Director Justin Folk understands why people might liken his film “Am I Racist?” to the 2006 comedy “Borat.” "Borat" found Sacha Baron Cohen going under cover as a boorish Kazakhstani. “Am I Racist?” follows Matt Walsh of “What Is a Woman?” fame posing as a DEI “expert.” Both deploy improv shtick in the “Candid Camera” mold. Each is uniquely hilarious. The director insists his team didn’t take the DEI proponents out of context. Folk sees a critical difference between the two. “Sacha Baron Cohen set out to make fun of regular, everyday Americans. Yes, it can feel a bit mean at times, but at the same time it’s very funny,” Folk tells Align. “What Matt does is different. He’s not making fun of people. He’s making fun of bad ideas. ... These are not personal attacks. He’s after the ideas they’re propagating to the public.” “Am I Racist?” is the first Daily Wire production debuting in theaters. The docu-comedy finds Walsh interviewing “White Fragility” author Robin DiAngelo and other DEI luminaries. He’s nominally in disguise, courtesy of a man bun and a herringbone jacket. The point is to target the woke mindset, under attack across the culture in recent months, with humor. “People are opened up to ideas when they laugh,” Folk says. “People are so tense over the issue of race. It’s important to find some commonality and lighten the mood.” Walsh seems like a curious person to do just that. He’s a stoic presence whose strong Catholic faith infuses his podcast musings. On-screen, his unflappable demeanor is the perfect fit for a project like “Am I Racist?” “[Matt Walsh] does deadpan better than anybody else I’ve ever seen. That allows him to introduce insanity into a situation without it being picked up on, without giving the tell,” he says. "He’s able to go all in into a moment without forecasting that it’s a joke.” Folk and Walsh originally teamed up for 2022’s “What Is a Woman?” That documentary infected the mainstream and put the title on the lips of many Americans. The film’s brief appearance on X generated nearly 200 million views, according to one report. Folk dismissed the idea of a sequel but wanted to keep his partnership with Walsh going. The duo settled on race, another “untouchable” subject. Audiences may wonder how Folk’s crew captured the sequences from the film. Yes, it’s a brand of awkward comedy that dates back decades, but they ingratiated themselves with groups that wouldn’t normally rub elbows with Walsh. Folk describes the process. “Everything we do with these people is exactly what we told them we would do,” he says. “We’re making a movie about anti-racism. ... We’re coming to them as experts. Can you enlighten us? They agreed to do that in front of the cameras.” The director insists his team didn’t take the DEI proponents out of context. Nor would his subjects backpedal on what’s said on-screen, he suspects. “I do believe the things that these people say in the film they would 100% stand behind, even today,” he says. Several people featured in the film, including DiAngelo, have since gone dark on X. Talk about "White Fragility"! The rare documentary can have an outsized impact on the culture. Al Gore’s 2006 film “An Inconvenient Truth” changed the way many Americans view climate change, no matter where you stand on the issue. Folk hopes “Am I Racist?” has a similarly outsized impact on the culture. “DEI is full of toxic ideas. It’s divisive. Personally, I think it should be illegal,” he says, citing the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibiting race-based preferences. “The timing is right for a film like this.” “What Is a Woman?” rocked the culture while mostly living behind a paywall. “Am I Racist?” debuts in theaters nationwide September 13, 2024. That matters, says Folk, who believes the multiplex is key to getting the message beyond the online conservative bubble — “so we’re not just talking to ourselves."

Disney and subsidiary Lucasfilm are being sued for the allegedly-unauthorized use of actor Peter Cushing's likeness in a 2016 Star Wars film. For "Rogue One," released in December 2016, Disney's Lucasfilm resurrected Cushing 22 years after his death to reprise his role as evildoer Grand Moff Tarkin. The studio reconstructed old footage from his appearance in the 1977 Star Wars original "A New Hope."Cushing died in 1994 at age 81 from prostate cancer but allegedly signed an agreement the year before.As reported by the Times, the actor signed an agreement that his likeness could not be used without the expressed permission of his friend and movie producer Kevin Francis. The agreement was apparently signed while the two were preparing to make a made-for-TV movie that was never completed.Disney claimed however, that it did not believe permission was required to recreate Cushing due to the terms of his contract from his original appearance, as it pertains to the use of special effects.Disney was reportedly contacted by Cushing's agent, who facilitated a payment to the actor's estate in the amount of £28,000, or just under $37,000.'In an area of developing law it