It might be over, Folks.
What can I tell you?
My friend Sam said, ‘Jesus’s feet must be killing him. Got used to the nails, but these fucking jackboots...’
The martyring of Charlie Kirk was in full throttle at the memorial and his death is being used by the Right to incite hate, demonization and I could say violence toward the ‘Left,’ whatever that is.
The president is a petty, godless, autocratic monster hell-bent (literally) on revenge and demanding fealty from everyone. The administration is a functioning authoritarian government also hell-bent, through policy, to stifle, by ANY means necessary, and destroy any resistance no matter who and no matter how seemingly inconsequential. Which means me and you.
The first amendment as interpreted by the Right enables them to loudly say shut the fuck up to anyone who disagrees with their ideology or their president. They are willing, ready and able to enforce that with policy and military action. The first amendment as written enables and suggests that anyone or any force that says ‘shut the fuck up’ as a threat or a policy should be responded to with an aggressive, full throated, ‘Fuck you! Go fuck yourself.’
Comedy, art, music, theater, civic reaction in many situations should be rooted in ‘Fuck you.’
Almost all the checks and balances of the government have been corrupted and no longer function. It is on the comics, artists, and citizens to push back. That is the last check on power.
The firing of Jimmy Kimmel was a result of the current authoritarian administration’s strong arming. There is no other way to look at it. Some people say it’s a business decision and corporations have a right to make business decisions that affect their bottom line and fire employees.
That may be true. It isn’t what happened. It’s kind of astounding that a population so prone to conspiracy thinking and research can’t click through to the simple explanation of what happened. Affiliates were muscled by the administration to threaten the network if they didn’t comply with their request to fire Jimmy. They say it was because the setup of a joke was misinformed in relation to the killer of Charlie Kirk, but we also know that Trump said in July, "Jimmy Kimmel is next."
Corporations historically capitulate to fascists to protect their bottom line. Don’t expect corporations to suddenly act democratically. It’s on us.
They will now justify the muzzling of anyone or any organization they deem liberal or leftist on the grounds of them promoting violence. Words are words. Violence is violence. Words of any kind are protected by the first amendment. ‘Fuck you.’
I went to a screening of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. A spectacular, satirical fuck you. The satire cuts so close that it isn’t prescient, it’s happening. Terrifying and hilarious and beautifully shot and acted. It is a realization of the Right Wing’s nightmare and a profoundly chilling statement about the world we are close to living in, if not already living in. It’s loosely based on a novel by Thomas Pynchon, who is a genius of prophetic satire. I will see it again soon.
Today I talk to the great Christopher Guest about his life and work. Thursday I talk to one of the OG podcasters, comedian Jimmy Pardo. Great stuff.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron