WATCH: Bud Light pokes fun at marketing missteps in latest Shane Gillis ad



Just when you thought woke weirdness in commercials couldn't get any worse, along comes Jaguar as if to say, "Hold my beer."

Just as the iconic British carmaker drives its brand off a cliff with its latest ad, Bud Light continues to win back customers with its latest effort — its second spot starring stand-up Shane Gillis.

The Gillis campaign returns Bud Light to its pre-woke era, when the brand embraced comedy to appeal to its young, male customer base

As Blaze News reported in February, the beloved beer brand signed a marketing deal with Gillis in an attempt to repair the damage caused by its disastrous partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.

The latter caused conservatives to spearhead a boycott, which caused Bud Light to drop from the top-selling beer to the third, while parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev lost roughly $1.4 billion in sales. In a bit of meta-commentary, the spot — entitled "Wrong Commercial" — finds Gillis showing up at what he thinks is the set of his latest Bud Light commercial — only to encounter a snake-handling femme fatale and an existentially depressed guitarist (all shot in black and white).

"I think I'm in the wrong commercial," the flannel-clad Gillis announces, Bud Light in hand. "Yeah dude, this isn't right."

Meanwhile, the actor who is supposed to be in the avant-garde fragrance ad is at the Bud Light set: a raucous sports bar where he has the time of his life drinking beer, eating wings, and watching football.

Gillis' first Bud Light commercial debuted in September.

The Gillis campaign returns Bud Light to its pre-woke era, when the brand embraced comedy to appeal to its young, male customer base in a series of memorable ads, including "Real Men of Genius," "Bud Light Institute," "The Hitchhiker," "Paper or Plastic," "Magic Fridge," "Swear Jar," "Dog Sitter," and "Rock, Paper, Scissors."

This run ended in 2022 when the company promoted Alissa Heinerscheid to vice president of marketing, the first female to fill the role.

From the start, Heinerscheid was outspoken about her intentions to shake things up. During an interview in March 2023, Heinerscheid declared that Bud Light needs to welcome more "inclusivity."

"So I had this super clear mandate. It's like, we need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand," Heinerscheid proclaimed. "And my ... what I brought to that was a belief in, OK, what does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign that's truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different and appeals to women and to men."

Heinerscheid expressed disgust for Bud Light's previous marketing campaigns.

"And we had this hangover. I mean, Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out-of-touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach," she stated.

You can watch the Shane Gillis Bud Light commercial below.

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'I apologize to absolutely nobody': Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe says media used Puerto Ricans as 'political fodder'



Stand-up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe refused to apologize for jokes he made about Puerto Rico and many others in his routine at a Donald Trump rally.

Hinchcliffe, who made countless headlines after joking about Puerto Rico being an "island of garbage" at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally late last month, addressed the media outrage in a video posted on Monday.

An episode of Hinchcliffe's incredibly popular podcast "Kill Tony" was filmed the night after his controversial pre-election appearance. The comedian prefaced it with comments about the backlash.

Hinchcliffe explained that the premise for his rally joke had a basis in reality.

"I don't know if you guys know this. In my speech on free speech, I referenced Puerto Rico, which currently has a landfill problem in which all of their landfills are filled to the brim. I guess I'm the only person that knew about this, unfortunately."

Hinchcliffe is right. Well before he made the remarks, environmental websites were bringing up the issue of the island's landfill space, saying the country would soon be at capacity for garbage.

The latest piece came from the St. Kitts and Nevis Observer, which said that the comedian's jokes aside, the island's infrastructure is under considerable strain, as many of its landfills are over capacity.

'That's what I do. I go hard, and that's never going to change.'

Hinchcliffe made it clear that his joke was indeed just a joke and added that he loves Puerto Ricans and believes them to be "very smart people."

"They're street-smart, and they're smart enough to know when they're being used as political fodder, and right now that is happening," Hinchcliffe said at the time.

Taking a page out of UFC legend Conor McGregor's book, Hinchcliffe added that he wanted to apologize to "nobody."

"I apologize to absolutely nobody. Not to the Puerto Ricans, not to the whites, not to the blacks, not to the Palestinians, not to the Jews, and not to my own mother, who I made fun of during the set," the comedian said.

Your browser does not support the video tag. Footage by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Hinchcliffe said he noticed there were no headlines regarding his jokes about his own mother but later admitted that maybe the presidential venue wasn't the best place to deliver his material.

However, the 40-year-old said he doesn't plan on easing up with his jokes.

"That's what I do. I go hard, and that's never going to change."

After the fallout from the rally, several prominent personalities defended Trump and the jokes.

Armin Mizani, the mayor of Keller, Texas, who is Puerto Rican, referred to the ordeal as simply a "bad joke by a comedian" that shouldn't overshadow what Trump could do for Americans.

Puerto Rican NFL player Jon Feliciano said, "The only Puerto Ricans that are mad about Tony Hinchcliffe's joke, are mad because it helps push their agenda."

— (@)

Even left-wing Comedy Central host Jon Stewart defended Hinchcliffe, showing that comedy can be bipartisan.

"Obviously, in retrospect, having a roast comedian come to a political rally a week before Election Day and roasting a key demographic ... probably not the best decision by the campaign politically, but to be fair, the guy's just really doing what he does," Stewart explained.

"I find that guy very funny. I'm sorry, I don't know what to tell you," he told his audience.

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Comedian Andrew Schulz credits podcast circuit for connecting Trump to voters while legacy media sells 'depression pills'



Comedian Andrew Schulz says he thinks Donald Trump's appearances on podcasts helped him build a connection with voters that drove them to the polling stations.

Schulz was speaking with co-host Akaash Singh on his podcast "Flagrant" when he began discussing the now-limited reach of mainstream media.

"Was Kamala [Harris] so bad that even with the influence of legacy media they couldn't get [her] over the hump? For example, if Michelle [Obama] was running or if Barack was running with legacy media in its current state, I think they might be able to still get it over," Schulz speculated.

