CBS’s firing of late-night star Stephen Colbert proved free speech is beneath direct assault.
Or so say media shops giving the progressive host’s dismissal relentless protection.
Fromer NPR CEO @Vivian Schiller on CBS cancelling Colbert’s present: “This has not been an incredible week at no cost speech and talking fact to energy” pic.twitter.com/33T2mcOrTg
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) July 19, 2025
Sunny Hostin joins the rising crowd of leftists who assume Stephen Colbert getting canceled is a violation of the First Modification. pic.twitter.com/9U29SuzAab
— Free Speech America (@FreeSpeechAmer) July 22, 2025
Too usually left unsaid? Why would CBS willingly lose $40 million a 12 months to maintain “The Late Present” afloat?
We’d take the gnashing of enamel extra critically if these shops cared about different free speech points. Take the plight of Jewish artists, too usually focused post-October 7 ought to they share their skills in public.
All three have confronted cancellations for both being Jewish, pro-Israel or each. Some suffered extra excessive penalties.
Portland—On night time of Jan. 12, Antifa attacked the @HeliumComedyPdx membership & threw massive explosive fireworks at it after it wouldn’t cancel a @MichaelRapaport occasion. Rapaport is supportive of Israel. Police needed to defend the venue from being stormed. pic.twitter.com/iligNZAmF5
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) January 13, 2024
Their conditions have generated little consideration in U.S. media circles. Even when a website covers their cancellations, it isn’t framed as a free speech matter.
Phelim McAleer’s “October 7” play required in depth safety measures final 12 months, one other information story that slipped by means of the Legacy Media’s fingers.
It’s why we’re seeing nearly zero U.S. media consideration paid to the most recent cancellations.
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Jewish comedians Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon realized that their respective units at subsequent month’s Edinburgh Fringe Competition have been canceled.
Why? The pageant allegedly had security considerations resulting from their presence. That’s a nasty a part of the modern-day Heckler’s Veto. Promise violence and the venue will again down. Professional-Palestinian protesters have a predilection for violence.
Simon shared information of a second, separate cancellation on his Instagram account.
This time, the venue didn’t cite violent threats as the explanation for shutting down the gig. As a substitute, it disagreed with how Simon sees the present Israel/Palestinian divide.
The rationale I used to be given is that my ”views regarding the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Palestine…are in important battle with our venue’s stance towards the present Israeli authorities’s coverage and actions.”
So, a performer’s world view should align with the venue in query, or the present received’t go on?
Anybody who is aware of me will know I’ve by no means expressed help for something aside from releasing the hostages and discovering a approach for peace. It’s unhappy to assume that these views might battle with anybody who desires to see a long-lasting peace in Gaza and Israel. As a Jewish particular person dwelling in Britain it’s potential, and more and more widespread, to have a love for Israel with out supporting the actions of the federal government.
Creeger and Simon informed The Jewish Chronicle that these aren’t remoted incidents. Simon urged that another group focused for cancellation would spark a public outcry, and rightly so.
“This could not occur to another ethnic minority. There could be absolute outrage. The venue could be boycotted, shut down, by no means allowed to commerce.”
As a substitute, it’s enterprise as traditional in 2025.
We’ll look ahead to Selection, The Hollywood Reporter and others who communicate a lot fact to energy to start out overlaying these tales within the method they deserve.