The Onion and Ben Collins: A Perfect Fake News Marriage

It’s hard to remember a time when The Onion was synonymous with “funny.” The humor site once had the field all to itself, creating Fake News stories that made us laugh and think. The Onion came out in printed form, and its attacks on the political class could be withering. That was then. Today’s online-only Onion is comedic in name only. The outlet’s hard-Left politics have all but stripped away its comic potential, from the woke handcuffs placed on liberal satire to how it protects Democrats… …much like today’s late-night TV landscape. So if you want to read something funny about President Joe Biden, for example, you’d never type “the onion” into a search engine. You go to The Babylon Bee.   To Save Time, The Babylon Bee Will Now Just Republish Everything Biden Says Verbatim https://t.co/KDHEZAjgU7 pic.twitter.com/O4ZfgGrc8P — The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) January 18, 2024   That site leans to the Right, but it’s unrelenting in its humor and ability to smite both sides. It’s everything The Onion isn’t – topical, fast, bold and hilarious. And, sadly, The Onion might soon be even worse. The site just got picked up by new owners, and former NBC journalist Ben Collins is the platform’s CEO moving forward. Ostensibly charged by the Peacock network with overseeing so-called “disinformation,” Collins proved inept at the gig. We’re still waiting for him to weigh in on the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, the “Very Fine People” hoax and more. Here’s how Collins described Libs of TikTok, the social media journalist who exposes the far-Left’s extremes. “Fox News’ favorite aggregator of LGBTQ teachers they don’t like the look of.” The latter part of the sentence feels slanderous, no? What’s his proof that Libs of TikTok is bigoted. Does he share any? Collins, formerly with the far-Left Daily Beast, also got exposed by The Federalist for carrying water for the hard-Left. Consider: NBC’s leftist reporter Ben Collins, meanwhile, arguably offered the most laughable response to Soros backing Bragg. Quoting a CNBC story, Collins says Soros can’t back Bragg because the two never met. Journalist Steve Krakauer slammed Collins for his social media-heavy methods that often occur without actual journalism. Collins seems to spend his days endlessly opining on social media about the state of journalism – like his frequent attacks on the New York Times. But one thing Collins does not appear to be doing very much anymore is journalism. Collins hasn’t written an article for NBC News in more than 100 days. His last one, published in early October, was on one of his favorite targets, X owner Elon Musk. Before that, you have to go back to May 22 to find his previous byline, a short piece about a “fake picture of an explosion” at the Pentagon that had gone semi-viral. He’s also wary of transparency. I asked Collins and NBC News if he was still a full-time employee of the media outlet, and neither responded to multiple requests for comment.  Does this sound like the person to shake The Onion from its hard-left shackles? It gets worse. Collins was one of many mainstream news reporters who got the infamous Gaza hospital story wrong. Collins is treated as an expert in the burgeoning field of countering the spread of misinformation. Yet his error rate is noteworthy…. Did Collins soberly wait for these facts to come in? Nope. The award-winning disinformation expert helped circulate the inaccurate claims of the Palestinian authorities. When other voices on social media recommended caution, Collins chimed in to assert that any delay in reporting the horrific casualty numbers represented a profound moral failing. It’s Disinformation 101, and he fell for it. That he recently won a Walter Cronkite Award for journalism speaks volumes about today’s Fourth Estate. Collins’ rage against free speech advocate Elon Musk found him making more mistakes, according to Reason. Collins’ reporting often contains basic errors that suggest he doesn’t particularly understand the right-wing forces he’s denouncing. His most recent article alleges that Musk’s plans for Twitter were shaped by a far-right former Trump administration staffer, even though it’s fairly clear the staffer wasn’t actually telling Musk what to do, but rather warning about what would happen to Musk if he offended “the regime.” Collins even raged against the release of The Twitter Files, which exposed the platform’s extensive censorship regime against right-leaning voices. He did so without calling out any errors in Matt Taibbi’s reportage. He just used ad hominem attacks on the left-leaning Taibbi. So The Onion’s return to its funny, bipartisan roots is even more unlikely today. Still, the two parties may be perfect for one another.