Schulz then blamed legacy media for convincing Americans that "up until election night" the presidential election was a close race.

"[It's] legacy media that is constantly pushing narratives that not only is it close, 'she might be ahead! Iowa's going to her; she's going to flip all the [swing states]; it's going to be an absolute mauling,' right? That is legacy media pushing a narrative and people believing said narrative."

'It wasn't exactly the free-form speech that we're kind of used to.'

Schulz then went into detail on how Trump, much like popular comedians with podcasts, was able to create an emotional connection with audience members who were then inspired to go out and support him.

"If you look at the biggest touring stand-up comedians in the world, they all have podcasts where they've built this amazing community and connection, and we talk to people every single week," Schulz outlined. "They know intimate details about our life. To me what that's proven is that just because people are famous doesn't mean you go out; connection is actually what makes people go out."

It was that connection with Americans that Schulz explained he felt Vice President Kamala Harris didn't have. She appeared on some podcasts that were more like "short, very contrived interviews."

"It was very controlled. It was things edited out. It wasn't exactly the free-form speech that we're kind of used to," the comedian claimed.

Trump appeared on the "Flagrant" podcast about a month before the election, along with other podcasts with Joe Rogan and Theo Von.

Harris' biggest podcast appearance was on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, which predominantly focuses on promiscuity and college life. She later appeared on "Club Shay Shay," a podcast with former NFL player Shannon Sharpe. That appearance did not even crack the show's top 50 most viewed episodes, however.

Schulz went on to point out that podcasts are about connecting people, while legacy media is about selling "depression pills" from sponsors.

The comedian added that voters came out to support Trump because of the "connection" and that people voted for President Biden in 2020 because they didn't have to leave the house.

After Trump's appearance on his podcast, Schulz had a large arena cancel his gig, claiming he was not "the right fit" for the venue.

At the same time, Trump's podcast circuit likely bolstered his status with young men, who voted for Trump in larger numbers than in 2020. Trump garnered 56% of the 2024 vote with men ages 18-29.

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Jerry Seinfeld torches even more anti-Israel hecklers, telling them they 'just gave more money to a Jew'



Jerry Seinfeld torched a group of anti-Israel hecklers at his show Saturday night in Melbourne, Australia — the second time the iconic comedian has done so in the space of a week.

Toward the end of Seinfeld's set, the pro-Palestinian protesters began shouting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” Variety reported. The well-known chant is an endorsement of the destruction of Israel.

'We’re in the same business. Our business is to get people to see things the way we see it. The problem is, you’re in the wrong place!'

Unfortunately for the hecklers, they didn't seem to know that Seinfeld has a knack for putting such individuals in their place.

“Oh, you’re back! They’re back! The protesters are back! I missed you!” the comedian retorted, as the audience began booing the hecklers.

"Oh, you're not doing well. It's so hard for you," he continued before trying to talk some sense into them. "Listen, you and I are in the same business. We’re in the same business. Our business is to get people to see things the way we see it. The problem is, you’re in the wrong place! Do you hear how well I’m doing? This is what you want! You want to do well like I am. Look at the people here to hear me ... look at what happened to you."

Police escorted the protesters out of Rod Laver Arena, the Daily Mail said.

Seinfeld went on to explain that if he were to try to perform his "little comedy show" at a rugby game, "I would get that same reaction. I would get kicked out on my ass because that's not where I belong."

He added, "I think you need to go back and tell whoever's running your organization: 'We just gave more money to a Jew.' That cannot be a good plan for you. That's not what you want ... you gotta come up with a better plan."

You can view Seinfeld's takedown here.

The scene was much the same in Sydney last Sunday when a heckler dialed up the same "from the river to the sea" chant while Seinfeld was on stage — and of course, he demolished the pro-Palestinian protester.

"Yes! We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He's solved the Middle East! He's solved it!" Seinfeld mocked.

"It's the Jewish comedians, that's who we have to get. They're the ones who are doing everything!" he continued. "Yeah, go ahead, keep going! They're going to start punching you in about three seconds, so I would try and get all of your genius out so we can all learn from you."

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Blaze News original: The fall of 'Pride Month': Comedian Thai Rivera explains why Target and the NFL are slowly walking back their activism



With corporations slowly backing off of their yearly tradition of screaming about gay pride from rooftops in order to hock merchandise, many musicians, comedians, and companies alike are noticing that the threat of being canceled by online mobs is diminishing.

Celebrities like Katt Williams and J.K. Rowling powering through attempted cancellations has shown that a temporary wave of online criticism is a storm that can indeed be weathered. This has inspired other comedians to steady the course when offended parties put them in the crosshairs.

This could not be more true than in the case of stand-up comedian Thai Rivera. A self-professed bridge-burner who has dealt with multiple campaigns against him, Rivera openly stated to Blaze News that being a master of his craft gives him the confidence to speak openly about taboo subjects.

It is with this attitude that Rivera often finds himself at odds with the LGBT activist community, despite its propensity to assume he is aligned with them on every issue.

Case in point: Rivera's recent statements on Target's new decision to remove Pride clothing sales from select outlets. This comes a year after the department store was under fire for their "tuck-friendly" bathing suits aimed at transgender people and other Pride products marketed toward children.

"Whenever it comes to LGBT, what happens is the people that are in charge of the marketing just go too crazy at a point and start trying to do things that nobody, even in the community, is really asking for," Rivera explained.

"When it comes to marketing towards kids, nobody is asking for that. Especially when it comes to Pride itself, that's a big thing right now where they say, 'Pride is great for kids,' and it's like, since when?!"

"We've always had kids at Pride because lesbians make mistakes," Rivera joked. "But it was never a push," he continued. Similarly, Rivera said that when Target starting selling "books for kids on gender ideology" and promoting the "tuck-friendly bathing suits," it went too far.

'That's what it is with these people: You tell the truth, and they get mad at you.'

"The marketing was just off, and it seemed weird that they marketed it for years and [didn't market] it to kids, and then all of sudden they were marketing it to kids, and then we end up where we are now."