is very difficult to decide where the boundaries might lie.'Francis is seeking $650,000 in damages, Futurism reported, after a judge in the English High Court has allowed the lawsuit to continue. Disney attempted to dismiss the case in December 2023 but was denied by Master Francesca Kaye, who said it should go to trial.Judge Tom Mitcheson also denied Disney's appeal and said he was "far from persuaded" that Francis would succeed but added that his case was not "unarguable.""I am also not persuaded that the case is unarguable to the standard required to give summary judgment or to strike it out," the judge said. "In an area of developing law it is very difficult to decide where the boundaries might lie in the absence of a full factual enquiry."The lawsuit also named Cushing's estate and his former representation, Associated International Management, as defendants.The Star Wars studio has, of course, used the likeness of other actors since their passing, including Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia. The actress died in 2016 but appeared in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" using previously unused footage.Lucasfilm has also digitally aged down still-living star Mark Hamill for his subsequent Luke Skywalker appearances.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The University of Southern California is the first college athletic program in the country to partner with a cannabis company after striking a deal with Cookies.The USC Trojans announced a partnership with the brand owned by Gilbert Milam Jr., a Billboard-charting rapper and entrepreneur who goes by the name Berner.'Cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug.'Cookies will partner with the USC football team as well as the men's and women's basketball teams, CBS Sports reported.As Business Wire noted, fans will see Cookies' integration on the sports teams' digital channels while Cookies will also provide exclusive promotional items and tailgate experiences.The announcement comes just a few months after the NCAA decided to remove cannabis from its banned substances list."Cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug and that a harm-reduction approach to cannabis is best implemented at the school level," the NCAA committee said.The Cookies CEO said he is thrilled to partner with such an iconic athletic department at USC."California is our home state and for Cookies to be involved with a premier athletic program, in the oldest private college in the state of California, is incredibly exciting for us," Berner said in a statement. "We are honored and excited to be a sponsor and Trojans supporter alongside other globally recognized brands. Fight on!"The San Francisco-based company has received several healthy valuations in the last few years, ranging from from $150 million to upward of $1 billion.Vice president and general manager of USC Sports Properties Drew DeHart called Cookies an "innovative brand" and a "global leader in CBD."He added that the company was "deep in life-style culture and wellness."Berner has had an interesting career path, partnering with rappers like Wiz Khalifa for long-term music ventures while facing lawsuits that have alleged bad business practices.The rapper has also accused website Benzinga of publishing an AI-generated interview with him. After Milam Jr. himself declared the interview to be "not real," a reporter asked him if any of the article's quotes could be attributed to him."Absolutely not ! Not one word is mine," the rapper replied on X. "That's why I've always done my own quotes or interviews in my own voice. That ain't me at all," he added.The entrepreneur has prided himself with being transparent and has often tried to expose fans to shadow-banning and social media bias, stating that allegedly that his content has been hidden and deleted on Meta platforms due to the nature of his business.In an Instagram post, Berner called it "epic" to see his brand alongside companies such as Coca-Cola, Monster, and United Airlines as USC partners.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A California man went on a violent rampage during a recent Frontier Airlines flight, according to the Department of Justice. After spending the weekend in Disneyland with his daughter, the man allegedly attacked the flight crew and screamed: "This airplane is going down!"Charles Angel Salva of Fremont has been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. He appeared Thursday in federal court.According to court documents, Salva told police he assaulted the flight attendants because he didn't want anyone to know he was a pedophile and that he had been hearing triggering voices.Salva was on Frontier Airlines flight 3581, which departed Monday from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana and was scheduled to land at the San Francisco International Airport. Shortly after takeoff — while the airplane was increasing altitude and under 10,000 feet — the flight crew noticed oxygen masks in one row at the middle of the aircraft were out of the overhead compartment. Flight attendants discovered Salva had his hand stuck in the overhead compartment.A passenger allegedly told investigators that Salva appeared claustrophobic, and it seemed as though he desperately wanted to exit the airplane.Salva allegedly began yelling obscenities at the flight crew. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Salva screamed, “We are all going to hell!” and, “This airplane is going down!” Salva reportedly ran toward the rear of the plane as flight attendants attempted to restrain him. Salva purportedly attempted to choke a flight attendant, leaving two small marks on the victim’s neck. The Daily Mail reported that while he was allegedly choking the airline employee, Salva said, "I’m going to choke this b****."The unruly passenger then pushed another member of the flight staff "with force" and said he was going to kill everybody, according to the affidavit.Passengers helped restrain Salva. He allegedly broke out of flex cuffs and had to be restrained with a seatbelt. The DOJ said Salva kicked a flight attendant roughly six times in the leg, which caused bruising and swelling that required medical attention.The flight had to be diverted to the Ontario International Airport because of the alleged outburst. Once the plane touched down, Salva was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. A passenger told investigators they were flying back to San Francisco with Salva and his 3-year-old daughter after spending the weekend at Disneyland, Fox News noted, adding that court documents state Salva on Sunday left his daughter with the unnamed passenger and their family and then disappeared. Fox News added that the unnamed passenger said the Anaheim Police Department called saying Salva had been found covered in sewage at a liquor store.The news outlet added that Salva reportedly told investigators, "I’m a child molester," and that he had molested his 3-year-old daughter multiple times before losing his custody rights. He allegedly told police that he believed everyone was trying to get him to admit his crimes, so he tried to pull the emergency flight button in an attempt to cause the airplane to crash. According to court documents, Salva told police he assaulted the flight attendants because he didn't want anyone to know he was a pedophile and that he had been hearing triggering voices. Salva also reportedly admitted that he consumed ecstasy before boarding the plane.Frontier Airlines said in a statement, "We extend our utmost appreciation to the flight crew for their professionalism and to the other passengers who assisted during the incident, as well as local and federal law enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, for their efforts to ensure justice."The FBI and the Ontario Police Department launched investigations.If convicted, Salva would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem, a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, was among the droves of liberals who rushed to social media this week to ridicule former President Donald Trump over factual claims he made in Tuesday's debate. Kayyem's experience working in the Obama administration and serving as a member of the National Commission on Terrorism failed to prepare her for the task of dunking on Trump. She suggested that Trump's accurate identification of a founding member of the Taliban present for the U.S.-Taliban peace talks in Doha was a clear indication of his "racism and senility." Having taken her shot and missed, the CNN analyst is now facing widespread ridicule. What Kayyem said The CNN analyst wrote on X, "It's such a minor point but I cannot stop thinking that Trump casually calling the head of Taliban 'Abdul' is a perfect mix of his ignorance, racism and senility in just a single word." 'You cannot be this stupid.' It appears Kayyem suffered the same short-term memory loss as MSNBC's Chris Hayes, who concluded that Trump "invented a head of the Taliban named Abdul." "It's not the name of the head of the Taliban," continued Hayes. "Just to be clear, he just like randomly named him." What Kayyem (and Hayes) failed to understand During the debate Tuesday, Kamala Harris was asked whether she bears any blame for her administration's disastrous and deadly Afghanistan withdrawal, which she previously boasted signing off on. Harris once again displaced accountability, intimating the withdrawal was ill-fated on account of Trump's previous negotiations with the Taliban. Trump said in response: I got involved with the Taliban because the Taliban was doing the killing. That's the fighting force within Afghanistan. They don't bother doing that because you know, they deal with the wrong people all the time. But I got involved. And Abdul is the head of the Taliban. He is still the head of the Taliban. And I told Abdul don't do it anymore, you do it anymore you're going to have problems. And he said why do you send me a picture of my house? I said you're going to have to figure that out, Abdul. And for 18 months we had nobody killed. We did have an agreement