On a recent episode of The Daily Show , Jon Stewart took aim at a pervasive myth within conservative circles; the idea of being perpetual victims of ‘ cancel culture.’ Stewart’s harsh critique zeroed in on the hypocrisy of these claims, specifically from conservative media personalities who regularly decry being silenced while simultaneously dominating airwaves and online platforms.
Stewart remarked, “This is their identity now, constant victimization. They say what they want and if you get upset about it, you don’t believe in freedom.” Stewart’s comments were a direct response to the consistent complaints from right-wing figures who claim they are being silenced for their views.
As per HuffPost , to explain his point, Stewart aired a clip of Fox News host Sean Hannity proclaiming his commitment to freedom and his resistance to outrage.
Stewart exclaimed, “They are so full of shit that Sean Hannity can say with a square head, ‘I’m not the kind of guy who gets outraged?’ Sean Hannity. He’s basically just a meat bag support system for a forehead vein…Truth is, Trump is the real cancel culture, emphasis on the cult. People on the right can say pretty much whatever they want and be fine but speak out against Trump and be, yes, afraid.”
Jon Stewart on Harrison Butker, conservatives crying “cancel culture,” and how Trump is the true promoter of cancel culture, emphasis on “cult.” pic.twitter.com/n5FXJxgUNG
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 21, 2024
As per the reports of Yahoo News , Stewart further criticized the conservative media ecosystem for its disingenuous stance on free speech. He pointed out, “The idea that there is an all-pervasive, all-powerful threat to free speech called ‘cancel culture’ has become a central tenet of modern conservatism. They celebrate their being silenced at conferences. They celebrate their being silenced on podcasts and streaming outlets. They celebrate their being silenced with over 700 book titles about being canceled. Conservatives have an entire industry devoted to complaining about not being allowed to say the things they say all the time. Their victimhood is the entire brand.”
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Fox News, which routinely ranks as the most-watched cable news channel, is often at the center of controversies regarding free speech and cancel culture.
Stewart argued, “We are surrounded by and inundated with more speech than has ever existed in the history of communication. And it is all weaponized by professional outrage-hunters of all stripes scouring the globe for graduation speech snippets, offhand comments during promotional tours, out of context comedy bits, lame marketing ideas, or any words and phrases they believe they can latch onto to generate, monetize clicks.”
Stewart’s critique comes amid his recent return to hosting The Daily Show one night a week, following his time hosting a similar program on Apple TV.
His return has been marked by his characteristic incisive humor and pointed social commentary, traits that have long endeared him to audiences seeking thoughtful, if biting, perspectives on current events.