Was the 'Bud Light Boycott' effective? — Is the company STILL WOKE?



Bud Light essentially lost its fan base in 2023 when it partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney — and it’s now attempting to correct course.

The company recently released a football-themed ad starring Shane Gillis that appears to be an attempt to shake off its disastrous LGBTQ-themed partnership, but Jill Savage and Matthew Peterson of “Blaze News Tonight” aren’t convinced the change is an honest one.

“The company apparently took notes,” Savage comments.

“You went from a transvestite to a canceled, red state-coded comedian who’s made a ferocious comeback and is incredibly popular,” Peterson says. “It’s very obvious; it’s transparent, in a way, what they’re doing.”

“I’m very suspicious of all of this,” he says. “What these companies have done for decades is subvert their brands and therefore America’s image.”

“That’s nice you have Shane Gillis on,” he adds, “we like that. And you’ve rejected some craziness and are showing that to us, but have you really changed as a company? What else are you hiding from me? I don’t know, I want to know, and I need to know as a consumer before I start making those choices with my dollars so that I’m not held hostage by woke capital.”

This is important because these companies fund the ideology that most Americans inherently disagree with.

“Something we need to do more of is shame these people with the power of media,” Peterson tells Savage. “You all out there can do that too. We’re going to do that together. We just shame these people and say, ‘What are you doing? Why are you doing this?’ and a lot of them will fold like a cheap suit.”


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Is THIS the most dangerous university in America?



There’s no doubt that higher education has been infiltrated by ideology — more specifically, by leftist ideology. However, Patrick Gray believes that higher education can be saved — and the University of Austin is a prime example.

The University of Austin is a new school that has proclaimed a dedication to freedom of thought and discourse. The school was co-founded by ex-New York Times journalist Bari Weiss.

Gray, who will be a professor at the school, tells James Poulos of "Zero Hour" just why he has faith in it.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by student response. We’ve brought in students from super high-end institutions — you know, Oxford, the Sorbonne, Harvard, you know, Yale — coming in wanting to take classes with us,” he tells Poulos.

The school will offer classes called “Forbidden Courses,” which will focus on classes that your average institution wouldn’t offer.

Gray offers an example of one of the courses, which is on science and religion. He explains that the course delves into whether the two can be reconciled, what they have in common, and how they’ve influenced each other over time.

Other courses include questions about reactionaries, the biology of gender, and conservatism.

Poulos is curious how academics like Gray plan to “protect” students “without just kind of getting sucked into 'safe space' culture all over again.”

“When we look at kind of the very rapid rise of a quasi-totalitarian identity politics throughout universities, that is a response to a vacuum, a power vacuum, and a lack of direction,” Gray explains. “Rather than saying we’re going to guarantee that anyone is free to do absolutely anything, total freedom of expression, we are going to have a clearly defined mission.”

Gray says the school plans to make sure that mission is not political.

“Our mission is to arrive at the truth.”


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Joe Rogan has HILARIOUS reaction to liberals’ claim that fitness is 'FAR RIGHT'



Apparently the desire to be physically fit and maintain a healthy body is rooted in white supremacy.

Who knew?

While such a claim certainly seems outlandish, on July 10, MSNBC posted an article titled “Why the far-right is really into home fitness. White supremacists’ latest scheme to valorize violence and hypermasculinity has gone digital.”

Joe Rogan, a fitness aficionado himself, isn’t having an ounce of it.

On the same day the article was published, he retweeted it with the following statement:

“Being healthy is ‘far right.’ Holy F***.”

A laconic but undeniably fitting response from the UFC commentator.

Rogan isn’t the only one associated with the UFC who’s had enough of the attack on fitness, however.

Rubin explains why he thinks so many UFC fighters are outspoken about their anti-woke views.

“They care about meritocracy. They care about working hard — that’s connected to fitness,” he says.

The UFC is also predicated on “competition, which is very counter to equity.”

And of course, the left is obsessed with equity — making sure we “all end up in the same place.”

