Among other things‚ this year marks the 85th anniversary of the remarkable number of classics produced in 1939‚ like The Wizard of Oz. And there are plenty of other notable film anniversaries in 2024.

The Cliff Notes version of the 2024 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination starts and ends with a bunch of Davids afraid to sling the rock at Goliath. They instead threw stones at one another as Goliath rolled boulders on them fighting down below. Wednesday’s CNN debate between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis showcased this bizarre commitment to the only-for-2024 commandment thou shalt not speak ill of the frontrunner. READ MORE from Daniel J. Flynn: Trump Appeal Obliterates Colorado Supreme Court Decision When served up a slowball to bash Donald Trump over the fence‚ DeSantis quickly pivoted to people not running against him in the primary: “But you know who else deserves to be criticized?” He felt more comfortable attacking the woman who occupied the debate stage with him but not the same ground within the Republican Party. “Nikki Haley‚” he explained‚ “anytime the going gets tough‚ anytime people come down‚ she caves.” When DeSantis highlighted her record on Social Security‚ she responded‚ “You’re just so desperate.” Though somewhat less reticent than DeSantis regarding criticisms of Trump‚ she repeatedly called the Florida governor a liar and plugged a DeSantisLies.com website 16 times. But when the CNN hosts similarly steered her in the direction of going negative on the frontrunner‚ she‚ like DeSantis‚ demurred: “Don’t ask me what President Trump thinks. You need to have him on this debate stage and ask him for yourself.” Jim Antle wrote earlier this week that “the criticism of Trump is coming a little easier and with less apology from his GOP foes‚ especially DeSantis and Haley” but questioned whether it all amounted to too little and arrived too late. The also-rans to the also-rans displayed this trepidation to varying degrees. Vivek Ramaswamy‚ the most faithful devotee of thou shalt not speak ill of the frontrunner‚ famously held up a “Nikki=CORRUPT” sign during one debate. Even Chris Christie‚ the one major Republican candidate showing no phobia of criticizing Trump‚ offered a negative assessment of Haley‚ the woman he endorsed‚ as he dropped out this week. “She’s going to get smoked‚” he assessed on a hot mic‚ “we both know it.” (READ MORE from Daniel J. Flynn: Christie Wins His Campaign) Why did not Ron DeSanctimonious call his opponent Captain Chaos‚ emphasize how his out-of-control deficit spending and economically illiterate push for zero fed interest rates helped lead to the inflation spike‚ and speak endlessly on how Trump handed Anthony Fauci enormous power by casting him in the starring role at press conferences? He feared alienating the Trump voters he sought to somehow capture without criticizing their favored candidate. Walking this tightrope in this way always ended in him landing hard on the circus floor. What explains the gun-shy manner of the other aspirants? Ramaswamy ran for vice president or some Pete Buttigieg–type office in the second Trump administration. Throwback Pence ran in 2024 for the 1996 Republican nomination. Haley ran in 2024 for the 2028 Republican nomination. Everyone’s hidden agenda conflicted with their stated agenda of running to win this time around. Who of the also-rans won? Chris Christie did. He ostensibly ran for president. He really ran for token Republican on panel television shows. He deliberately appealed then not to Republicans in Iowa or New Hampshire but to the registered Democrats in New York and Washington who cast talking heads. That job pays better than the presidency. Larry Bird famously asked a stunned locker room full of fellow competitors at the 1988 NBA All-Star Weekend three-point competition‚ “Who’s coming in second?” Donald Trump never made such an audacious proclamation. His competitors meekly resigned themselves to such a fate before they even announced. So why cannot scribblers write the postmortem before the first contest? People who run for second never come in first. The post The Premature Postmortem of the 2024 Campaign for the GOP Nomination appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