Reminding the audience that Target exists to make money, Rivera stated that he doesn't put any faith into a company actually sharing his beliefs and neither should folks who consider themselves LGBT.

"If gays, people of different ethnicities ... if you think any corporation or business actually supports what you are, you're stupid. It really is about making money, and are you marketable and are you profitable."

If the product isn't moving, or, even worse, making people turn around and walk out, "then why would you keep it at the front of the store," Rivera asked.

Target recently shared its plan for Pride Month 2024, which included dialing back how many stores it sells gay-themed products in.

But the company did not back off its ideological support, saying, "At Target, we know our business thrives when we create experiences that foster a sense of belonging. That’s why we support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round."

Target also stated that it would participate in the Minneapolis Pride parade and support organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, which explicitly supports sex-change surgeries for children.

— (@)

'I don't think trans-women athletes belong in women's sports, not only for physical reasons but because ... can't women have anything?'

NFL dissidents

The NFL's support for Pride initiatives was a widely-discussed topic at the beginning of June 2024, with all but nine teams (and counting) making front-facing posts or webpages in support of certain sexualities.

When asked why the NFL is taking so long to recognize that its initiatives aren't popular among fans, especially in comparison to the national anthem protests, Rivera replied, "Because a lot of gay people don't have lives."

"If they think you're not supporting them then they'll just start harassing you," he laughed. "I know how all this works because I've been the subject of LGBT 'cancellation' before."

Rivera described a scenario of a "few gay people that really have no lives" who will create 10 different email accounts per person and send messages to a particular company to create the feeling that there is a strong backlash and outrage.

"Sometimes it's as lazy as a copy and paste," he disclosed.

"I think it happens with sports teams, too. The push is kind of ridiculous though, because there are gays that really like sports. There are trans people that do like sports. But, when it comes down to it, I don't think that we're a market that they should specifically cater to."

"I also don't think that there's a lot of us that are expecting that from them," he added.

Thai Rivera on the Fall of Pride Month www.youtube.com

Trans-canceled

"The first time I got canceled by the trans community I don't remember what I said. I'm sure it was something true, though," Rivera said with a smirk. "That's what it is with these people: You tell the truth, and they get mad at you, and they don't realize that I've had life-long trans friends."

With that in mind, Rivera said he will talk to, about, or make jokes at the expense of trans people like any other person and not like "they are made of glass."

The comedian's resolve is firm in that he isn't afraid of causing offense by telling the truth. An example of such was a time Rivera said he was scrolling his social media feed and was intrigued by an article about LGBT Pride.

"I was feeling quite prideful that morning, so I decided to click on the article."

Rivera recalled reading "the whiniest thing" he's ever read about LGBT Pride and shared his thoughts on the article on Facebook. His commentary on the "whiny" articled inevitably ended up offending a few readers. A person dating a transgender individual tried to start an argument with him, Rivera said, but the comedian wasn't impressed by the outrage and reminded the person that their "boyfriend just turned into their girlfriend nine months ago."

After being told several times he was being offensive and not honoring a "trans day of remembrance," Rivera remembered plainly stating the day is "not a thing."

"It's like Kwanzaa, who cares?!"

"I told them," Rivera continued. "You're arguing with a real fag right now, it's not going to be the same situation as when you argue with straight people."

Pro athlete, pro woman

Rivera said he understands why some pro-women's sports groups act like "ambulance chasers," trying to sound the alarm on instances when men impede in women's spaces.

"Unfortunately, I think it is necessary," he admitted.

Rivera revealed that he feels groups like the Independent Council on Women's Sports are fighting a just cause and that women should be able to have their own spaces, which he said definitely includes sports and changing rooms. The comic said he is "100%" on the side of women "putting their foot down and saying 'this is for us.'"

"I don't think trans-women athletes belong in women's sports, not only for physical reasons but because ... can't women have anything? ... I don't know if a lot of people at home have ever seen a trans woman naked, but it is jarring!" he laughed.

In terms of scholarships and athletic records, Rivera said that many women are having opportunities taken from them by trans athletes, therefore he said that groups such as ICONS are definitely necessary, even though he sees ideas like women having their own sports as "common sense."

Rivera referenced other necessary pushback from figures like J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.

"She's got enough money that she can say f*** it."

Rowling has not backed off from referring to a plethora of transgender women directly as men and quite literally dared Scottish police to arrest her for the violation of hate speech laws.

"I'm currently out of the country, but if what I've written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," Rowling said in March 2024.

Rivera reiterated that a college-age woman should be able to express that she's uncomfortable with a man in her changing room and not be reprimanded for speaking up about it.

He concluded by pointing out the unsettling reality of how much a person's livelihood can determine how vocal he or she is about his or her beliefs.

A lot of people who take issue with men encroaching in women's' territory "have to keep their mouth shut because they don't want to lose their jobs," he stated.

Rivera routinely posts portions of his stand-up comedy on his YouTube channel and is active on his Patreon page.

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Rob Schneider removed from charity event for 'offensive' jokes about trans people that allegedly made audience members cry



Comedian Rob Schneider was reportedly removed from the stage of a fundraising event for a charity after he made jokes about vaccines and transgender people, which offended audience members.

Schneider was allegedly asked to end his set early during an event for the Hospitals of Regina Foundation in Saskatchewan, Canada, at a Four Seasons hotel.

The comic's jokes and commentary apparently offended several audience members, with one person in attendance claiming that Schneider's words even made some audience members cry.

"I really felt strongly after seeing many people ... some were in tears, some were incredibly upset, people were leaving the room, that I just said to myself [that] I can't sit by and do nothing," said attendee Tynan Allan. Schneider was saying things that were "very anti-vaccinations" and "very against trans folks," Allan told CBC News, Canada's state broadcaster.

'We do not condone, accept, endorse or share Mr. Schneider's positions, as expressed during his comedy set.'

Described by the outlet as a "diversity expert," Allan also claimed he heard "misogynistic things" before he decided to complain to event organizers.

