Liberal Comic Judy Gold: The Progressive Left Has Corrupted Free Speech
The veteran stand-up rages against college snowflakes, participation trophies
A quick perusal of Judy Gold’s Twitter account makes it clear she won’t be voting for President Donald Trump this fall.
The veteran comic routinely rails against both the President and the GOP. That’s standard stuff for modern comedians, an entertainment group that reliably leans to the Left.
Folks like Nick Di Paolo, Evan Sayet and Dennis Miller are the exceptions to the stand-up rule.
And, sadly, the battle for free speech in 2020 is being fought primarily on the Right – with a few exceptions:
- Ricky Gervais
- John Cleese
- J.K. Rowling (as of roughly two weeks ago)
You can add Gold to that list.
The liberal comedienne dropped by “The Adam Carolla Show” podcast this week and tore into anyone trying to censor what comedians say.
Why?
Partly because she’s promoting her upcoming book, “Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble.” The July 28 release from the Emmy award winner explores a culture that demands comics only tell certain jokes, certain ways.
Or else.
She spoke with Carolla, one of the fiercest defenders of free speech alive, about the pressure placed on comedians in 2020.
She shared how Vice TV ran a segment on college bookers, all of whom were 22 or so years old, telling comedians what they can and cannot say
“They have no life experience, no knowledge of comedy and I was interviewed as the opposing viewpoint,” Gold said.
She doesn’t take kindly to that trend.
“Don’t you f***ing tell me when I get on stage what I can say, what I can talk about. We are comedians. We are social commentators. Our goal when we get on stage is to make people laugh. That’s it. Don’t tell me that you’re triggered by a word … if you don’t like a comic, change the channel.”
Gold then described why censoring a comedian disrupts the creative process.
“There’s so much that goes into a joke or a bit. Nuance. Intent. Context. Who the f*** are you to tell me, ‘Oh, I can’t say that word. It might trigger this one.’
And it’s the progressive left that has really corrupted free speech,” added Gold, host of the podcast “Kill Me Now.”
Carolla gently stepped in, saying it’s not liberals but Leftists censoring thought in 21st century America.
Gold wouldn’t let the issue die.
“This idea that comedians are being canceled, their life’s work is being erased … no,” she said..
Carolla noted that when he was in his early 20s he’d never even consider telling an older, established comedian what jokes could be told.
“These 22 year olds are like drunk with power … ‘Take this tweet down or modify this. You’re gonna do comedy? Let me vet it,'” he said.
Gold brought up the farcical notion of participation trophies, where children who don’t achieve anything of value are rewarded for their efforts. That’s part of a larger cultural rot, one leaving young Americans unable to cope for themselves.
“I believe being offended is a choice. You make that choice,” she said, adding the folly of trying to steer clear of challenging thoughts. “This idea that you can never feel uncomfortable .. .what are you being protected from? ‘Oh, that triggers me.’ You got triggered the minute your alarm goes off in the morning … learn how to f***ing live, you idiots! The world does not revolve around you.”
Gold blames her own ideological side of the aisle for Cancel Culture’s emergence. Ironically, the Amazon page for her book cites rare examples where conservatives decried political humor:
The fallout after Michelle Wolf’s roast at the 2018 White House Correspondent’s Dinner, Samantha Bee’s forced apology after calling Ivanka Trump a “feckless c*nt,” Kathy Griffin’s being “blacklisted” from Hollywood after posting a photo with what looked like the president’s severed head, all represent a dangerous and growing trend—to censor comedians.