Mike White, Says He Quit The Show

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