"I went up and and asked to speak to the organizers of the event, at first they were incredibly dejective [sic] and sort of saying 'well, we're not going to do anything and we hired this guy and lots of people are laughing, so why would we shut him down?'"

Allan said he complained to organizers that Schneider's content was "completely inappropriate and offensive and really filled with hatred."

"We have to recognize what [Pride] day means to people, especially in a hospital setting where people go through gender-affirming care and reproductive care and fertility treatments," Allan continued. Eventually, the foundation acquiesced and asked Schneider to leave the stage, with the activist alleging that security was "waiting to escort him out."

The foundation later released statements on Schneider's appearance, apologizing and saying that organizers did not agree with the comedian's statements.

"While we recognize that in a free and democratic society individuals are entitled to their views and opinions and that comedy is intended to be edgy, the content, positions and opinions expressed during Mr. Schneider's set do not align with the values of our Foundation and team," the foundation said in a statement, according to Global News.

"We do not condone, accept, endorse or share Mr. Schneider's positions, as expressed during his comedy set and acknowledge that in this instance the performance did not meet the expectations of our audience and our team," the group continued. "An unconditional apology was offered right after to our guests and our community. We reiterate this sincere and unconditional apology today, for any offense caused by Mr. Schneider's recent comedy set, at the Four Seasons Ball."

The foundation reportedly stated that Schneider calmly left the stage when he was asked.

Schneider has not yet made public remarks about the event, and his representation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Blaze News original: Arson and death threats: How a roast battle joke about a government hoax sparked cancellations and protests of a comedian

Blaze News original: Arson and death threats: How a roast battle joke about a government hoax sparked cancellations and protests of a comedian



Comedian Brendan Blacquier never thought that a random, throwaway joke from a roast battle would be what launched him into international headlines, all for the wrong reasons.

Blacquier's comedy group, the Danger Cats, has been growing in popularity ever since a viral video about Canadian accents was posted to YouTube in 2018. This was followed by popular sketches about vaccines and the Bud Light marketing fiasco.

For years, the group has been touring across Canada before breaking into the United States with its down-to-earth, uncensored comedy. Group member Brett Forte has performed with Joe Rogan alumnus Brendan Schaub, and the group recently paired up with Comedy Store legend Brian Holtzman.

As the roast of Tom Brady was dominating social media and edgy comedy was seeing a massive resurgence, a slew of cancellations rocked the the Danger Cats as they came into the crosshairs of left-wing media. It all started when a vertical video of Blacquier reading a roast joke off his phone was posted to Facebook.

The joke from Blacquier, who goes by the nickname Uncle Hack, mocked a female comedian and compared her number of sexual encounters to the number of unmarked graves under a Canadian residential school.

The unmarked graves referenced the alleged discovery of the remains of native children near or underneath residential schools, which were operated by the Catholic Church in Canada until the 1990s. The news of the sites led to the burnings of Catholic churches across the country, protests, and demands that the Justin Trudeau administration get to the bottom of the claims.

As of the time of this writing, the Canadian federal government has spent years and more than $8 million on the search for bodies at the alleged unmarked grave sites. Zero bodies have been found.

However, this did not stop complaints about Blacquier's stand-up, with upset activists demanding that comedy clubs cancel the Danger Cat performances.

'To try and dictate what somebody should laugh at and should not laugh at is control, and what it seems like right now with the powers that be, is that control ... there's a thirst for it.'

The video clip in question was posted by Sherry Lynn Mckay, who has described herself as an "Indigenous content creator, stand up comedian, motivational speaker," and "influencer," along with being a "mom of 4" and a "tiktokker."

Mckay gave an interview to CBC Radio's "Up to Speed," which is broadcast by Canada's state-owned media.

"I first seen [sic] the video in 2022. ... I was absolutely disgusted, and it was actually at the beginning of my stand-up comedy career," she told the radio host. When asked why she thought the joke was so hurtful, Mckay said that it was because of "how easy it was for some one to say those things in a public setting and make light of a really dark situation."

"We as indigenous people, we are still doing a lot of healing. ... It's just one of those things," she added. "It really hurt me and hurt a lot people who watched it ... indigenous people and our allies, too,' she added.

Comedian Forte soon got word of a cancellation from a Winnipeg comedy club, which told him over the phone that the group's shows were being removed immediately due to controversies surrounding the event.

"They took it upon themselves to run to the media and their social media following to protest the show," Blacquier told Blaze News. "They forced the hand of the venue to cancel the show. Then after that happened, and it seemed like the folks that were against us got a win, they moved on to more."

— (@)

The same activists then took issue with the third member of the comedy group, Sam Walker, who was promoting a T-shirt that joked about convicted serial murderer Robert Pickton. This led to "national attention and protesters showing up outside the venue that we had in Vancouver," Blacquier recalled.

Strangely, activists who said Walker was making light of the crimes either didn't seem to notice or didn't care that his opinion on the matter was that not enough investigation had gone into the murders. Walker emphasized that there were still families who deserved more justice.

Protests at the comedy club led to threats of arson, vandalism, and bodily harm to the group and venues, should they dare to host the group. In the end, eight venues canceled Danger Cat shows.

'I asked "did you hear the joke?" and he was like "no." So I said "so you don't even know what you're mad at me for?!"'

Government spotlight

The Danger Cats found themselves as the subject of scathing news reports from Canada's biggest media companies, most of which have received government funding. This of course included the government broadcaster itself, CBC, which has repeatedly brought up the conversation about whether or not the trio should be allowed to perform.

"I don't think I've really had much faith in the media to begin with," Uncle Hack said when asked if he expected the sheer number of hit pieces the group received.

"The person behind the pen or whoever's writing those articles has a certain objective to accomplish with with their piece ... but this is not any form of activism," he said about his comedy.

"I guess in some jokes you're provoking thought, if you want to call that activism, you can; who am I to stop you from that? But the intent of being on that stage is for us to deliver laughter, and comedy is subjective, so it's tough. To try and dictate what somebody should laugh at and should not laugh at is control, and what it seems like right now with the powers that be is, that control ... there's a thirst for it."