As discussions of greatest-ever go‚ this one’s pretty clear-cut. There’s always room for debate — sports talk radio wouldn’t exist without it — but the best college football coach of all time (the GOAT) has to be the guy in the straw hat in Tuscaloosa‚ Alabama‚ who on Wednesday night hung up his whistle and removed his headset for the last time. READ MORE: Bill Belichick Enters the Football Twilight Zone Nick Saban exits the game waving in the face of college football a ridiculous résumé: seven national championships — one at LSU‚ then six in 17 years at Alabama. His Alabama teams have been ranked first in the country at some point in 14 of the past 15 seasons — indeed‚ it seems‚ before playing a single snap‚ one could safely pencil in the Tide into the college football playoff field. Bama under Saban provided a pipeline to the NFL; 49 of his players have been first-round draft picks. And he built this football factory employing what he termed “The Process.” His very visible partner and wife summed it up succinctly: The rules for the game of football may change‚ but the “process” will never go out of style: hard work‚ discipline‚ the relentless pursuit of a worthy goal‚ not cutting corners‚ and doing things the right way for the sake of constant personal improvement‚ not for the scoreboard. Other greats‚ as worthy as they were — the Frank Leahys‚ the Bernie Biermans‚ the Woody Hayeses‚ even the Bear Bryants — notched their national trophies under far-less-straitened conditions: no scholarship limits‚ nine- or 10-game schedules‚ and highly esoteric crowning of national championships by multiple panels. Saban did his with the 85-scholarship quota while managing the corporation-level‚ multimillion-dollar‚ highly pressurized organization that is today’s major college football program. Recruiting is more competitive now; the game is more complicated; media demands are far more onerous. And he won those seven crystal footballs in what is‚ without argument‚ the toughest football conference in the land. And‚ unlike his more rigid peers‚ he has adapted his coaching philosophy to changes in the game. Defense used to win championships — the phrase was one of the more ironclad clichés of the game — and it did for Saban as well‚ in 2009‚ 2011‚ and 2012. But then the game shifted to the other side of the ball; hitting was curtailed for fear of concussions at the same time hurry-up offenses and run-pass options put extraordinary pressure on defenses‚ especially secondaries. Said Saban to ESPN in 2020:  It used to be that good defense beats good offense…. It used to be if you had a good defense‚ other people weren’t going to score. You were always going to be in the game. I’m telling you. It ain’t that way anymore. Saban responded by signing great‚ versatile quarterbacks (Jalen Hurts‚ Tua Tagovailoa‚ Bryce Young) and exemplary receivers while dispatching play-calling duties to offensive innovators like Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian. More national championships followed. But he leaves the game trailing behind him more than on-the-field trophies. He has planted a coaching tree with branches that extend from coast to coast. The builder of the game’s current top program‚ Kirby Smart at Georgia‚ spent nine years as an assistant at Bama. Sarkisian‚ coach of newly invigorated Texas‚ which made the College Football Playoff this past year‚ also spent time under Saban at Bama. Jimbo Fisher and Will Muschamp served under him at LSU. The names of other former assistants constitute a Who’s Who of current standout mentors: Kiffin (Ole Miss)‚ Dan Lanning (Oregon)‚ Billy Napier (Florida)‚ and Mario Cristobal (Miami)‚ among others. Some of these owe more than mere football tutelage to the retiring Saban. Kiffin‚ after multiple high-profile bomb-outs‚ was given a second chance as an assistant on Saban’s staff. Sarkisian‚ after spectacular off-the-field troubles‚ was rehabilitated at Bama. Neither has Saban’s salary escaped notice. He was the highest-paid college coach in 2023‚ pulling down $11.4 million. Much anguish is typically expended on college coaches’ salaries‚ but Saban‚ and other highly paid football mentors‚ are worth every penny. The face of many universities — as much as it is lamented — is their athletic department‚ and the face of many athletic departments is the football program. Success on the football field equates to a public relations bonanza — and‚ frequently‚ higher enrollment. Alabama’s student population jumped from 25‚580 in 2007‚ when Saban arrived‚ to 38‚645 in 2022‚ a rise of 51 percent. In 2013‚ Dr. Robert Witt‚ Alabama’s chancellor‚ told 60 Minutes‚ “Nick Saban is the best financial investment this university has ever made.” But he’s gone now — gone to earning seven figures sitting on a pundit panel on the tube‚ no doubt — and the question becomes: Who will be Saban’s successor? Who will be the guy who follows the guy? History has not been kind