rant · moment 5 of 23
Comedians as the New Moral Majority
from America's Election Headquarters · #121
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
3 minThey discuss how conspiracy-minded and subversive audiences get ceded to figures like Alex Jones, how comedy has flipped from anti-establishment to preachy, and mock the phenomenon of comedians lecturing people to vote.
- 9:18Tim on why people seek out subversive comedy and conspiracy theories — they fill a void left by mainstream rejection.
- 9:37Hollywood executives are mostly Democrats who hire talent they ideologically agree with, but it's human nature.
- 9:55Liberals are temperamentally better suited to the arts — they're more willing to take irrational chances that conservatives avoid.
- 10:18Conservative satire is failing; Owen Benjamin and Steven Crowder's sketches demonstrate the problem.
- 10:41When you polarize everything, the only people advocating for free speech are the extremists with nothing left to lose.
- 11:05A comedian trying to build a normal career can't afford to take controversial positions — the risk isn't worth it.
- 11:30Only people with no real career prospects anyway end up as free speech advocates getting attention.
- 11:48Stand-up has lost its appeal; podcasting has surpassed it, with big podcasters outselling comedians in theaters.
- 12:00YouTube stars are making mansion money in LA from massive followings while stand-up's live charm gets boring from everyone doing the same take.
Alex JonesSteven CrowderOwen BenjaminStand-up comedypodcasting