Can Colbert Ignore ‘Genocide Joe’ Chants at DNC?

Stephen Colbert is a master at compartmentalization. CBS’s “Late Show” host has spent three-plus years looking the other way as President Joe Biden bumbled through his first term. Colbert ignores the endless gaffes, senior moments and shocking inflation rates. Not to mention crazed tales of uncles eaten by cannibals.   BIDEN: "I made it clear to the Israelis — don't move on Haifa!" Haifa is a major city *IN* Israel. pic.twitter.com/BdNgoDlGkM — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 18, 2024   And, when a Special Counsel dubbed Biden “an elderly man with poor memory,” Colbert spun the awful news to Biden’s advantage. That isn’t easy. His job as the Democrats’ late-night propagandist is about to get even harder. CBS has announced that Stephen Colbert will host his Late Nightshow from Chicago as the city plays host to the Democratic National Convention and will broadcast from the Auditorium Theatre in the Loop from August 19 to the 22nd. The decision makes sense on several levels. Colbert will be able to book major Democratic players. The comedian recently joined a Democratic fundraiser to boost President Biden’s re-election chances, making his commitment to the party official. “The Late Show” could get an energy boost from being in the belly of the political beast. Except this year isn’t going to be a typical DNC event. Pro-Palestinian protesters have been harassing Democrats for weeks in public over the Israel/Hamas war. The far-Left contingent has no qualms attacking mainstream Democrats and disrupting events. Some dubbed the Commander in Chief “Genocide Joe” for his quasi-support for the state of Israel.     We’re seeing violent protests across cities and campuses nationwide, and the movement seeks as much media attention as possible. And it’s getting louder. Politico, a liberal news outlet, echoed a phrase many are saying about the upcoming event. Democrats descend on Chicago as specter of ‘68 convention looms Here’s a refresher course from that tumultuous chapter in history which also took place in Chicago. As delegates flowed into the International Amphitheatre to nominate a Democratic Party presidential candidate, tens of thousands of protesters swarmed the streets to rally against the Vietnam War and the political status quo. By the time Vice President Herbert Humphrey received the presidential nomination, the strife within the Democratic Party was laid bare and the streets of Chicago had seen riots and bloodshed involving protesters, police and bystanders alike, radically changing America’s political and social landscape. That was without social media, YouTube and other ways to share information at the speed of a click. Another factor could weigh heavily this time ’round. Then-Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley had no qualms summoning both the police and the National Guard to keep the peace. They collectively failed. Today, blue cities like Chicago are far less interested in law and order. Violent, anti-semitic protests are the new norm in urban pockets and academia. Those breaking the law often go unpunished. That only emboldens them. What happens when that energy is left more or less unchecked? What impact will it have on the national mood, let alone the November elections? Will Biden’s poll numbers suffer even greater drops as a result?     Should the authorities attempt to keep the peace it might enrage the party’s base. Plus, these protesters have no qualms about breaking the law. Kobi Guillory, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, says protests will happen in August whether or not organizers are able to secure permits. The 1968 debacle followed a stunning change of leadership. President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he was withdrawing from the race in March, replaced by Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Will President Biden, diminished by age and sagging in the polls, be swapped out before the convention begins? More importantly for pop culture watchers, can Colbert look away as the city he temporarily calls home is roiled in chaos? Early projections expect north of 30,000 protesters to greet Team DNC. Will he or his audience be in the mood for garden-variety “clapter” if chaos envelops the nearby convention? What will Colbert say about the far-Left protesters, a group that will never vote for President Donald Trump or his fellow Republicans? Can he cover his ears while protesters chant, “Genocide Joe has got to go?” Colbert has kept his political head in the sand for three-plus years. It may be impossible to do the same come Summer.