“If a new trend comes out, and that trend ... lends itself to you taking care of yourself and eating right and not being reliant on the machine and not just sitting there with something strapped to your nuts eating bugs while you’re in Zuckerberg’s Metaverse, that’s not really good for them,” Rubin rants.

This really boils down to one simple conclusion: They’re trying to "keep you dumb and dependent on them — that’s really it.”


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BlazeTV contributor Eric July clears nearly $1 million in preorders inside 24 hours for his latest graphic novel, proving once again readers want good stories, not bad ideology, from their comics



BlazeTV contributor Eric July put it all on the line and launched an independent comic book company in 2022, sure that he was not the only "comic book lifer" exhausted by the leftist agitprop and infantilizing regurgitate churned out by woke publishers like Marvel and DC Comics.

That risk paid off big-time last year.

July's Rippaverse Comics released "Isom #1" in 2022, telling the tale of Avery Silman, a valorous Texas rancher who resumes his duties in Cincinnatian fashion after it becomes clear his city once again needs the costumed hero Isom's help.

The book, which received rave reviews on League of Comic Geeks, raised over $3.7 million dollars in a preorder where the stated goal was $100,000, evidencing a significant appetite for compelling content unencumbered by woke innocence-signaling — for books where story comes first.

The Dallas-based podcaster, musician, and author is back with a second comic.

\u201cThe Pre-Order Campaign for ISOM #2 is now LIVE! And check out the FIRST official project from Rippaverse Studios - the ISOM #2 Animated Trailer! #Rippaverse #Isom #Isom2 #comicbooks\n\nhttps://t.co/Plp6D3XC8V\u201d
— Rippaverse Comics (@Rippaverse Comics) 1686578445

Within 24 hours of preorders for "Isom #2" going live, July raised over $863,000 (247% over the set sales goal), proving last year's success was not a flash in the pan but rather an actionable market signal.

In fact, the excitement over the second installment in the series was enough to strain the Rippaverse website to the point of temporarily breaking.

July told TheBlaze that the website went down Monday following an unprecedented deluge of preorders and activity. While he stressed the crash was "unacceptable" and is working to bolster his comic universe's burgeoning infrastructure, July admitted it was nevertheless a "great problem to have."

While there was no guarantee ahead of the company's launch last year that there would be such overwhelming interest, July was convinced from the start he was staring down a "perfect storm."

After all, as a self-professed "comic book lifer" with a customer-centric perspective on the trade, July understood precisely how the comic book industry was "destroying itself."

The big publishers appeared willing to alienate readers who once turned to comics as a form of escapism and excitement — those who sought archetypal characters and transcendent stories that stood the test of time, free from faddish jargon and propaganda.

Oftentimes, where ideology wasn't the leading character, readers still had to contend with demoralizing stories in dead worlds populated by recycled characters.

DC Comics published a comic book in 2021 with a storyline where the Robin character comes out as bisexual after another male character asks him out on a date.

According to the New York Post, Marvel modeled an evil character after former President Donald Trump.

The multibillion-dollar company later hired identitarian leftist Ta-Nehisi Coates to transmogrify Dr. Jordan Peterson's ideas and put them in the mouth of the fictional Nazi villain Red Skull.

Marvel also saw fit to introduce to its bloated fictional universe a pair of affected heroes named "Snowflake" and "Safespace"; the former a "non-binary" character who identifies as a dehumanized plurality.

DC Comics is evidently no better.

Superman, a sometimes-homosexual in a deeply unpopular series canceled after 18 issues, has a son who advances climate alarmism.

"Between changing all of these characters and you have this ridiculous kind of push for social justice, insulting the audience and all of that — and I was like, you know what? I am going to be a solution to the problem," July told TheBlaze last year.

In the way of a solution, July did not set out to pen the great anti-woke comic book. If anything, he wanted to write a "non-woke" comic book that anyone could settle into without having to worry about being sold on some grand political project.