Blacquier said he has made peace with the mainstream media, saying that the outlets have "made it clear that they won't be attending the same dinner parties any time soon."

Joke misinformation

Perhaps most irritating about the ordeal for Blacquier was the fact that so many shows were canceled or had to be moved based on a misunderstanding. Meaning, the reality was that his joke was not a carefully plotted, insensitive jab at native Canadian history.

"I don't have a single joke in my act about residential schools, but the media portrayed it as if I go up and do a half-hour on residential schools, and the outcomes, and the victims, and all this. They made it seem like I have a whole act based upon residential schools, which is not true."

Despite the government not finding any evidence of buried bodies, the comic said that if you listen to his joke, it was actually alluding to the fact that there were a lot of bodies.

"I don't agree with what happened inside those schools," he added. But the comedian's true feelings certainly did not stop the protests that led to cancellations, nor did it stop the comedians from being accosted whenever angry activists got the chance.

However, Uncle Hack did get the opportunity to change someone's mind when he was confronted at a venue.

"I had a discussion with one gentleman in public who pulled me aside. I let him speak on behalf of attending one of those schools and how I shouldn't joke about it, and then once I let him speak, I asked 'did you hear the joke?' and he was like 'no.' So I said 'so you don't even know what you're mad at me for?!'" the comedian recalled.

The man replied that he was bothered that the Taber, Alberta, comedian was making fun of residential schools at all; Blacquier corrected him.

"No, I just found a really wild way to call a woman a whore."

"Really?" the man replied. "That's f***ing hilarious," the man added before laughing and walking away.

The sensitivity of the subject makes it "almost fun and dangerous to try and weave through," Blacquier continued. "I think that if we're not willing to talk about it, we're never going to uncover the truth."

— (@)

The Danger Cats are currently touring across Canada and California, with tickets available through October 2024.

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Blaze News original: 'Wokeness has woken people up': Comedy club owner Mark Breslin once witnessed a judge rule that a woman was fat

Blaze News original: 'Wokeness has woken people up': Comedy club owner Mark Breslin once witnessed a judge rule that a woman was fat



Since 1978, Yuk Yuk's comedy club has been the premiere location to see uncensored acts. Now, as likely the world's longest-running comedy club owner, Mark Breslin has weathered decades of talent, cancelation attempts, and even a judge calling a woman fat.

At his clubs, whether its clean acts like Jerry Seinfeld, or not-so-clean acts like Louis C.K., no one is censored.

"I was friends with Sam Kinison, and I was very good friends with Seinfeld, and people said, 'How could you be friends with both of them?' I don't feel I have to choose between one kind of comedy and another," Breslin explained. "I embrace it all as long as it's funny."

The funny rule has worked for Breslin his entire career, and, for 48 years, his clubs have garnered the audience that expects no censorship. Breslin has never bent the knee to activists, and "anybody who's a social justice warrior is probably not going to show up at the club," he said. "They're probably not going to show up at any comedy club for that matter," he added.

"We have this history of pushing buttons and doing controversial things. We brought in Louis C.K. after his media meltdown, we used to bring in Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay," he listed.

Breslin's story certainly checks out, and his club has rejected the notion that there was ever a time when woke comedy or political correctness was popular in the comedy scene.

On the Yuk Yuk's history page, the franchise said that not even in 1976 was anyone taking offense to jokes about ethnicity or lifestyle. Everyone had a voice in an equally offending environment, with no looming political correctness catching the tongue of comedians or patrons.

The latter has mostly changed, of course, with social hierarchy or competitive oppression serving as the backdrop for nearly every mainstream public discussion.

Breslin certainly remembers some of his first battles, though, and how the paradigm has shifted in terms of what can and cannot be uttered, according to the establishment.

'There's some lines that you can't cross. The flash point used to be sex, but now the flash point is race, and it's very difficult to talk about race because everybody's organized.'

Different mob, same story

Breslin said while freedom of expression has always been in the company's DNA, he noted how different groups have come after him at different times.

"What's interesting, I think, is that the enemies of speech on stage have changed over the years. When we first started, the big issue was we were using four-letter words on a public stage. Now, it isn't that shocking, and, yet in 1978, we started to get a lot of criticism and hassles from church groups," he recalled.

"The church was very powerful in the '70s and into the '80s, and they would complain or they would picket, and they wouldn't like what we were saying because we were encouraging young people to f***, and you don't want to encourage young people to f*** because who knows where that would lead. That might lead to drugs! So, it's always been kind of a libertarian ethos underpinning the comedy."

While not every comic takes advantage of a freedom-oriented environment, some clubs will not provide that protection for its comedians.

"It's unfortunate," Breslin continued. "It's not like every single person in the audience gets up and walks out, it's more like a dozen people didn't like an abortion joke. But [the club] won't rehire the comic, which is ridiculous."

At Yuk Yuk's, Breslin said if anyone does come to management to complain — he assured that very few do — the person is told that the club doesn't censor people but is offered some tickets to another show.

"We would never stop the comic for doing [offensive comedy], we would only stop a comic if he wasn't funny. That's what is important: They have to be funny."

That funny rule has never been the case for television networks, Breslin said. When asked about the divide between networks like Comedy Central, or Canada's CBC and Comedy Channel, he said executives have always yearned for a Seinfeld-like routine.

"HBO was the first company that started to actually put specials for comics on-air, and if you take a look at who they used, they used very smart, bright, clean comics that were not particularly offensive," he remembered.

"What they were looking for was if not Jerry Seinfeld, anybody who's like Jerry Seinfeld. They would really like that, and I don't mean to suggest that this stuff is junk because a lot of it was fairly political."

Like the revolving door of activist groups, topics too have come and gone in terms of what is taboo. Waves of censorship throughout history, and the aforementioned history of Yuk Yuk's, proves that different eras come with different faux pas.

"There's some lines that you can't cross. The flash point used to be sex, but now the flash point is race, and it's very difficult to talk about race because everybody's organized, and all you have to do, if you're a network executive, is have the intimation of racism in your hire, and that's very hard to defend."