John Cleese on Cancel Culture: An ‘Organized … Totalitarian’ Movement

John Cleese is the master of both silly walks and sublime comedy takes. The Monty Python veteran is as feisty as ever at 84, slashing those attempting to crush comedy that breaks any kind of so-called rule. Cleese opened up to FIRE’s Greg Lukianoff about free speech, “The Life of Brian” and much more in a revealing chat. FIRE stands for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a group that often does what the ACLU once did – stands up for free speech. The comic legend recalled the reaction his 1979 film “The Life of Brian” and today’s Cancel Culture movement.      The former expressed itself in walkouts and furious letters tied to the rebellious comedy. Now? “It’s not just protest. It’s trying to get people fired,” Cleese said, calling the Cancel Culture movement both “organized” and “totalitarian” in nature. It also stifles debate. To prove it, he brought up how he tried, in vain, to invite 14 “extreme woke” experts to expound on Lukianoff’s book, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” on Cleese’s “The Dinosaur Show” program. All 14 refused. “One said, ‘the very fact that you’re going to discuss it is the problem,'” Cleese recalled. “In other words, ‘we have a set of ideas and if you don’t agree with us on everything you hate us and we’re gonna try to get you fired. Crazy.”     Cancel Culture doesn’t just get innocent people fired. It makes them less funny. The same applies to any artistic endeavor. “The enemy of creativity is interruption,” Cleese told Lukianoff. “And interruptions can come from inside as well as outside. And if the moment you think of something you think, ‘ooh will that offend someone,’ you’ve interrupted yourself and it will stop the creative flow.” Cleese shared a personal perspective on free speech and how it opened up his world over the decades. “All moments in my life that have been important in forming my personality came when I suddenly had a realization that something I believed wasn’t the case,” he said. “You can’t do that if the people around you are saying you can’t think like that.” Cleese holds out hope that Cancel Culture and the efforts to squelch speech won’t win in the end. He’s still not sure we’ve turned any corner on the woke movement, though. “A lot of people are very frightened of getting fired, and that’s awful, getting fired,” he said. “There’s good and bad in all of us, and the moment you think you’re more perfect than you are, then that’s trouble … That’s why all this virtue signaling is so foolish now … they also need to know they have a nasty streak too.”

Late-Night Panic: Biden Could Lose to Trump!

Late-night television changed forever after Donald Trump descended that escalator in 2015. The left-leaning format abandoned all pretense of objectivity, turning their hosts into DNC shills. Fox News’ “Gutfeld!’ remains a sobering exception.     When President Trump left office in January 2021 that mission creep stayed in place. Now, with the Biden-Trump rematch heading our way, some of late-night TV’s biggest stars are getting nervous. Some might say panicky. Why? The polls suggest the former President might just beat the current President come November. We’re a long way from November, but at the moment the late-night crowd isn’t happy with the state of the race. Let’s start with Stephen Colbert, who literally joined a Biden fundraiser late last month fearing a second Trump term. The far-Left host is trying to drag President Biden over the finish line one more time. To do so, he’s demanding Israel stop fighting back against the ghouls who tortured, raped and killed more than a thousand innocent Israeli citizens on Oct. 7. That plays into Biden’s hands, of course. The Democrat is losing his base for supporting Israel six months into the current war. Remember, Colbert hosts a comedy talk show. He’s not a pundit or an advisor to Team Biden. He just looks and sounds like one, routinely abandoning any pretense of comedy in the process. His fellow late-night Leftist Seth Meyers is even worse on that front. The “SNL” alum is all but melting down over Biden’s tepid poll numbers. He, too, blames Biden’s management of the Israeli/Hamas war. “[Voters] are understandably upset Biden keeps claiming he’s frustrated with Netanyahu’s handling of the war, while simultaneously sending more weapons to support that war against the wishes of a majority of Americans. Meyers chastised Biden for not pushing harder for a Middle East ceasefire, which Biden promised during his propaganda-style interview with the leader. “You’re the president. You can just say, ‘No more funding. No more weapons.’ You can call for a ceasefire—that’s what a majority of Americans want, including the tens of thousands of Democrats who are registering protest votes in key battleground states.” That’s not a moral position. It’s one looking ahead to Nov. 5. In other words, it’s panic time. “There must be an immediate lasting ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages…That’s the loud and clear message of these protest votes, and Biden must listen, otherwise he’s at risk of losing to someone whose presidency was a [complete disaster].” Squint all you want, but you won’t find a single joke or attempt at humor in that harangue. Not a one.   The late nights have largely silent on the Israel-Hamas War. That changed last night with Seth Meyers who said of protest voters "Biden must listen, otherwise he's at risk of losing to" Trump, who was impeached for denying weapons to an ally at war for his own political benefit pic.twitter.com/f0lxio2loB — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) April 4, 2024   And then there’s Jimmy Kimmel. The former “Man Show” star can’t believe polls suggest Trump may beat Biden in their do-over match. A recent survey found Trump beating Biden in six of seven swing states. “How could this be?” a stunned Kimmel asked during a recent monologue. At least Kimmel squeezed out a quasi-joke to process the news. Trump “doesn’t even lead in a poll of people who worked for him.”  “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon isn’t as overtly partisan as his peers. He still allows Democratic heavyweights to push their agendas on his NBC platform. He recently teed up former First Lady Hillary Clinton to bark at swing voters that they cannot even think of staying home on Election Day.     Late-night comedians aren’t political activists by trade. Their gigs are meant to nudge viewers to bed with a smile. Instead, they’ve become an extension of MSNBC. You’d think they’d be giddy at the chance to roast President Trump for another four years. Instead, they’re panicked that they just might.