"You have a lot of bad American comic book content. It's terrible," July told TheBlaze Tuesday. "People that have been reading comic books like myself forever finally said, 'Hey look, these guys clearly aren't making these books with an audience like myself in mind, so I'm just not gonna buy it.'"

Comic book lovers turned off by the mainstream output "still like comics," said July. "They like American comics."

The appetite is there, but readers won't necessarily be satisfied by foreign content, even if unwoke. Japanese manga, for instance, "doesn't scratch that itch."

Making the search harder is the impenetrability of certain extant fandoms.

"It can be intimidating for a lot of noobies to try to get in on a character they might recognize from a movie," said July.

One of the apparent benefits of a fresh comic universe unspoiled by focus groups and ESG czars, such as that on offer in the Rippaverse, is that prospective readers don't need to have committed entire genealogies to memory or suffered through convoluted multi-film, multi-series backstories and reboots.

"Isom #2," for instance, "is not intergalactic. It's not interplanetary and all that stuff with none of those crazy crossovers. It's none of that. ... It's a street-level story."

The book, written by July, whose writing appears to mine some particulars of his personal story, is illustrated by artist Cliff Richards. In addition to doing pencils for Dark Horse Comics' "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series and the artwork for Del Rey Books' graphic novel "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," Richards has also worked on various DC Comics titles.

The drawings are colored by Gabe Eltaeb, a former DC Comics colorist who quit in 2021 after taking issue with the woke bastardization of the Superman character and saying, "I'm tired of them ruining these characters; they don't have a right to do this."

The Rippaverse will soon be populated by content from Chuck Dixon as well — the prolific writer who worked on Marvel's pre-woke "The Punisher" comics, "Batman" for DC Comics, and hundreds of others.

Beyond the top-tier artwork and stories, July indicated some fans might see the appeal in the company's independence, decentralization, and personal touch.

"I think the day of the mega-corporation is over. It's not to say this is going to go away. What I mean is that you're going to see a lot more successes like ours who keep it relatively small. ... I'm at the warehouse. I'm packing orders. I have a direct line of sight with my audience. That's something you don't get with the likes of Bob Iger."

This direct line of sight goes both ways, enabling customers to see that they're dealing with people who "cherish what it is they're doing and take care of it. The audience picks up on this and the fact we don't despise the audience," said July.

In turn, Rippaverse Comics "recognizes that in order for us to last, we have to give them something that they want."

So far, so good, July indicated — despite the constant stream of vitriol from the left.

"When people found out that a guy that they feel like is ideologically different from them in an industry they feel like they own built his own sandbox, they got very aggravated," he said. "Despite all my hot political takes, I've not had anything ever in my life that got me more backlash. Nothing comes close. Not even comparable."

"I've got called everything that you can think of in the book, but doesn't matter because they can't stop it. That's the reason why we did it the independent way. We're going to continue to be great. We love our customers. They're gonna continue to support it."

Leftists, simultaneously confronted with the books' wide support and rendered incapable of cancelling Rippaverse due to its independence, "know that they can't do that with us, so they can scream into the abyss. We go virtually unimpacted. If there is an impact, they're just galvanizing the truth, incentivizing people to buy more Rippaverse books."

Eric July's Isom 2 Shane Davis Cover Drawing Process youtu.be

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Leftists fuming after Republican councilman identifies as an Indian woman to 'shatter that glass ceiling'



An Indiana Republican has enraged leftists and LGBT activists in his community by exposing the arbitrary and absurdist nature of social constructivism, having announced he is now an Indian woman.

Shattering the glass ceiling

Ryan Webb, formerly a councilman, now apparently a councilwoman in Muncie, Delaware County, announced on April 12 that after much consideration, he had "decided to come out" as his "true authentic self."

"It is with great relief that I announce to everyone that I identify as a woman and not just any woman but as a woman of color as well. I guess this would make me gay/lesbian as well, since I am attracted to women," Webb, a father of six, wrote in a Facebook post.