"At a club level, who cares?" Breslin clarified. "It just doesn't matter to me what people think, all I care about is my audience."

At this point Breslin took a moment to provide a reminder: "For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction."

"All this wokeness has woken up people who don't like the wokeness. You'll find there's a lot of comics out there now who really want to push the envelope against wokeism even if they don't particularly believe in those topics, just because they can't stand the idea of having their freedom limited."

Being sure to add that the freedom to make comedy is paramount, Breslin remembered that his club wasn't the first to put comics on stage. It was, however, the first club that didn't censor comics or implement a dress code.

"We were the first people to ever do it without a dress code, without a language code, without a content code ... and we actually kind of got excited when people would storm out because it meant, well, censorship is a form of relevance."

'The judge looked at the woman and said, 'But you are fat,' and the case was thrown out. It was sometime in the '80s.'


Topical controversy

Breslin was captured on video outside of his club in Toronto in early February 2024 receiving a police escort in order to enter the building through the back door. The entrance was blocked by pro-Palestinian protesters who were trying to prevent Breslin, who is Jewish, from entering.

As he made his way through the crowd, a woman appeared to try to stop him from entering by putting her arm out.

"She was grabbing my arm like she was trying to rip my clothes off," Breslin told the Toronto Sun. "I felt like I was the rock star I always wanted to be."

The club owner added that he didn't know who to complain about because all of the protesters were masked.

A woman claiming to be the person in question took offense to Breslin's remarks and said in a post on X that the joke constituted sexual harassment.

"The owner of Yuk Yuk's are sexually harassing me when they falsely accuse me of grabbing him & trying to rip his clothes while he boasts he felt like a rockstar," she wrote.

In the end, the night was still a success in front of a packed audience.

Too fat to laugh

The threat of hate speech laws are a real worry in Canada, but Breslin noted there is a provision for comedy under the latest Canadian hate speech legislation. But the entrepreneur didn't think legislation was the real reason the government hasn't been busting down doors to arrest comedians.

"None of this is for moral reasons, it's for practical reasons. They'd be dragging people into court every other day! It's hard to take somebody to court, it's effort, it's money. You have to really be a true believer to be able to do that."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that has actually happened.

Breslin recalled that one woman took Yuk Yuk's to court because a comedian called her fat.

"He called her fat, and she said that he can't do that, so it actually went to court."

Then, straight out of a Leslie Nielsen comedy, the judge actually rendered an unexpected verdict in the case.

"The judge looked at the woman and said, 'But you are fat,' and the case was thrown out. It was sometime in the '80s."

I am so honoured and humbled today to interview my idol, my mentor and I'm proud to say; my friend Mark Breslin in his Toronto, Ontario Yuk Yuk's office. Stay tuned!!!!
— (@)

Above being edgy, political, or getting a TV show, what do comedians want?

"I think people want to sell lots of seats in a big theater," Breslin theorized.

"Sitcoms are basically dead. Things have really changed, so I think that the notion of a massive billionaire comic is maybe one that's in the past. Maybe Seinfeld and Kevin Hart are the last two of their kind."

What's more important now is having a strong fan base, he explained. A big TikTok or Instagram following based off of short clips doesn't work on stage, he added.

"I can't think of anybody who's a TikTok star who's actually made a dent in real comedy ... but comics are making a good living selling out 2,000 seats in whatever city they go to. They may not have more fans than those 2,000 people, but those 2,000 people are rabid fans and want to see what they're doing and will do anything to see what they're doing."

Having a fan base that is willing to pay a babysitter, drive downtown, and pay the cover charge while buying drinks, is worth far more than any social media clout, Breslin detailed. He added that anything under a minute doesn't translate to a live stage, and he's seen it fail.

With more than 20 clubs across the country, Breslin said his clubs are an extension of his personality. He acts the same way with his family at the dinner table as he does with his patrons: open and transparent.

In an effort to be consistent with that transparency, Breslin admitted that he doesn't think Chris Farley is funny.

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Blaze News original: '90% white women with edgy haircuts': Comedian Leo Dottavio infiltrates pro-Palestinian protest, discovers it's just to 'hang out'

Blaze News original: '90% white women with edgy haircuts': Comedian Leo Dottavio infiltrates pro-Palestinian protest, discovers it's just to 'hang out'



After infiltrating UCLA's pro-Palestinian encampment, comedian Leo Dottavio said that the majority of participants were uninformed white women who were looking for their next "midweek adventure" and mostly just hanging out.

Dottavio has traveled the across the United States visiting liberal colleges, towns, and even Appalachia. He and fellow YouTuber/comic Danny Mullen often search out protests surrounding topical news stories and find themselves quickly getting into trouble when they question the official narrative at any given political event.

While their adventures often see them accosted by progressive leftists, the pair have made many less partisan stops including at the United States-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, and even events at Brigham Young University in Utah.

Powering through an arrest while investigating a drug crisis, and even helping save a woman who overdosed in San Francisco, there has seldom been an event that Dottavio has shied away from.

Dottavio and Mullen investigated a pro-Palestinian protest at the UCLA campus and were looking to determine whether the event was sincere or just another liberal hangout/soon-to-be autonomous homeless encampment.

The duo attempted to bring their own tent into the official occupying area, which was was blocked off by cardboard, posterboard signs, and a progressive version of a Praetorian Guard.

Despite trying to keep the comedians out, the protest had to deal with Dottavio breaking the picket line by running through the middle of the encampment with a football. The comedians, who said they are about 6’3", didn’t face any physical intimidation during the daytime. But at night, Mullen was physically threatened multiple times on video before being ushered off of the campus by masked thugs while police were busy clearing out the most crowded areas.

'Get on a f***ing plane and go to Gaza. You want to live this? You are that dedicated to this cause? Go help them out.'

Getting an up-close, firsthand look at the event was quite revealing to Dottavio, though.

