Howie Mandel first grabbed our attention by inflating a rubber glove over his head. Now‚ he’s making headlines for defending comedy from the woke mob. The comedian’s physical shtick led to a breakout role in “St. Elsewhere” as the medical drama’s cutup. He’s been gainfully employed ever since. Mandel isn’t edgy by current standards. His brand of humor is perfectly suited for broadcast TV‚ witness gigs like “Deal or No Deal” and “America’s Got Talent.” He hasn’t been “canceled” in any way‚ shape or form. thecelebrityfinder/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images So why did he attack woke comedy handcuffs on the “Stand-up World” podcast‚ hosted by Mike Binder? Mandel knows comedy better than many‚ and he sees what happens when a stand-up isn’t allowed to broach certain topics for fear of serious repercussions. He compared the woke bylaws to being a painter with a limited palette. If you think of comedy as an art‚ they started telling us there are certain colors you can’t use. If you’re a painter you shouldn’t say‚ ‘you can paint anything you want‚ but don’t use black‚ don’t use any yellows and it’s really not right to use blue.’ Art suffers‚ and there isn’t anything we shouldn’t talk about. Mandel also discussed an obvious problem with the woke agenda. Comedy can be cruel. It’s inherent to the art form. All humor comes out of darkness. That’s why the Tragedy and Comedy masks are so close together … if you’re a little kid and you go to the circus you’re laughing at a clown falling down. You’re laughing at the misfortune of somebody you don’t know. He’s exaggerating‚ but not by much. Think pies in the face‚ stepping on rakes and slipping on a well-placed banana peel. Humor writer Andy Borowitz shared something similar in 2012‚ years before what Elon Musk dubbed the “woke mind virus” captured the culture. There’s a strong vein of cruelty running through a lot of comedy. Why would Mandel’s comments cut through the media noise? He still does stand-up comedy‚ but he’s better known for being a clean‚ TV-based entertainer. His inoffensive style matters in this debate. It’s one thing for a professional firebrand like Ricky Gervais to attack woke critics. His brand is directly threatened by those easily offended (and willing to raise a stink on social media). When a genial comic like Mandel takes a stand on the subject‚ it hits home. Remember how many headlines Jerry Seinfeld inspired in 2015 when he said college students of the era are too easily offended. It’s why some of Seinfeld’s peers stopped playing university gigs. He felt their professional pain. Seinfeld’s shtick was‚ and remains‚ squeaky clean. For a G-rated comic to grasp the larger issue of triggered college crowds means the problem is larger than anyone thought. Bobby Bank/WireImage The creative community has been too silent for too long on the subject of woke restrictions. That is starting to change.  Slowly. Tom Hanks lashed out at so-called “sensitivity readers” last year following the release of his first book‚ “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: A Novel.” In the past few weeks other stars have taken a stand against woke bylaws‚ putting their brands on the line in the process. Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett blasted trigger warnings tied to art. The red flags have been attached to older animated films like “Dumbo” as well as comedy classics such as 1974’s “Blazing Saddles.’ She told The Sunday Times why they’re a terrible way to digest art. We are terrified of tough conversations … but we need the … We talk about radical candor‚ but when there’s a trigger warning in front of something you are implying that there is a lack of mutual respect or that the subject hasn’t been properly interrogated … It may offend you. It may challenge you. You may laugh uproariously. You just don’t know‚ but you are going to surrender to what is coming. Her 2022 film “Tar” embodied that sentiment. The film features a Cancel Culture-style attack on Blanchett’s character‚ a musical superstar facing a professional crisis. A critical scene in the film finds her character‚ Lydia Tar‚ berating a woke music student. “Don’t be so eager to be offended. The narcissism of small differences leads to the most boring conformity.” “Will &; Grace” alum Eric McCormack spoke to a similar woke constraint – straight actors being questioned for playing gay characters. “There’s no part I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not. It’s part of the gig. And I’ve always said‚ if gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors‚ Broadway would be over.” Would he land that part today given the current cultural climate? He’s hopeful. “I would like to think in general that the best person for the role‚ the one that comes in and knocks it out of the park‚ is the one that gets the part.” Meritocracy matters. So do prominent artists standing up for free expression and casting a withering eye on the woke movement. * * * Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist‚ movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at @HollywoodInToto. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale is reflecting on his divorce from fellow recording artist Gwen Stefani‚ saying he mostly feels badly about how it’s affected his children. The 58-year-old rocker discussed his feelings during a recent episode of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ podcast “Amy and T.J‚” per Entertainment Weekly. “My parents were both married three times each — so very colorful background‚” Rossdale said. “And so I never thought I’d ever get divorced. So if there’s a simple shame in my life‚ it’s that.” Despite not being happy about having a divorce in his past‚ the lead singer also said be believes there are “no accidents” in life. “Life just unfolds how it should‚” he continued. “And whether that’s comfortable or uncomfortable‚ it just is what it is. It’s an easier philosophy to live by ‘cause it means you don’t sit in regret.” Rossdale married Stefani in 2002. Stefani filed for divorce in 2015‚ citing irreconcilable differences. It’s widely believed that Rossdale had an affair with the couple’s nanny‚ Mindy Mann‚ but the rock star has never confirmed that information publicly. The former couple shares three children together: Kingston‚ 17‚ Zuma‚ 15‚ and Apollo‚ 10. “It’d be nice if there was sort of more connection with the person who made them with me‚” Rossdale said‚ referring to his ex. “So‚ I feel bad for my kids‚ that’s it. That’s the overriding thing.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “The rest of it is‚ like‚ it comes with the territory‚” he said during the podcast interview. “And there’s been sort of other things….If I could be the most honest‚ that would be the most profound thing of‚ like‚ wish I could have just figured out a way to not have that in their lives.” Rossdale related the situation back to his own childhood. “It wasn’t fun for me to be from a broken home. I think in a way it gave me a career. So I don’t mind because I turned it around to sort of an interesting career path. But it can be quite debilitating for kids.” The singer also referenced Stefani’s relationship with country singer Blake Shelton. The two were married in 2021. “I go to a lot of events where there’s the other team‚ so to speak‚” he said‚ “and I just feel really proud of myself in my consistency as a father. I know in my heart that I’m super consistent. Yeah‚ of course‚ like everyone I’m flawed as hell and things didn’t go as perfect as I would have liked.” “It’s not my place to saying anything‚” Rossdale added. “I’m handcuffed because I would never want to overly say anything negative about their mom or stuff like that. It’s just not right.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson‚ a staunch supporter of the state of Israel‚ said he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress. Interviewed on CNBC’s “Squawk Box‚” Johnson also took aim at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for his incendiary comments last week which were harshly criticized in which he slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for new elections in Israel‚ saying‚ “Nobody expects Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence‚ preserve Israel’s credibility on the world stage‚ and work toward a two-state solution.” “Mr. Speaker‚ where are you on Ukraine aid‚ on aid for Israel?” “Squawk Box” host Joe Kernan asked. “I know you were considering inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress. I mean‚ staggering comments‚ I guess it’s one man’s opinion‚ but staggering comments from Majority Leader Schumer about the prime minister. Were you considering it? You spoke with the prime minister as recently as yesterday morning. Are you going to invite him?” “I would love to have him come and address a joint session of Congress‚” Johnson answered. “We’ll certainly extend an invitation; he invited me‚ and I’ve been invited to speak at the Knesset there. I think I would be the third U.S. Speaker in history to do that; it would be a great honor of mine. We’re just trying to work out schedules and all this.” Johnson turned to Schumer: “What Chuck Schumer did was almost staggering‚ just unbelievable. To suggest to our strongest ally in the Middle East‚ the only stable democracy‚ that he knows better how to run their democracy is just patently absurd. I mean‚ imagine if I came on your show this morning and called for a regime change in Ukraine in the middle of their crisis‚ fighting for their very survival. That’s what Israel’s facing right now‚ and for the leader of the Senate to say such a thing was just outrageous. And I think it was received that way in Israel; I don’t think they appreciate that very much‚ and it sends a terrible signal to our allies and our enemies around the world. So I wish Schumer would keep his comments to himself.” “Wouldn’t he have to buy in on the prime minister speaking to Congress? Do you know whether that — he wouldn’t say no‚ would he?” Kernan queried. “Well‚ I guess we’ll find out‚” Johnson replied. “Look‚ I’m the one who extends the invitations to speak in the House‚ and if we just have the House‚ that’s fine‚ too. But I think a big majority of that Senate would want to come and stand in support of Netanyahu and Israel. I think it’s a really‚ really critical time for that nation; they’re fighting for their very existence.” “We need to stand strong with them‚ and we’ve passed resolutions to do so‚” he continued. “I’ve attempted twice to get the Israel funding piece done; we will turn to the supplemental and all those issues immediately upon the appropriations being done‚ and as we’ve discussed‚ that’s what’s happening today and by the weekend. And so we’ll address that; we’ll look at it; we have lots of thoughtful conversations here on different routes to handle all of that. I won’t show all the cards this morning‚ but there are ideas‚ very thoughtful ideas‚ on how to do it. I think we’ll get the job done and we’ll project strength. Because‚ you know‚ we maintain peace through strength. That’s an old Reagan admonition and one that we still believe in.” Schumer later issued a statement saying‚ “I will always welcome the opportunity for the Prime Minister of Israel to speak to Congress in a bipartisan way.”

Former President Donald Trump said on Friday that he now has nearly $500 million cash on hand ahead of the Monday deadline to post bond for the $454 million judgment against him in the New York civil business fraud case. The former president’s lawyers requested a stay on the massive civil fraud judgment‚ which they said securing the bond for would be “a practical impossibly‚” but a New York appeals court rejected the request. Judge Arthur Engoron has ordered Trump to post the bond by Monday‚ Fox News reported. Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday morning that “through hard work‚ talent‚ and luck‚” he has nearly $500 million cash on hand‚ saying that he had “intended to use” the money for his 2024 presidential campaign. “The often overturned political hack judge on the rigged and corrupt A.G. case‚ where I have done nothing wrong‚ knew this‚ wanted to take it away from me‚ and that’s where and why he came up with the shocking number which‚ coupled with his crazy interest demand‚ is approximately $454‚000‚000‚” Trump wrote. “I did nothing wrong except win an election in 2016 that I wasn’t expected to win‚ did even better in 2020‚ and now lead‚ by a lot‚ in 2024. This is communism in America.” Trump added in a follow-up post‚ “No trial‚ no jury‚ no crime‚ no victim‚ only a crooked judge and a corrupt‚ Trump hating attorney general who takes her orders directly from the White House. Election interference at a level never seen before!!!” Engoron ruled in agreement with New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James last month after James brought civil charges against Trump‚ alleging the former president inflated his net worth and misled investors. In his judgment‚ Engoron ordered Trump to pay $350 million‚ which increased to $454 million‚ including interest‚ and also ordered Trump’s co-defendants to pay $10 million. Earlier this week‚ Trump blasted Engoron over the civil fraud judgment‚ saying he could be forced to sell his properties at “Fire Sale prices” to secure the bond. “Judge Engoron actually wants me to put up Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for the Right to Appeal his ridiculous decision. In other words‚ he is trying to take my Appellate Rights away from me when I have already won at the Appellate Division‚ but he refuses to accept their already made decision. Nobody has ever heard of anything like this before‚” Trump wrote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Trump’s lawyers said their client had attempted approaching around “30 surety companies through 4 separate brokers” with no success. “A bond requirement of this enormous magnitude — effectively requiring cash reserves approaching $1 billion … is unprecedented for a private company‚” the attorneys added in a legal filing.

President Joe Biden has avoided taking a simple mental evaluation because the White House wants to avoid exposing the severity of the president’s mental decline‚ according to Dr. Ben Carson. Carson is the former head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Trump and a highly-decorated neurosurgeon. The Yale-educated doctor said “it’s pretty obvious” watching Biden that the president’s mental acuity has fallen drastically in recent years. “Just look at the different interviews over the years and compare the way he speaks now to the way he spoke‚ you know‚ five years ago‚ ten years ago. Obviously‚ a big decline. That’s not something that is normal‚” Carson said in an interview with The Daily Wire. “There is a decline with aging and memory and various other things‚ but not to that degree. There is something else going on with him.” Carson said the president could easily be evaluated for his short term memory. The White House refuses to put the president through the test‚ however‚ because Biden would likely fail. “They’ll ask questions like‚ count down from 100 by 7s. They’ll ask you to name three objects‚ you can pick any three objects you want and tell them what they are‚ then they’ll ask you a whole bunch of other questions‚ and then they’ll say‚ ‘what were those three objects?’ just to test your short term memory‚” Carson said‚ explaining the lack of rigor in the test. “They’re not difficult questions … but I can pretty much guarantee you that he wouldn’t be able to do that.” Recent polls of Americans suggest that voters tend to agree with Carson’s observations about the president‚ or at least echo the doctor’s concerns. According to the results of a Deseret News/HarrisX poll released earlier this month‚ 63% of registered voters are concerned that the 81-year-old president is not mentally fit enough to perform the duties of a U.S. president. In polling results from last month‚ Biden did not perform any better. In a Quinnipiac University poll released on February 21‚ 64% of registered voters said Biden was not mentally fit enough to serve a second term. Just 34% said otherwise. In an NBC News poll from early February‚ three-quarters of voters‚ including half of Democrats‚ expressed concerns about the octogenarian president’s mental and physical health as he campaigns for another four years in office. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Age and fitness have become significant issues in the 2024 presidential race. Voters have expressed concerns about Biden’s opponent‚ former President Donald Trump‚ 77‚ as well‚ though not to the same degree. In the Deseret News/HarrisX‚ about half of voters‚ 51%‚ expressed concern about Trump’s cognitive ability.

Tricks and treachery may come into play when your dog is a picky eater. Connor and Michelle Metrailler explain their tried and true method for getting their stubborn goldendoodle to eat. The Metraillers live in Toronto with their dog‚ Zoey. Michelle describes her loveable pup as a fussy eater and “senile.” Zoey is 14 in human years but qualifies as a senior in dog years. If you say she is a spoiled dog‚ you would not be incorrect. @mickymets Senile dog problems ♬ original sound – Michelle Joanne In an interview with People‚ Michelle told them‚ “Zoey is on prescription food for her sensitive stomach‚ so she usually needs wet food on top.” The couple ran out of wet food and served up plain dry kibble one day. That was totally unacceptable to spoiled dog Zoey‚ who vocalized her distress. Image from TikTok. The trickery came into play as a desperate attempt to get Zoey to eat her kibble. It works. When the spoiled dog refuses her kibble‚ Connor reaches into the fridge‚ bringing out the trusty bottle of ranch dressing. Without opening it‚ he gives it a shake and passes the bottle over her food. Giving the bowl a shake after adding the pretend salad dressing‚ he places it back down into the feeding stand. Image from TikTok. Zoey happily moves over and begins munching the exact same kibble she spit out just moments before. Michelle describes Zoey as very smart. But fortunately‚ this spoiled dog hasn’t figured out the ranch dressing ruse yet. As soon as Connor set her bowl down‚ she walked over and got busy eating. We’re betting that you probably have your own tales of a spoiled dog. Please share with a friend who might need a little salad dressing on the side. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Spoiled Goldendoodle Won’t Eat Dog Food Unless It’s Covered In Pretend Ranch Dressing. appeared first on InspireMore.

Like the infamous Halley’s Comet‚ the devil comet is a rare sight. Also known as Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks‚ it takes about 71 years to complete a single orbit around the sun. Although it’s been getting closer to Earth recently‚ it’s just now becoming visible to those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact‚ tonight through the end of March will be our best viewing time! If you want to make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity‚ you’ll need to do a few things. First‚ if possible‚ you’ll want to go to an area away from lots of light. Next‚ you might need binoculars or a small telescope‚ depending on where you are. Experts Say Now is the Perfect Time to View the Rare Devil Comet Wikipedia “The comet will brighten a bit as it gets closer to the sun‚ and it should be visible to the naked eye low in the west about an hour after sunset‚” both Dr. Paul Chodas‚ manager of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies‚ and Davide Farnocchia‚ navigation engineer‚ at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory‚ share. Then‚ on April 8‚ something even more spectacular will happen. Because the devil comet will be about 25 degrees away from the sun‚ it’ll be visible during the total eclipse! The timing is incredibly rare‚ making the rest of this month and the next truly unforgettable! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Now’s The Best Time To See The Devil Comet! How To Catch The Once-In-A-Lifetime Sight appeared first on InspireMore.

Families at a special adoption event in Jacksonville‚ Florida‚ had good reason to feel fortunate this St. Patrick’s Day. Family Support Services held their very first “Shamrock Adoption Celebration‚” and it was a rousing success! 18 kids found great homes through the program. Some of those children were adopted in groups along with their siblings! In order to make the St. Patrick’s Day adoption event more festive‚ many prospective parents arrived wearing green. Kids enjoyed pots of “gold” (which were actually chocolate). Couple Heather and Rita Symons-Hall adopted five children during the Shamrock Adoption Celebration in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. They spoke with News4Jax‚ encouraging other parents looking to adopt to “hold on and have patience.” Screengrab from YouTube “The child might be ready for adoption‚ but emotionally‚ it’s an emotional roller coaster for them‚” said one of the new moms. “It’s an emotional roller coaster for yourself.” However‚ she also assured these families that “there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.” Screengrab from YouTube News4Jax also tells us that the St. Patrick’s Day event brought Family Support Services above and beyond their adoption goals for the year. What a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Pure Gold: 18 Kids Adopted During Heartwarming St. Patrick’s Day Event appeared first on InspireMore.