"Whew, that felt good to finally get that out there and start living life as my true self. I’m excited to bring some diversity to the county council. Until today we didn’t have any females of color or LGBTQIAPC+++ on the council. I’m glad that now we do!" he continued, adding, "To avoid confusion, everyone can continue to address me as Ryan or as Councilman Webb. I will also retain my my preferred pronouns of He/Him, however, this will in no way diminish my true identity as a woman of color. I’m excited to be a vocal partner of the LGBTQIAPC+++ movement."

Webb noted that his stunning transition was not only exciting but historic: "I am more than likely the very first lesbian woman of color in the history of Delaware County to ever serve on the Delaware county council. I am honored to be the one to shatter that glass ceiling."

Webb recently told Dale Jackson of WVNN that no one from the liberal media or Democratic establishment has yet contacted him to celebrate or discuss his achievement. He also indicated he has yet to receive an endorsement deal from a major brand.

Shattering leftist illogic

Charlize Jamieson, a 67-year-old transvestite in the council district, decried Webb's announcement, accusing the Republican of transphobia and bigotry, reported the Muncie Star Press.

Jamieson castigated Webb online, writing, "Was this really necessary? It's unbecoming of an elected official ... or a decent human being for that matter."

Webb asked Jamieson to extend the same compassion he had been given when coming out as a transvestite, writing, "When you decided to become a woman did people tell you it was unbecoming? Sorry pal but you don't get to be the decipher of who is acceptable and who isn't. I was hoping that you and I could be friends now that we're both ladies that used to be men. I'll give you some more time."

In a subsequent post, Jamieson appeared to provide criteria by which the authenticity of a transition claim ought to be judged: "Start dressing the part full time. Start hormone replacement treatment. Make a decision on surgery. Get your legal documents changed to reflect your gender. THEN, let's talk."

In the days following Webb's life-changing announcement, he and his family were reportedly targeted with death threats.

The councilman told WISH-TV, "Our family has been receiving violent threats throughout the day from intolerant liberals who refuse to accept my decision to live my life however I choose. I don’t really see how an interview will improve the situation."

Webb accused a leftist group called Indiana Progressives of organizing "a hate and harassment campaign against me and my family by publishing my address and encouraging people to unlawfully congregate at my home."

Indiana Progressives widely circulated Webb's announcement, writing, "County council member Ryan Webb mocks the LGBTQ community on Facebook. What a piece of s***! F*** you, Ryan Webb!

In response to the immediate backlash, Webb stressed that his "American Indian heritage is not of for debate. .... I hope that in the future those asking for tolerance and understanding are willing to give it in return and not just to those who they feel is worthy of it. Nobody has the authority to validate or invalidate any individual who chooses to identify a certain way."

Leftists seek to drive trans Indian out of office

The Muncie Star Press reported that the Delaware County Council convened on April 25 to take up, among other things, community members' demands for Webb's resignation.

Jamieson spoke out, once again denouncing Webb and misgendering him. He said that Webb's "words not only embarrass himself, but you, the county council."

A community member named J.M. DeAngelo said, "He may mind his manners here in this room, but his behavior online absolutely casts shame on this entire council."

The Burris Laboratory School chapter of the anti-Second Amendment group Students Demand Action called for Webb's resignation, suggesting that people like the councilman made life more difficult for people trying to figure out their identity.

A member of the group, Chelsea McDonnel, said, "With his facetious claim that he identifies as a woman of color ... he has made a mockery of his constituents, as well as his elected position and this council."

After various activists called for Webb to be removed from office, the councilman was finally given an opportunity to respond.

"You don't get to question me. You do not get to require proof from me. You were part of the movement that helped establish these rules and set the bar, OK?" said Webb. "You don't get to come later when someone else joins the club that you don't want in. ... You don't get to question how I identify."

