Comedy was meant to make people laugh throughout history — but not anymore.
Today, comedians are supposed to “speak truth to power” and “empower marginalized communities.”
Now Jim Florentine and three other comics were just canceled in this dark blue city for one insane reason.
The Left’s war on comedy
The left-wing of the political spectrum has completely lost their sense of humor.
At its roots, all comedy is pain.
Jokes are the art of making fun of something.
Mark Twain famously put it, “comedy equals tragedy plus time.”
And George Carlin had his own spin on it, saying, “comedy doesn’t work unless somebody’s getting offended.”
But the Left doesn’t want anyone, except their political opponents, to experience pain, tragedy or offense.
That’s why they’re trying in vain to redefine how comedy works, and it’s no laughing matter.
Dave Chapelle and Chris Rock have both been attacked on stage for making jokes.
Ricky Gervais had an “RIP” hashtag movement against him on Twitter.
Bill Barr and Jim Brewer have been forced to change venues due to threats and protests from the “tolerant” Left.
And now the woke mob has succeeded in canceling four comics from their upcoming show.
Seattle cancels comedians
Comedians Jim Florentine, Kurt Metzger, Luis J. Gomez, and Dave Smith were scheduled to play separate comedy gigs in Seattle.
Smith was set to play the club on April 11, Gomez on May 31 and June 1, Florentine on September 20 and 21, and Kurt Metzger on October 11 and 12.
However, the Capitol Hill Comedy Bar has decided the jokes made by those centrist comics don’t do enough to promote so-called “social justice.”
I guess I need to clean up my act. My comedy shows in Seattle are cancelled along with @luisjgomez @ComicDaveSmith and @kurtmetzger.
After careful consideration and discussions with our team, investors, local comedians, and neighborhood advocacy groups, we’ve encountered a…
— Jim Florentine (@Mrjimflorentine) February 23, 2024
The supposed “comedy” club has now canceled the performances, much to the dismay of fans of the funny foursome.
“Capitol Hill is known for its progressive values, and we’ve received significant feedback expressing concerns about the alignment of these upcoming shows with the neighborhood’s ethos,” the club wrote in an e-mail to Florentine. “This feedback includes concerns from local advocacy groups that are deeply embedded in our community and work towards upholding its values.”
Capitol Hill may be the most woke section of arguably the most woke city in America.
Visit Seattle brags that Capitol Hill is an “LGBTQ+ epicenter.”
It’s the same area of Seattle that Black Lives Matter and Antifa took over during the so-called “Summer of Love,” turned it into the City of Chaz, and tried to burn down the police station.
The club claims to value diverse speech and opinions.
“We truly value the art of comedy and the diverse perspectives it brings to our lives,” the club’s statement continued. “It’s our hope that we can find a way to work together in the future under different circumstances.”
Apparently, they value “diverse perspectives” as long as they don’t upset or offend Capitol Hill’s “local advocacy groups.”
Florentine fights back
In a tweet, Florentine, a comic of 25 years, jokingly suggested he must need to “clean up his act.”
However, Florentine’s act is not overtly blue or offensive.
“I didn’t know you had to check with the neighborhood,” Florentine told The New York Post. “I called my friends that own comedy clubs around the country and said ‘I’m coming in a couple months, you gotta check the neighborhood and see if they’re OK with me performing there?’”
In the interview, the comic also speculated he was canceled because he does tell jokes that involve transgender people.
While the club has canceled these comedy performances, the Post is reporting they are hosting a “Dungeons and Drag Queens Pride Month” brunch.
Florentine thinks the move will ultimately hurt the club more than it does his career.
“If that’s the way they’re going to run their business, I don’t see how they’re going to stay in business that long,” Florentine concluded.
