How many security guards does it take to stage a comedy show?
That’s not a joke, and it’s certainly not funny. Comedians increasingly risk their lives for trying to make us laugh.
The Slap heard ’round the world was only the beginning.
Yes, Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars gala got plenty of attention. The media also pounced when a member of the audience jumped on stage at the Hollywood Bowl last year and attacked Dave Chappelle, a knife in his pocket.
Other, more ominous threats of violence routinely fly under the media radar.
Right-leaning comedian Kvon, whose stage show is both traditional and mostly bipartisan, shared an Instagram post this week sharing the security measures behind his recent show.
The Persian-American comic teamed with Turning Point USA for an April 18 event in Albany, N.Y. where cooler heads prevailed. The far-Left protesters were out in force though, and local law enforcement made sure the show went on as scheduled.
The comic said he required a police escort to leave the campus at the University of Albany. In this case, the number of security professionals was 12, according to Kvon.
Other appearances may need more. Just ask Josh Denny.
The former Food Network personality is among the most canceled comics in America. Denny’s recent comedy tour requires him to keep the venue a secret until closer to the performance date.
That keeps the protesters off balance and unable to rally to silence the event.
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Last November, Denny planned a comedy show at the Williams Center in Rutherford, N.J. The event inspired hundreds of Antifa members to demand both the venue and local police step in and cancel the performance.
It worked.
Rutherford Mayor Frank Nunziato supported the cancellation, according to Fox News.
“This is cyberterrorism,” Denny told Fox News. “The reason it’s effective is because everybody is afraid.”
This wasn’t an isolated incident for Denny. He faced two show cancellations in Chicago and New York City last year under similar conditions.
Tucker Carlson, recently fired by Fox News, was one of the few media personalities to give the matter the attention it deserved.
Radio legend Anthony Cumia shared a similar story on his Compound Media showcase this week.
The former “Opie and Anthony” star said he plans to appear at an Austin comedy club but couldn’t share specifics..
“We’re playing someplace. I’m not saying where because it’s myself, Gavin [McInnes], Josh Denny and we get canceled immediately when we announce where we’re gonna be,” Cumia said.
Most comedians can perform their routines without fear of physical danger. These stand-ups share mainstream humor or cling to progressive narratives. It’s the comedians who defy mainstream norms or target liberal pet causes, that fear for their safety.
This isn’t happening in a vacuum, and it extends beyond comedy.
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College speakers like Riley Gaines, Charlie Kirk, Michael Knowles and others have faced violent, far-Left mobs while attempting to share their views.
Gaines, an opponent of trans women playing against biological female athletes, sheltered in a locked room for three-plus hours before she was able to safely leave the venue.
Knowles’ University of Pittsburgh appearance featured an incendiary devices lit outside the building along with a burning dummy with the Daily Wire star’s face on it.
The Candace Owens documentary “The Greatest Lie Ever Sold” couldn’t be screened at CCSU last month due to far-Left protesters who drowned out the audio with their shrieking. CCSU refused to share the names of three students charged with suppressing free speech or the “punishment” they received for their actions.
The media mostly ignored the “Lie” incident, despite Owens being a controversial personality and a woman of color.
In fact, the vast majority of these events get little to no press coverage. They certainly don’t inspire sites like Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.com to rage against speech suppression.
The media can’t explain away blatant attacks on free speech, and reporters want to protect woke mobs from themselves. And, sadly, many journalists likely support any effort to suppress right-leaning voices regardless.
Comedians like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin faced jail time for telling jokes. Now, we may see a comedian get seriously hurt, or worse before the culture realizes what’s happening across America today.
The post Comedy Under Attack: Stand-Up in the Age of Woke Mobs appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.