\u201cIndiana councilma'am Ryan Webb flips the script and identifies as a 'lesbian woman of color' and the left predictably flip out \ud83d\udc40\u201d
— Kyle Becker (@Kyle Becker) 1682943659

Webb later accused his leftist critics of "perpetuating hate, intolerance and bigotry" toward him, noting that the backlash was "just another example of the intolerant Left and their ideology of contradictions."

The councilman has no intention of leaving the council, noting that capitulating now would "be an enormous disservice to the thousands of voters who chose me to be their representative."

\u201cRyan Webb, a white councilman in Indiana, now identifies as a woman of color\n\nThe best part? The media being forced to take him seriously:\u201d
— End Wokeness (@End Wokeness) 1682852851

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Kansas Democrats prove incapable of stopping Republican bills barring men from playing women's sports, letting parents opt kids out of LGBT lessons



Kansas' Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly proved unable to kill one anti-woke bill this week and will soon have another on her desk that she may similarly be powerless to stop.

Republicans successfully overrode Kelly's veto of "The Fairness in Women's Sports Act" (HB 2238) Wednesday, meaning that as of July 1, women's student athletic teams can only include members who are biologically female.

The second piece of legislation that Kelly may impotently seek to veto is HB 2236, which would establish "parents' right to direct the education and upbringing of their children including the right to object educational materials and activities that are not included in approved curriculum or standards or impair a parent's beliefs, values or principles."

No boys allowed

HB 2238 requires that interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic teams or sports at virtually all public and private schools in the state must be expressly designated for males, men, or boys; females, women, or girls; or coed or mixed.

The legislation explicitly bars boys and men from participating in girls' and women's athletics.

Kelly vetoed this legislation on March 17, saying that it was all about politics.

"It won’t increase any test scores. It won’t help any kids read or write. It won’t help any teachers prepare our kids for the real world. Here’s what this bill would actually do: harm the mental health of our students," Kelly said in a letter explaining her decision.

Kansas Republicans handily overrode the Democratic governor's unilateral action with a 84-40 vote in the House and a 28-12 vote in the Senate, thereby bypassing Kelly.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R), Republican Majority Leader Chris Croft, and Speaker Pro Tem Blake Carpenter said in a joint statement, "The Fairness in Women’s Sports act protects the rights of female athletes in the state by requiring that female student athletic teams only include members who are biologically female. House Republicans are united in our commitment to defending the intention of Title IX."

"We proudly stand with the female athletes across Kansas in their pursuit of athletic awards, opportunities, and scholarships and believe they deserve every chance at success afforded to their male counterparts," they added.

Some state Democrats didn't take the loss well.

Democratic Reps. Heather Meyer and Susan Ruiz reportedly began screaming hysterically at their peers for having executed the will of the people and bypassed the governor's veto.

\u201c@afentra I can\u2019t remember if you\u2019re still my constituent, but regardless I appreciate your support and I will go down fighting this horrid legislation. \nThank you for supporting #TransKids\u201d
— afentra (@afentra) 1680711250

After Democratic efforts at legislative obstructionism failed, Meyer tweeted, "Just sitting here at my floor desk in tears as my colleagues go to the well to fight for kids like my own The attacks on trans youth must stop. Our kids are not political pawns in your culture war. They deserve to live their lives as fully as cisgender kids."

Gov. Kelly told reporters, "It sort of breaks my heart. It certainly is disappointing. I know that there are some legislators for whom this was a very, very hard vote, one that I think that they will regret as they look back on their time in the legislature."

Extracurricular propaganda will be optional

Following the successful override, the Republican-controlled House passed HB 2236 on Thursday with a 76-46 vote. The bill had passed in the Senate last week with a 23-17 vote. The bill will now go to Kelly for ratification. If she similarly vetoes this legislation, Republicans may seek to double down and bypass her once again.

WDAF-TV reported that Kelly has a few weeks to decide on whether to veto the bill.

The bill states, "Every parent of a child in this state has a right to direct the education, upbringing and moral or religious training of such child."