"The attire and the scarves people are wearing at the protest would make you think that a lot of the protesters are Palestinian. But after standing less than 10 feet away from these people, I would say that maybe 5% or less looked like they could be Palestinian or Middle Eastern."

"What I’m trying to say is that it was white women," he clarified. "It was 90% white women with edgy haircuts. They didn't seem like Palestinians at all. It seemed like a group of people that maybe just want to hang out."

Dottavio elaborated, saying that the protest mimicked many of the protests he had been to before. It mostly consisted of people who had no real interest in the political messaging of the event but were looking to fit in.

"It seemed like it’s what they do, or their way to have a midweek adventure, like they are just looking for anything that's kind of fun," he remembered.

"It was mostly white women. I would say it was 90% uninformed white women. It seemed like it was anyone that doesn't like America wanted to be there. You’ll get ACAB ['All cops are bastards'], Antifa, and then you see white women trying to hang out with their buddies."

Danny Mullen is an absolute legend for this. The campus occupiers have no idea how to respond to his trolling.
— (@)

Dottavio's acumen on political movements at the collegiate level should not be looked down upon. He has spent untold hours at dozens of protests, often finding himself in some of the most progressive environments available.

None seemed more progressive than Evergreen State College, the school that was infamous for holding a "day of absence," which had students request that no white people be present for a day in 2017.

Dottavio and Mullen have visited the campus multiple times and were shocked at how easily they were accepted when disguising themselves as literal communists.

"We knew that we could easily infiltrate Evergreen State College again. The last time we went there, the more anti-Semitic we were, the more we were accepted."

Just one example from their visit was a student telling their crew that his hope was "that God himself" could "strike a great blow against Israel."

"The befuddling thing at the Palestine protests and the colleges, though … what happened to Ukraine? There have been so many deaths there, but why don’t they care about that?" Dottavio asked. "Of course the only solution to that is get on a f***ing plane and go to Gaza. You want to live this? You are that dedicated to this cause? Go help them out, I would respect that. That’s what they need."

When asked what he thinks a college education is offering young Americans in 2024, Dottavio didn't have much hope for any students who find themselves occupied by various protests.

"The people being churned out by some of the Ivy League schools do not turn out to be productive because of the way the world works, because they're so easily manipulated."

The 38-year-old said that he thought there are so many other topics that young activists could be focused on, including human or child trafficking. He described America's issues as "a long list," but those that should be higher in priority aren't getting the attention from college students that they deserve.

The border guard incident

In January 2024, Dottavio and Mullen traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border with an adult film star and were shocked when a U.S. Border Patrol agent exposed his genitalia to the group, both in person and with pictures and on his phone.

While near border town Jacumba Hot Springs, California, the hosts were approached by what appeared to be an official Border Patrol vehicle.

"We were there just to make some YouTube content and learn more about the border crisis," Mullen told Blaze News at the time. "But yes, that was a real border agent and he showed us his penis both on his phone and in person."

"Once he heard that Holly [Day] made adult films, it seemed like he wanted to prove to us that he was worthy of being in the industry as well," Mullen added.

The border agent is then seen showing his phone to the adult actress while saying "I'm not that big, but ..."

"Oh, it's his penis!" Day said while looking at the agent's phone screen.

Customs and Border Protection told the Washington Examiner that an investigation was ongoing.

'Money has to be backing all these decisions, so what is the line? Maybe there is some nefarious organization like BlackRock giving money behind the scenes.'

"It was really like a cartoon character," Dottavio recalled. "As soon as we showed up with a porn star, the guy really seemed to go into a trance. He then took the opportunity to show his penis."

"I don’t think he wanted to work there any more. He probably fantasizes every day about doing something different. Obviously, he's probably not the kind of guy you want working at the border."

“That guy, he wanted to free himself," Dottavio poetically prophesied. "As soon as that fly went down, he was free."

Getting canceled and woke sports

Consistently telling jokes and selling tickets has worked out well for Dottavio, who also acts and has appeared in an international spot for Little Caesar's.

There have been at least a couple of bumps, however, as is expected when a comedian doesn't believe in self-censorship.

"We did have a show canceled when Danny made a joke on our podcast about jokingly cutting a fat girl in half with a samurai sword. A venue just canceled our show after that."

One failed petition later, and Dottavio learned that the L.A. comedy scene isn't as easily as offended as people might imagine.

"Anything that's said at an open mic at a Los Angeles comedy is significantly worse than that," he explained. "The culture of Los Angeles has always been that if you’re going to a comedy club, you can't be offended."

Despite being in a liberal stronghold, "you might hear something that's going to offend you," and you have to deal with it. "You'll probably come across a microaggression, too," he added.

Dottavio, who played baseball in college, also spoke on prevailing wokeness in professional sports. Particularly, the comedian is a big fan of the UFC and baseball, which he admitted are "actually not that woke."

But when presented with the NHL or NBA, Dottavio said that he believes "it's usually up to the fan individually" to decide when he or she wants to pull their support.

"I would say I would be less inclined to blow a bunch of money at the stadium if I knew my money was going to some ridiculous cause or woke points."

Understanding that there may be a father and son who may just want to avoid any political messaging, Dottavio wasn't too harsh with his stance. He said that if he found out there was dark money involved in messaging, he probably wouldn't support it.

“Money has to be backing all these decisions, so what is the line? Maybe there is some nefarious organization like BlackRock giving money behind the scenes. At the end of the day as a fan, you have to give as much money as you are comfortable with," he said.

Dottavio concluded by saying that he plans on continuing to do his podcast, "The Leo & Danny Show," and making the type of videos he is famous for.

"It's like an adventure, like Frodo Baggins going towards Mordor."

However, Dottavio did admit that he more than likely is not Frodo in his story.

"Yes, it probably would be Danny."

Dottavio has over 100,000 followers on Instagram.

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Blaze News original: 'The war against the dumb': Comedian Sam Tripoli says cancel culture was never real

Blaze News original: 'The war against the dumb': Comedian Sam Tripoli says cancel culture was never real



Comedian Sam Tripoli says there is absolutely no reason to think about what is best for the government until the government starts thinking what is best for its own people.

His longtime skepticism of the government not only has earned him a following, but that following has turned into more credibility, as time has only proven that the world of politics isn't all sunshine and roses. See COVID-19 lockdowns, presidential elections, and social media censorship.

Fans of both comedy and podcasts will recognize Tripoli from his work that literally dates back to the beginning of podcasting itself. The early days of "The Joe Rogan Experience" featured Tripoli working alongside podcasting pioneers like Rogan, Ari Shaffir, and Brian Redban.

Now, with a multitude of podcasts, there aren't many topics Tripoli isn't willing to speak on. In fact, it's exactly that attitude that has resulted in the comedian's consistent social media shadow bans and a recent string of walkouts at his shows.

Even with free speech making leaps and bounds with the likes of Shane Gillis and Dave Chappelle constantly pushing the envelope on a grand stage, there are still a few forbidden topics, according to Tripoli.

"There's 'dangerous,' and then there's 'dangerous, dangerous,'" Tripoli told Blaze News. "That's what will get you censored on YouTube, or even on Twitter ... and a lot of that is the true history of America."

"Foreign influences on our politicians, blackmail, these types of topics. Things aren't getting worse, they're just getting more obvious. These are the dangerous conversations that people are afraid to have. Most people don't want to hear about it, either. That would be my answer: the true history of where we find ourselves right now."

In the same vein and with a TikTok ban looming, Tripoli said that it's important to remember that allowing the government to set a precedent about banning any speech or entity is going to come back to haunt Americans.

"In 2024 we honestly should not give a s*** about what's best for the government, nor what the government thinks is best; that's my opinion. If you start to be okay with the government doing things against people you don't like, violating laws and amendments and social contracts ... just know that that will be used against you," Tripoli warned.

"There will be a time where people might want to take to the streets because they don't like something the government's doing and because you've created a precedence in which you're okay with the government doing things against people you don't like, then [those things] will be used against you," he added.

The Californian said he is "very conscious" about how hypocritical positions could be turned on himself, which has led him to be very selective about siding with the government.

As an example of how hypocritical the masses can be, Tripoli pointed to advocates of the phrase "my body, my choice."

"The right-to-choose people, how they believe in body autonomy except for when it comes to vaccinations ... well, now they have no ground to stand on and nobody takes anything they say serious because they completely threw everyone who didn't want to get the vaccinations under the bus," he recalled.

This comes down to needing to be incredibly thoughtful when deciding whether to comprise your morals and your constitution, Tripoli said.

'Cancel culture was never real'

"Nobody has any balls in Hollywood," Tripoli said in response to cancel culture. Comedians are still afraid to color outside the lines in California, the comic explained, because one wrong move or independent thought can result in a comedy club canceling your set.

"It's so hard to get a gig in L.A. that you need 10 green lights to get a gig, and all it takes is one red light and you don't get the gig."

"Are comics still getting canceled?" he asked rhetorically. It's not that simple. The comedian described cancellations as a mirage of sorts, ideas designed to seem like there is widespread outrage among the masses that must be addressed.

"What you'd always hear from the left is that is cancel culture wasn't real. In a weird way it's true. It was just an Astroturf movement by the giant corporations through fascism with the government to control speech. So what they did was they get a couple blue-haired bots on Twitter and on Instagram to be like 'this guy said meanie stuff,' and before we could have a debate on it, corporations would come in and cancel the person, giving the Illusion that these blue hairs were very, very powerful."

"The cancel culture was never real, but the real effects of it is the social contagion of everyone being afraid of getting canceled, and what we've done is weaponized stupid people," Tripoli detailed.

This "war against the dumb" means comedians are no longer allowed to be provocative because "stupid people can't digest sarcasm," Tripoli said. He added that no longer are people laughing at themselves, nor are filmmakers allowed to push provocative art.

Not since the turn of the century has there been a real movement of producers and directors who wanted to force certain subjects in front of audiences, not since since Hollywood "gutted out all the outlaws and brought in all the rich kids" to teach new generations to be "safe."

"Is cancel culture dead?" he asked. Dead in the sense that corporations realized that they were costing themselves so much money that not even "funny money" can fix it, he answered.

At the same time, the "social contagion" has followed Tripoli, as he currently in the midst of a battle over a viral pronoun joke.

"Two weeks in a row ... people got upset with the words I've used and walked out," the comedian remembered. A video of the viral joke showed Tripoli asking an audience member his pronouns, to which the man replied "they/them."

Tripoli then said that his own pronouns needed to be respected and adhered to, which he described as "real/n***a."

"If we're going to play make believe, let's play make believe," the comedian added.

the way my jaw dropped to the floor
— (@)

Has the propaganda always been there?

"I don't believe anyone in Washington, D.C., gives a f*** about the children, and they are actually fine with indoctrinating the children. They're just upset when [social media] is indoctrinating them with the wrong information," Tripoli said about the TikTok ban.

"Why haven't they created children's-only phones or adult-only phones? Well, because they want to get to you early. It's indoctrination."

The inability to reach the masses is becoming a real issue in Hollywood, the comedian revealed. "They're freaking out." Not being able to infect people with "cultural Marxism" because attention spans and ratings have gone down has taken a bite out of control for the powers that be, he remarked.

It wasn't always this way. Tripoli explained that the entertainment industry used to have such a tight grip on propaganda that it could play both sides.

"I grew up with metal and '70s rock and roll, which was very much deep in satanism and raging against the church, which we were sold on that was like this kind of oppressive, hating gays, pedophile network. In reality we don't realize that the same people pushing satanism are the same people telling us about the church."

Now at 51, Tripoli said he has become more spiritual and that all roads of research have led to him becoming a religious person.

"Here I am in my 50s more religious than I've ever been through this spiritual growth I've had over the last couple years."

There's a strong push "to indoctrinate you," Tripoli said, adding that everything we are seeing "on campuses, at protests" isn't authentic, and people need to be wary about that.

Find all of Tripoli's podcasts and appearances at SamTripoli.com.

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