Freedom of expression began in 2024 in the emergency ward.
The new year promises hope, real hope, for the first time in a long time.
Let’s give credit where credit is due. The following pop culture voices fought for the First Amendment in 2024. They used their platforms to promote expression and debate, even when it could have hurt their careers.
Especially since it could have hurt their careers.
The following figures are not committed conservatives. Many may consider themselves either liberal or apolitical. This is another sign of hope going forward.
In no particular order, meet our 2024 Free Expression Champions.
Dr. Drew Pinsky
The cute ‘love’ doc has transformed before our eyes. The “Loveline” alum rarely rocked the boat and avoided political discussions. He has been called a “moderate” who strives to see both sides of an issue.
COVID-19 has radicalized Dr. Pinsky in profound ways, and deservedly so. He watched in shock as the government overtook the pandemic, and backed away from attempts to censor debate within the medical community.
This, combined with the constant drumbeat of free speech from podcast partner Adam Carolla, left Dr. Pinsky hungry for the truth.
If that means interviewing “cancelled” experts to let them have their say, so be it. He listened and let them express their opinions. This is what the First Amendment is all about and why it helps societies innovate in profound ways.
Bill Maher
The “Real Time with Bill Maher” host deserves a permanent place on the list of free speech champions. He has been a rock in the culture wars, demanding that people be allowed to speak regardless of their point of view. He was one of the first victims of “cancel culture” because of it An ill-advised joke related to the events of September 11. It was almost canceled again when university radicals tried to do so His speech at UC Berkeley in 2015 is cancelled.
This year has reminded us of the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Maher has reached out to conservative voices through his podcast “Club Random,” mocking the left for shunning those with whom it disagrees. The simple act of chatting with Dave Rubin or Zachary Levi was as radical in 2024 as something you’d hear on a show. Mysterious ham radio chat.
Maher made it mainstream, dealing a blow to free speech in the process.
“Triangle measurement”
Comedians Konstantin Kisin and Frances Foster lack name recognition as Jim Gaffigan or Nikki Glaser. They make up for it with difficult debates on fundamental free speech issues.
Their comedic backgrounds taught them to question authority and the brutality of the status quo (when necessary). Together, Kissin and Foster expose cultural malfeasance, raise the bar for intellectual chatter, and prove that comedians can still offer hope in bleak times… like 2024.
That they do so without political labels makes “trigometry” active.
Tony Hinchcliffe
Howard Stern is merely a poster child for his rebellious personality, a shilling for leaders who are eager to censor us. “Man Show” alumnus Jimmy Kimmel cries on national television when the election doesn’t go his way.
We need outlaw comics to blaze new trails, and the “Kill Tony” host is the man for the job.
Hinchcliffe’s biggest claim to fame came in 2024 when he told… A painful joke during Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden. Sure it is Previously sold MSG via his podcast “Kill Tony,” but he needed to apologize before his status as a rising star collapsed.
right? no.
Hinchcliffe refused to give up, and his star shone even brighter. And most importantly?
Hinchcliffe backed Trump to thwart a Biden/Harris-style second term and further infringements on free speech. He is by no means a political comedian, but he recognized the dangers artists face under the left’s censorious eye.
Joe Rogan
Two years ago, Rogan mocked Donald Trump for an interview on his Spotify podcast. He changed his mind late in the 2024 election cycle, allowing Trump access to Rogan’s brother.
What has changed?
Rogan, like Hinchcliffe, recognized that the Biden/Harris team favored censorship. Trump, despite all his threats against his political opponents, does not do that.
It’s that simple.
Rogan’s bona fide freedom of expression is as strong as any artist’s. He welcomes many voices to his popular podcast, and even extended an invitation to Vice President Kamala Harris during the campaign. She wisely declined, because she knew that a three-hour conversation would expose her in all the wrong ways.
You can’t blame a man for trying.
Rogan remains intellectually curious even though he is very fond of conspiratorial thinking. It’s a good thing he’s a comedian and not a journalist. If only more reporters respected the First Amendment as much as they respect the “fear factor.”
JK Rowling
Imagine being one of the most beloved figures in Western culture one minute and a social outcast the next. The author of “Harry Potter” lived through that painful period.
Rowling’s 2020 criticism of the transgender movement has stuck a big red target on her back. The left disowned the progressive author. The media attacked her at every opportunity. Even young actors who became millionaires thanks to the Harry Potter franchise turned against her.
Daniel Radcliffe responds #Harry Potter Author JK Rowling’s anti-trans stances, saying her constant criticism makes him sad #THRNews pic.twitter.com/mX3puJNTW5
– The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 1, 2024
It never backed down, even though this happened at the height of cancel culture fever.
Now, the culture is reconsidering key transgender issues, including the inclusion of trans women in women’s sporting events.
Rowling had enough money to survive nuclear level cancellation. She could still have backed down at any moment and asked for forgiveness. And perhaps she would have gotten it if she had embraced far-left activism.
Bending the knee can stop a cold “cancel culture” attack. sometimes.
Instead, she stuck to her guns. This year, the culture is back on trend on multiple fronts. Max’s upcoming reboot of the “Harry Potter” franchise has openly embraced Rowling’s input, the ultimate rebuke to critics of her culture war.
K iPhone
This genius comedian enters the belly of the beast – academia – to find wisdom and face the consequences. K-von’s college debut, with the help of Turning Point USA, didn’t always go smoothly.
He faced the wrath of the left and lived to tell the tale. Along the way, he pointed out the absurdity of silencing a comedian for telling “wrong” jokes.
Rob Schneider
“Deus Bigalo: Freedom of Expression Gigolo”.
This is the worst sequel pitch ever and a fair assessment of Snyder’s outing. “Saturday Night Live” has become an unexpected darling of the Republican Party, embracing free speech along the way.
He realizes how far his former party has deviated from its basic principles, and he is doing his best to make a difference.
He’s lost some fans, but he’s there Not ready to back down.
“The thing about freedom of speech is that freedom of speech is all speech. Freedom of speech is not for nice things. It’s not for things that are socially acceptable. Freedom of speech is speech that challenges you. Free speech is for things that are not nice. Easy speech or speech that is acceptable to everyone doesn’t need any protection.” “I’m there to challenge the audience.”
Michael Rapaport
The actor-turned-comedian faced a hate attack in 2024.
Why the attack on the “Beautiful Girls” alum? Rappaport certainly throws a lot of punch when it comes to sports and politics. It is his continued support for Israel and the Jewish community that has drawn the wrath of the left.
They tried to silence him at comedy clubs across the country One Illinois club succeeded Thanks to death threats and cowardice.
I continue Tour and talkshowing other artists the power of speech in the process.
“If it were someone’s ideas, their ideas, their sexuality, that would be unacceptable…but because this is Jewish, and it’s veiled in Zionism, it’s more or less acceptable in 2024 and I’m not going to back down from it,” Rapaport said in an interview before the show.
Note: Elon Musk deserves to be included in this list. He has single-handedly turned Twitter into an arena for freer expression that has proven crucial to the political campaigns of 2024. His political sophistication makes him a more complex figure. He’s also not an artist in the traditional sense, which is what Toto mainly focuses on in Hollywood.
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