negotiated by Mike Pompeo. It was a very good agreement. The 2020 deal in Doha was signed by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Abdul Ghani Baradar, reported the BBC. Abdul Ghani Baradar is a founding member of the Taliban. Once the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Baradar became deputy prime minister. He remains among the top four leaders in the Taliban. Trump made clear at the time of the deal with Baradar, "If bad things happen, we'll go back with a force like no one's ever seen." The Biden-Harris administration dropped the ball on the talks initiated by Trump officials and let the Taliban overwhelm friendly Afghan forces in the late phases of American withdrawal. What people are saying Critics seized upon Kayyem's tweet, questioning the value of the education that Harvard Kennedy School students might receive in her classes as well as the CNN analyst's ability to run a simple Google search. Australian political commentator Rita Panahi responded to Kayyeem, tweeting, "You cannot be this stupid." American country musician John Rich wrote, "A 'national security analyst' as it says in her profile, doesn't realize that the founder of the Taliban, is in fact named, 'Abdul.' Full name is Abdul Ghani Baradar. Hard to believe the complete ignorance of the people in 'control' right now. Wow." "The co-founder of the Taliban is Abdul Ghani Baradar, you emotionally stunted, Cluster B trainwreck," tweeted the Redheaded Libertarian. Entrepreneur Nate Fischer, the CEO of New Founding, said, "The Harvard Kennedy School attracts an exceptional combo of stupid + arrogant. Some of the most insufferable people I have encountered in my life." This is not the first time that Kayyem has given critics cause to doubt her stability or the value of her insights. She told the Advocate last year that Chaya Raichik's use of her Libs of TikTok account on X was a prime example of "stochastic terrorism." Kayyem suggested in 2022 that the Biden-Harris administration should halt immigration enforcement in the region of Texas where the Uvalde school shooting took place because of its large Hispanic population. During the Freedom Convoy in Canada, when truckers were protesting the Canadian government's draconian COVID-19 vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, Kayyem recommended that authorities "slash the tires, empty gas tanks, arrest the drivers and move the trucks." The CNN analyst got her way when the Trudeau regime unconstitutionally invoked martial law to crush the protests. In 2021, Kayyem melted down over a Southwest pilot saying, "Let's go Brandon," over a plane intercom. She demanded the pilot be fired and that every passenger file a complaint with the FAA. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Tuesday’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was anything but fair. The moderators, ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis, fact-checked Trump repeatedly, rarely allowing him to defend himself, but did not do the same to Kamala. However, there was one moment when Muir actually pressed the vice president. On the subject of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Muir asked: “Do you believe you bear any responsibility in the way that withdrawal played out?” Harris’ answer was typical – she dodged the question and turned it into an opportunity to lie about Trump. “Well, I will tell you I agreed with President Biden's decision to pull out of Afghanistan. Four presidents said they would, and Joe Biden did, and as a result, America's taxpayers are not paying the $300 million a day we were paying for that endless war. And as of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world – the first time this century.” Then she gestured toward Trump and said, “Let's understand how we got to where we are. Donald Trump, when he was president, negotiated one of the weakest deals you can imagine. He calls himself a dealmaker; even his national security adviser said it was a weak, terrible deal, and here's how it went down: He bypassed the Afghan government; he negotiated directly with the terrorist organ called the Taliban.” Pat Gray and the “Unleashed” panel are beyond disgusted. “These people told us that the Taliban were now our friends. Remember all that garbage?” says Pat, adding that “‘not your father's Taliban’ actually came out of some official's mouth in [Biden’s] administration.” “And they paid them millions upon millions after that disastrous withdrawal,” adds Keith Malinak. “And they left billions upon billions for them to use against us,” adds Pat, referring to the military equipment that was left behind. Even though Kamala lied repeatedly and dodged question after question, most agree that she performed better than Trump. However, according to a phone call Trump had with "Fox & Friends" yesterday, he believes he won the debate and does not plan to do another. To hear Pat’s commentary on that, watch the clip above. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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