to that guy. From “Clean” Gene Bartow succeeding John Wooden at UCLA‚ to Phil Bengtson‚ who‚ in addition to everybody everywhere mispronouncing his name “Beng-ston” rather than “Bengt-son‚” had the misfortune of following Vince Lombardi in Green Bay‚ the guy who follows the guy has faced an uphill struggle that often fails. Think of Ron Zook‚ Ray Goff‚ Gary Gibbs‚ and Earle Bruce‚ among countless others. Much better is it to be the guy who follows the guy who follows the guy. But that guy is a couple of years down the road. The question of who will be Saban’s successor is now‚ and it had the private-jet trackers out in force‚ as internet sleuths canvassed flight plans and charted tail numbers attempting to learn which head coach happened to be flying into Tuscaloosa at any given moment. The selection had to be made quickly‚ to keep the current roster from jumping into the transfer portal and to keep the recruiting class onboard. The names that were thrown around included most particularly successful coaches with Bama ties — Sarkisian‚ Kiffin‚ and Dabo Swinney of Clemson were all mentioned. But the Bama power brokers went outside the box and selected Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer‚ fresh off a national title-game appearance. He will have a pretty big straw hat to fill. The post Nick Saban Hangs Up His Straw Hat appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

“Fat‚ drunk‚ and stupid is no way to go through life‚ son.”  Such were the immortal words of wisdom of the grim Dean Wormer to Kent “Flounder” Dorfman‚ the — well — fat‚ drunk‚ and stupid frat boy in the iconic 1978 National Lampoon film Animal House. Those aren’t the exact three adjectives I’d invoke to describe the National Football League‚ but they sort of rhyme with my quaint description of the league as greedy‚ woke‚ and stupid. Or maybe I’m just looking for an excuse to quote from Animal House. But let’s move on‚ starting with “woke.”  READ MORE: Bill Belichick Enters the Football Twilight Zone That the NFL has become woke is beyond dispute. Pick your politically correct absurdity. Perhaps “Pride Month.” Of course‚ the NFL season is non-existent in June‚ the high holy month of American liberalism — Pride Month. There are no NFL games nor even training camp. The NFL draft is in the past (April). Being effectively inactive (football lingo there)‚ there’s no reason for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and boys to pause every June to celebrate transgenderism‚ other than spinelessly submitting to an annual shakedown by bullying LGBTQ activists. Whatever the reason‚ the NFL submits. And‚ hence‚ guys who hunt deer and drunk beer and watch football get gagged with NFL rainbow flags in June. They’re treated to the bizarre “Football is gay” ads that the NFL’s Manhattan offices came up with. (Note to progressives: “Football” can’t be homosexual. You folks could use a good lesson on the birds and the bees.) Likewise annoying is the “END RACISM” campaign‚ whereby every NFL endzone displays those giant letters. What could be more absurd than preaching END RACISM to a stadium of 70‚000 white people paying $500 tickets to cheer fanatically for multi-million-dollar black athletes? Whilst wearing the jerseys of those athletes? Picture my Steelers household on any given gameday: There are three boys and one girl and myself wearing black-and-gold jerseys. My youngest son‚ who’s black‚ wears a Najee Harris or Ben Roethlisberger jersey. Another wears T.J. Watt or Chase Claypool. My daughter? Kenny Pickett. Another son wears James Conner or George Pickens. Me‚ I’m old school — the 1970s Steelers — so I’m wearing Jack Lambert or my Franco Harris “Immaculate Reception” shirt. As some readers will recognize‚ some of these players are black and some white. We don’t care. The point is that my NFL-watching household‚ like all of them‚ is hardly a coven of white supremacists. With the END RACISM motto pushed so incessantly‚ you’d think NFL stadiums were filled with closet neo-Nazis wearing white hoods. I could go on about the wokeness. I shall proceed with the greed‚ which connects to my claim of stupidity. The NFL has nearly ruined its product with excessive advertising. Games are effectively unwatchable thanks to the obscene amount of commercials. It’s a shame. Rather than broadcasting astute analysis or showing something that has to do with football on the field‚ the TV networks immediately jump straight to commercials at any opportunity (many of the ads are insufferably idiotic and themselves woke‚ clearly not catered to the typical football-watching guy). At my house‚ we actually record games or start them late to skip through commercials. (READ MORE from Paul Kengor: The American Spectator’s Conservative Counterculture) Ironically‚ the commercials can be intolerable even when you’re watching the game in person‚ because you’re forced to endure lengthy‚ mindless TV timeouts that leave the stadium in a stupor — often a drunk stupor for about half the stadium‚ given all the fans boozing it up at tailgate parties before kickoff. The TV timeouts suck the life out of the crowd. Of course‚ the NFL does so damn much advertising because it can’t get enough damned money. Quarterbacks are signing nine-figure contracts. Yes‚ that’s nine-figures‚ as in‚ say‚ like $250 million. How do you generate that kind of money? One method is egregious advertising — nearly enough to push your audience away. Now the NFL has come up with a new novelty to make yet more money: It has moved to a 17-game schedule. And that brings me to the point about NFL stupidity‚ which we all shall witness this weekend. Seventeen games are way too many. Sixteen had been too many. For many years it was 14‚ which was optimal. We’re seeing two crucial ways in which the longer season is stupidly counterproductive. First‚ injuries. Football is a brutal sport. Only the rarest athletes survive even a 14-game schedule unscathed‚ whether through torn ACLs‚ Achilles‚ groins‚ or multiple concussions hazardous not only to the health but brain. My Steelers will be playing the Buffalo Bills this Sunday morning without the best defensive player in football‚ T.J. Watt‚ who suffered a bad knee injury in the third quarter of the 17th game of the season last weekend.  That Steelers–Bills game brings me to another reason why the 14-game schedule was far more optimal: weather. It’s quite possible that the Steelers–Bills game this Sunday will be played in a blizzard. To be sure‚ nothing beats football in the snow. I went to the University of Pittsburgh in the late 1980s (an era of great football there). My roommates and I would march to the lawn of the Cathedral of Learning during late-night snowstorms to engage in gridiron battles. We loved it. But the weather this weekend isn’t about a not unusual snowstorm during a Buffalo Bills game. The weather will be horribly‚ menacingly dangerous at other venues. The forecast for the suntanned Miami Dolphins hiking to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is downright frightening. It’s so severe that‚ frankly‚ the NFL ought to consider cancelling the game for the safety of not only the players but the fans. Then again‚ if the greedy NFL were to cancel the game (an unacceptable loss in TV revenue‚ eh‚ boys?)‚ when would it reschedule? The options aren’t good because this is the first of multiple weeks of NFL playoffs that will not end until mid-February. This year‚ the Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 11. I should add that the 17-game season is extended even longer by the fact that the NFL permits 14 teams (almost half the 32 teams in the league) to make the playoffs. This article is posted on Jan. 13‚ 2024‚ the first day of the start of the playoffs. The first Super Bowl in which my Steelers played‚ Super Bowl IX‚ occurred on Jan. 12‚ 1975‚ in warmer New Orleans‚ Louisiana (it was actually cold at Tulane Stadium that day; after all‚ it was January). Think about that: In 1975‚ the season ended on Jan. 12. In 2024‚ the playoffs start on Jan. 13. Lesson to be learned: Playing NFL games deep into winter is highly ill-advised. Why does the NFL do it? Money. Money that it can’t get enough of. Oh‚ by the way‚ these NFL geniuses want to move to an 18-game schedule. That’s not just stupidity but greedy stupidity. Greedy‚ woke‚ and stupid. That’s no way to go through life‚ son. The post NFL: Greedy‚ Woke‚ and Stupid appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Next month marks the two-year anniversary of the death of America’s funniest writer‚ P.J. O’Rourke. The world of journalism is a little grayer and a lot duller since then. It’s like being on a laughter diet. He knew better than everyone that any political contest needs to be approached from just the right distance: close enough to understand the issue; far enough away to be able to disengage and laugh at it.  