No, ‘Civil War’s’ Fascist President Isn’t Donald Trump

Few films have stirred the cultural pot quite like “Civil War.” The April 12 release envisions a near-future America at war with itself.     Kirsten Dunst leads an ensemble cast including “Parks and Recreation” standout Nick Offerman as the U.S. president. Much of the film’s story has been kept under wraps. The film’s SXSW Film and TV Festival debut let some light shine on the narrative. Offerman’s president, for example, has fascistic tendencies and is currently serving his third term. It must be Trump. Of course. If Hollywood has taught us anything over the past seven-plus years it’s that it can’t stop referencing the 45th president. And, almost every time said commentary is unflattering. To be kind. That’s exactly what journalists were hoping from “Civil War.” It’s why they’re trying to get the film’s stars to admit it. So far, they’re striking out. Offerman spoke to a Hollywood Reporter journalist at length about the project during the red carpet premiere. The actor, who famously played a libertarian on “Parks and Recreation,” is a liberal in real life. He still didn’t take the reporter’s bait. He shoos away any suggestion his character is Trumpian to the core.     “There’s obvious comparisons to Trump here and our political climate,” the unnamed reporter asks Offerman. “How closely did you want to play that?” The veteran star doesn’t bite. “Honestly, it didn’t even come up,” Offerman responds. “[The movie] is so unrelated to any actual factions or politicians. That’s what I think is so brilliant about this film. Everybody on any side of the aisle or any faction has a lot to say and we’re all immediately divisive and partisan in our conversations. “Everybody’s mad about those other jerks, and this movie transcends that. it’s about all of us. And I’m so grateful for that.” His views echoed those of writer/director Alex Garland. The “Ex-Machina” creator has repeatedly said his film is bipartisan. The big picture he wants to share? Let’s stop attacking each other before it’s too late.             View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Civil War (@civilwarmovie)   Over at the far-Left Variety, its reporter tried to do the same with co-star Dunst. Mission: Unaccomplished. But it’s impossible to watch “Civil War” without being reminded of this year’s presidential election — you know, the one where democracy and maybe the fate of the free world hangs in the balance? … For instance, Dunst won’t admit [emphasis added] that the film’s president, played by Nick Offerman as a narcissist with an authoritarian streak, resembles the 45th, and perhaps 47th, Oval Office occupant. 'It feels fictitious to me,” she says of any connection between Offerman’s character and Donald Trump. “I don’t want to compare because that’s the antithesis of the film. It’s just a fascist president. But I didn’t think about Nick’s character being any certain political figure. I just thought this is this president, in this world, who will not abide by the Constitution and democracy.' “Won’t admit” … it’s almost as if the reporter has an agenda and is annoyed that the film’s star won’t play along.