Accordingly, parents can object to educational material or activities that are not included in the approved district curriculum or state educational standards and to "withdraw such student from the class or educational program in which the material or activity is being provided."

The legislation makes clear that withdrawal cannot be penalized and the withdrawn student's academic records cannot be adversely impacted.

Rep. Susan Estes, the Wichita Republican who advanced the bill, said, "When I as a parent have had objections and gone to the teachers of my children, they’ve been happy to give us an alternative assignment, but what we heard in committee were parents who not only went to their teacher … they went to their principal and higher up in the school district … and did not have their concerns addressed and did not have alternative assignments that could be offered."

"If there is one family who are denied their rights, we need to address it," added Estes.

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Check out 'anti-woke' scene from Cate Blanchett's new movie, in which her character utterly torches cancel culture, identity politics: 'Absolutely based'​



An "anti-woke" scene from "Tár" — a Cate Blanchett movie just released last month — is getting some attention for taking a stand against cancel culture and identity politics.

What's the background?

Written and directed by Todd Field, "Tár" focuses on fictional character Lydia Tár, who's "widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and first-ever female music director of a major German orchestra," IMDB notes.

According to Wired, the scene in question takes place during a conducting class Tár is teaching at Juilliard, during which a student named Max identifies “as a BIPOC pangender person" and finds Johann Sebastian Bach's “misogyny” hard to take.

Sitting at a piano with Max, Tár plays a Bach piece and asks Max for an opinion on it.

"You play really well," Max replies. "But nowadays white, male, cis composers — just not my thing."

Tár shoots back, "Don't be so eager to be offended. The narcissism of small differences leads to the most boring conformity."

When Max admits some admiration for composer Edgard Varèse, Tár stands up and tells Max that "you must be aware that Varèse once famously stated that jazz was a negro product exploited by the Jews. Didn't stop Jerry Goldsmith from ripping him off for his 'Planet of Apes' score. It's kind of a perfect insult, don't you think?"

She pours on more logic, declaring that "if Bach's talent can be reduced to his gender, birth country, religion, sexuality, and so on, then so can yours. Now, some day, Max, when you go out into the world, and you guest conduct for a major or minor orchestra, you may notice that the players have more than light bulbs and music on their stands. They will also have been handed rating sheets — the purpose of which is to rate you. Now, what kind of criteria would you hope that they use to do this? Your score reading and stick technique, or something else?"

Tár then buries Max pretty deep in front of the entire class, asking for a vote from those in the music room on the better approach for such judgment — and Max rises from the piano bench and begins to walk out of the music room, calling Tár a "f***ing bitch."

Without missing a beat, Tár calls Max "a robot" as he continues his journey to the door, adding that "unfortunately, the architect of your soul appears to be social media."

Here's the scene via Catch Up, which calls it "absolutely based." Content warning: Language:

\u201cCate Blanchett takes on critical race theory and gender identity politics in her new role. Absolutely based.\u201d
— Catch Up (@Catch Up) 1668677122

How are folks reacting to the scene?

Former Mumford & Sons banjoist Winston Marshall — who just spoke to TheBlaze's Glenn Beck about why he regrets apologizing to the woke mob — wondered in a tweet, "Has Hollywood gone anti-woke??? I can’t believe what I’ve just seen."

Fox News' Brian Kilmeade said Blanchett "eviscerates woke gender identity politics in captivating scene from her new film Tár. Don't expect this one to get Hollywood praise... it is starting to go viral on the Internet, however."

The Babylon Bee's Joel Berry offered "props to Todd Field for writing this little monologue."

The New Culture Forum from the U.K. tweeted, "3 brilliant minutes. It's hard to believe such a scene was filmed in this day and age. Indeed, we're so familiar with Hollywood's milquetoast wokery, that watching this is a decidedly strange experience."

Jason Howerton, an alum of TheBlaze, said he "never in a million years would have predicted that the most SAVAGE takedown of woke gender/identity politics would come from a Hollywood actress, yet here we are."