READ MORE from Itxu Díaz: Biden Lashes Out at the Half of the Country That Refuses to Vote for Him O’Rourke was not just a humorist. He wasn’t just an insightful columnist‚ either. His writing was a perfect cocktail of intellectual intensity and a smile‚ and that made the conservative ideas he carried like a flag reach unexpected places and audiences‚ explaining the issues in a way anyone could understand; he did more for the spread of economic libertarianism in the six paragraphs of an article than did thousands of books by prestigious economic experts. This is not to the detriment of the experts but to O’Rourke’s credit. The man from Toledo approached all issues in the same way: He took his distance in order to understand people before systems. Thus‚ he understood the economy from the taxpayers’ pockets‚ foreign policy from the direct testimony of the enemy‚ the immorality of certain politicians from the most personal matters of each one‚ because he knew that often the crotch is more telling than 1‚000 speeches.  After all‚ everything that concerns us is about people‚ including politics‚ economics‚ and freedom; ideas‚ associations‚ and parties are not free. Free is each and every person and nothing else. And as a good connoisseur of the human soul‚ he was very clear about the Left’s main mistake: “Neither conservatives nor humorists believe man is good. But left-wingers do.” He was so immensely talented that he was able to defeat all environmentalism in a single sentence: “Everybody wants to save the earth; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes.” To politicians: “People who are wise‚ good‚ smart‚ skillful‚ or hardworking don’t need politics; they have jobs.” To the government: “A little government and a little luck are necessary in life‚ but only a fool trusts either of them.” To the apocalyptics: “The world is going to hell. All we can do is look good on the trip.” To socialism: “To grasp the true meaning of socialism‚ imagine a world where everything is designed by the post office‚ even the sleaze.” To feminism: “We got over feminism‚ too. At least women did‚ as soon as they were hired for those high-prestige jobs that only men used to have. It turns out that work sucks.” To Republicans: “Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work‚ and then they get elected and prove it.” To the health Nazis: “If I give up drinking‚ smoking‚ and fatty foods‚ I can add ten years to my life. Trouble is‚ I’ll add it to the wrong end.” To Western demagogues: “African famine is not a visitation of fate. It is largely man-made‚ and the men who made it are largely Africans.” To Obama’s lies: “The good news is that‚ according to the Obama administration‚ the rich will pay for everything. The bad news is that‚ according to the Obama administration‚ you’re rich.” And to teetotalers: “Never Refuse Wine. It is an odd but universally held opinion that anyone who doesn’t drink must be an alcoholic.” The list would be endless. He always hid a couple of laughs among the truth‚ and he always hid a bit of truth among the laughter.  I already said in his obituary here in The American Spectator that‚ when he died‚ I was working on the first O’Rourke anthology in Spanish — today it is almost finished; I trust it will be released this year — and I dreamed of meeting him on the occasion of its presentation. Death came as a bad joke at the beginning of the show. But two years later‚ I have understood that everything is in his work‚ that he is in his work much more than other authors. (READ THE PIECE: P.J. O’Rourke: A Free Soul and the Funniest Writer in America) We miss him. Fortunately‚ I will soon be able to pay him a small tribute in the United States‚ and soon I will also be able to tell you about it here. In the meantime‚ when the press gets boring‚ when current events urge you to melancholy‚ and when the political news seems to have no solution‚ I go back to his articles and books and discover that even the darkest problems deserve a laugh that puts them in perspective before continuing to write about them. Otherwise we run the risk of taking ourselves too seriously. And the truth is that our primary vocation is not to save the world or fix all its problems but to save our own souls. We leave it to the leftists to try to fix everything else. Translated by Joel Dalmau. The post Two Years Without the Audacity and Laughter of P.J. O’Rourke appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

There aren’t many platforms left on the internet that protect free speech and encourage the exchange of ideas. Social media platforms like Facebook‚ Instagram‚ and YouTube have all de-platformed and demonetized users they believe hold extremist views‚ so when the Atlantic took aim at Substack back in November‚ accusing the platform of making money off of Nazi newsletters‚ everyone expected it to cave to the accusations. (READ MORE: Colorado’s Fascist Four Unify GOP Behind Trump) But Substack didn’t. Instead‚ the whole incident sparked a debate between writers on and off the platform over who should be moderating extremist views — the host platform‚ or the writers‚ readers‚ and thinkers engaging with ideas on it. “Let the writers and readers moderate‚ not the social media platforms. And don’t have one big town square we all have to be exposed to‚ have a bunch of smaller ones that we can choose to be part of‚” Elle Griffin wrote in a statement signed by popular writers‚ including Richard Dawkins and Barri Weiss. (READ MORE: Poland’s Liberal-Democracy Has Adopted Martial Law) That doesn’t mean the platform hasn’t shut down some publications — it prohibits porn and calls to violence — but it has stood firm. Watch the video to get the whole story! WATCH more from Aubrey Gulick: The Supreme Court Will Hear Case on Abortion Pill. Here’s Why That Matters. Kerry Promises to Get Rid of Coal Faster. That’s Not Good. It’s Time to Stop Normalizing Suicide The post Does Substack Have a Nazi Problem? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

This year’s Golden Globes‚ once the most lighthearted and humorous award show in the Hollywood pantheon‚ reminded us just how irrelevant — and unfunny — the entertainment industry has become.  What is often dubbed “Hollywood’s best party” quickly became its biggest flop. Minutes into the opening dialogue from first-time host Jo Koy‚ the audience‚ both in person and at home‚ realized this would be about as much fun as binge-watching Netflix’s documentary on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  READ MORE: Britain’s Woke Tempests Target Even James Bond The newbie comedian‚ who most had never heard of until Sunday night‚ was hired just two weeks prior to awards show. His lack of preparation was evident‚ but so was his lack of professionalism. Like any good victim‚ he blamed the producers. “Yo‚ I got the gig 10 days ago‚” he proclaimed‚ and not in a tone to elicit any sort of empathy. “You want a perfect monologue? Yo‚ shut up!” he cried after his multiple jokes about the Barbie movie failed to garner anything more than an uncomfortable chuckle: “And Barbie is [about] a plastic doll with big boobies.” Ummmm… It’s hard to believe the show’s writers would allow such an immature‚ devastatingly dull line‚ but‚ apparently‚ they did‚ because Koy also blamed the writers for all the barbs that didn’t land: “I wrote some of these‚ and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.” Yikes. Not exactly what one would call a gracious host. Understandably‚ the 52-year-old comedian must have been under immense pressure as a first-time host in a room full of peers and a national audience of 9.4 million viewers — up 50 percent from last year‚ but still a dramatic decline from a few years ago.  I wanted to give the guy some grace‚ so I watched some of his other skits. Nope. Still not funny. Which comes as no surprise. Very few comedians are funny these days. They’re not allowed to be because the truth is no longer tolerated. As many comedians — from George Carlin to Dave Chappelle — have asserted‚ funnymen are the truth tellers‚ prophets‚ even. They make bitter poisons palatable. Comedians help us to look at the darkest parts of humanity and ourselves without dropping into deep despair. When you can no longer tell the truth‚ you stop being funny. You resort to jokes about “boobies” and base‚ lewd behavior rather than intelligent insights. As one 2013 article in Esquire in described‚ comedians are “[t]akers of liberty‚ givers of offense[;] their hostility is deliberate‚ their cruelty relentless — freeing us to laugh at our weakness‚ pain‚ and rage. No wonder we repay them with our love.”  Not only with our love‚ but also with generous paychecks. Chappelle earns $20 million from Netflix any time he chooses to do a performance for the streaming platform. He has done at least five specials since 2016. Despite fierce backlash for his recent jokes about the transgender religion‚ Chappelle isn’t backing down. In fact‚ in his most recent show‚ The Dreamer‚ he doubles down. He recounts a story about how excited he was to meet for the first time Jim Carey‚ who‚ portraying the legendary comic Andy Kaufman‚ wouldn’t break character while shooting Man on the Moon. Chappelle describes‚ at length‚ how disappointed he was knowing it was Carey but having to pretend he was someone else. You wonder where he is going with the whole bit until he finally delivers the punchline in the way only Dave Chappelle can: “I say all that to say — that’s how trans people make me feel.” The crowd goes wild. The clip went viral within minutes.  That kind of laughter‚ particularly these days‚ is gold. But very few have the courage to even get near the golden calves of today’s insane culture obsessed with gender‚ sexuality‚ politics‚ and microaggressions — all ripe fodder for belly-aching laughs.  Ricky Gervais has always been funny because he is so politically incorrect‚ serving cutting insults to those closest to him — actors. In fact‚ the last time the Golden Globes saw a funny host‚ it had Gervais at the podium. Whenever I’m in need of a good laugh‚ I still watch his iconic 2020 opening monologue‚ which chided Hollywood’s elite for consorting with Jeffrey Epstein‚ as well as for their blatant hypocrisy.  “Well‚ you say you’re woke‚ but the companies you work for‚ I mean‚ unbelievable‚” he ranted. “Apple‚ Amazon‚ Disney — if ISIS started a streaming service‚ you’d call your agent‚ wouldn’t ya?” He didn’t stop there: So if you do win an award tonight‚ don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech‚ alright? You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg. So if you win‚ right‚ come up‚ accept your little award‚ thank your agent and your God‚ and f*** off. The reactions in the room were priceless. Needless to say‚ some did not appreciate his facts.  Those at the top seem to be fine with jokes as long as they’re not the butt of them. Taylor Swift‚ who is at the prime of her career‚ demonstrated no graciousness whatsoever at what may have been the only funny moment Koy had all night.  “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL?” he asked. “On the Golden Globes‚ we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”  It was funny because it was true. Swift did not agree. The camera panned to reveal a look that would have turned anyone to stone.  Taylor Swift reacts to host Jo Koy’s joke at the Golden Globes (Page Six/YouTube) Predictably‚ the Guardian published a piece slamming the two most popular‚ and likely most wealthy‚ stand-ups with the headline “Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais sink to new depths‚” referring to their jokes about what many now refer to as “the oppressed.”  While it’s difficult to get viewership for shows on Netflix (they don’t disclose those statistics)‚ it’s safe to say the studio has made a solid bet with Chappelle. His most recent special is currently at No. 2 in Netflix’s top 10‚ with many clips from the show flooding social media.  In an ironic twist‚ Gervais’ current show‚ Armageddon‚ won a Golden Globe this year for best performance in stand-up. As if to demonstrate how little Gervais cares‚ he wasn’t even present to accept the award. According to the Guardian‚ those accomplishments don’t constitute success. The byline on the article describes the men as “two once-funny comedians continuing to punch down in a desperate quest for relevance.”  Their recent accolades would suggest they are actually quite relevant. And that is what comedians do — punch. They punch down‚ up‚ sideways‚ and any which way they can to give us some reprieve from a world that seems all too tragic these days. But this is what Hollywood and‚ indeed‚ much of our society has become — a humorless minority without so much as a hint of humility. While we used to laugh with them‚ now we just laugh at them.  The post It’s Globe-fficial: Hollywood Has Lost Its Sense of Humor appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Of all of the litigation Trump faces across the country‚ Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis’ RICO case in Fulton County was perhaps the scariest — but not anymore. The discovery that Willis and attorney Nathan Wade were dating both before and after she hired him as a special prosecutor has landed her in hot water. On this episode of The Spectacle podcast‚ hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss both the corruption at the Fulton County courthouse and the shady business that seems to have been conducted at the election booths amid bursting water lines. Order Scott’s new book‚ Racism‚ Revenge and Ruin: It’s All Obama‚ here. Read Scott’s commentary here: The Devil Just Went Down in Georgia Read Scott’s and Melissa’s writing here and here. Listen to The Spectacle with Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on Spotify. Watch The Spectacle with Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on Rumble.  The post <;i>;The Spectacle<;/i>; Ep. 58: Secret Boyfriends and Corruption: Georgia RICO Case Isn’t So Scary Now appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

A Manifesto on Diversity‚ Equity and Inclusion (DEI)