Manchin Is a Liar and the 'Inflation Reduction' Bill Is His Latest Con | Ep 549

Manchin Is a Liar and the 'Inflation Reduction' Bill Is His Latest Con | Ep 549

Country music star John Rich's new anti-woke song tells leftists to 'stick your progress where the sun don't shine' — and it hits #1 on iTunes in just hours



Country star John Rich — one half of the popular duo Big & Rich — penned a decidedly anti-woke song he dubbed "Progress" that rails against left-wing politics and culture and stands up for traditional American values.

However, Rich told Just the News that he foresaw a problem getting a song that tells leftists to "stick your progress where the sun don't shine" played on the radio and distributed to the masses. Mainly because the music industry also leans left.

So Rich did an end-around on Friday, bypassing the music industry's gatekeepers and instead releasing "Progress" on Truth Social — the platform started by former President Donald Trump — and on the Rumble video platform.

What happened next?

In just a few hours, "Progress" jumped to number one on iTunes, Just the News said, besting the likes of Billie Eilish and Lizzo and Beyonce. A quick glance Tuesday at PopVortex revealed that "Progress" is indeed the top song on the American iTunes charts.

"Here I am with no record label, no publisher, no marketing deal," Rich told Just the News. "I just got a song that speaks to a lot of people, and Truth and Rumble pushed it out there. And man, I'm really proud of what we did today."

A lyric in "Progress" takes aim at the forces that conspire to "shut down our voices," and Rich explained to the outlet that he's "talking about Twitter and YouTube and Facebook. And I thought, 'You know what? I'm gonna reach out to Truth Social and reach out to Rumble because they still allow free speech over there.' Why would I launch this song on the platforms that I'm railing against in the lyrics?"

Rich added to Just the News that his launch experiment is "bypassing this machine that they've built, going right around the machine, going right to the people. It means that if you bring the right content, and you have people like Truth and Rumble that will get that message to your core audience, you can beat the machine that's been put in place to keep people like me shut down."

He also told the outlet that "the problem with country radio" isn't the DJs or others at country music stations; instead "it's the people way up the food chain that run the conglomerates that have bought up 90% of all of our radio stations ... a big [contingent] of them ... do not like anybody bucking their woke system."

Still, Rich added to Just the News that "there's a few good ones in there. And when I say 'good,' I mean, you know, 'lean conservative.' They want free space; they want artists to be heard."

The meaning of 'Progress'

The author of "Progress" revealed to the outlet how his new song was born.

"I'm watching what I consider to be the dismantling of our country at a lot of different levels," Rich told Just the News. "And when you sit back and look at it, the vast majority of it's being perpetuated on us under the banner of 'progress.' Like in the name of progress we're going to send gasoline through the roof so you have to buy an electric car. In the name of progress, we're going to let anybody and everybody into our country, and if that means we get overrun with fentanyl and every other bad thing, well, so be it. Because that's progressive: You need to be open-minded and open borders in the name of progress. They target our kids in the name of progress; they do all these things that are actually the opposite of that. They're regressive. They're not constructive, they're destructive."

Here are the lyrics:

There's a hole in this country where its heart used to be
And Old Glory's divided on fire in the street
They say Building Back Better will make America great
If that's a wave of the future, all I've got to say
(chorus) Stick your progress where the sun don't shine
Keep your big mess away from me and mine
If you leave us alone, well we'd all be just fine
Stick your progress where the sun don't shine
They invite the whole world to come live in our land
And leave our countrymen dying in Afghanistan
They say let go of Jesus, let government save
And you can have back your freedom if you do what we say
(chorus)
They shut down our pipelines, and they shut down our voices
They shut down our Main Streets, and they shut down our choices
They bent us all over, but it's all over now
'Cause we've figured it out, we ain't backing down
(chorus)

Here's Rich playing "Progress" live on on "Fox & Friends" and explaining its origins:

Fox & Friends : John Rich's 'non-woke' song hits number one on iTunesyoutu.be