Imagine a society in which the prickliest, most self-absorbed and least-merciful people decide who can and cannot speak. How long might that society survive?
Last week, as conservative Seattle radio host Jason Rantz reported, co-owner and booker Jes Anderson of the Capitol Hill Comedy/Bar in Seattle informed four comedians via email that the club had caved to pressure from radical leftists and canceled the comedians’ upcoming performances.
Comedians Dave Smith, Luis J. Gomez, Jim Florentine and Kurt Metzger are all popular enough to have earned appearances on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” but they all had their 2024 shows canceled.
Friday on the social media platform X, Florentine posted Anderson’s dishonest and cowardly five-paragraph letter.
“After careful consideration and discussions with our team, investors, local comedians, and neighborhood advocacy groups, we’ve encountered a challenging situation that requires us to revisit the planned shows,” the letter began.
Anderson then made it clear that “a challenging situation” meant that some leftists objected to what the comedians might say.
“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,” she wrote, adding that the club wanted only to “maintain the harmony within our community.”
The decision affected shows for Smith on April 11, Gomez on May 31-June 1, Florentine on Sept. 20-21 and Metzger on Oct. 11-12.
Anderson described the cancellations as nothing personal but instead only a “reflection of our commitment to our community’s values.”
Has cancel culture ruined entertainment?
Then, with almost supernatural chutzpah, she assured the four canceled comedians of the club’s commitment to diversity.
“We truly value the art of comedy and the diverse perspectives it brings to our lives,” she wrote.
“I guess I need to clean up my act,” Florentine wrote above Anderson’s letter. Readers may view that letter in its entirety below.
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
Oddly enough, none of the four canceled comedians qualify as “conservative.” But neither do they genuflect at the woke altar. And the club in question is located in Seattle’s notorious “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” known as “CHAZ,” where radical leftists barricaded a six-block area during the 2020 George Floyd/Black Lives Matter riots.
Metzger — ironically an anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment comedian who regularly appears on “The Jimmy Dore Show” on YouTube — made the connection on Thursday when he posted Anderson’s letter on X.
“I’m sorry, but this is too funny not to immediately put on blast! Also, am I mistaken that this club is in Seattle’s historic ‘CHAZ’ district? (Kurt looks up toward heaven.) THANK U GEORGE FLOYD! For the fun Im about to have with this on Twitter,” Metzger wrote.
WARNING: The following tweet includes vulgar language that some readers might find offensive
I’m sorry, but this is too funny not to immediately put on blast! Also, am I mistaken that this club is in Seattle’s historic “CHAZ” district?
(Kurt looks up toward heaven.)
THANK U GEORGE FLOYD! For the fun Im about to have with this on Twitter after I take a quick shit! BRB! pic.twitter.com/K4gGSGoPkW— Kurt Metzger (@kurtmetzger) February 23, 2024
On X, Smith did not comment on the cancellations. One indication of his political leanings, however, can be found in a post he republished to his account on Feb. 22: “I align with anyone of ANY party who is anti-war. Period.”
I align with anyone of ANY party who is anti-war. Period.
— Kim Iversen 🇺🇸 (@KimIversenShow) February 23, 2024
Clearly, therefore, these are not comedians to whom the older, non-woke left would have objected.
Florentine appeared on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” Monday and responded to Anderson’s insistence that the club wanted to maintain “harmony within our community.”
“I didn’t know you had to check with the community,” Florentine said. “You know, I know a couple of comedy club owners around the country. I called them. I said, ‘Listen, could you check with the community because I’m coming there in a couple months,’” he jokingly added.
Florentine then echoed Gomez’s assertion that jealous local comics pressured the club to cancel the “four straight, white males” who happen to be “opinionated on stage.”
Readers may view Abrams’ interview with Florentine below.
Happily, Florentine added that the four canceled comedians have received tremendous support since last week.
“We got so many offers as soon as this happened from other areas. So now the Tacoma Comedy Club, which is 20 minutes outside of Seattle is like, ‘We’ll take all four of you.’ So we’re all booked there,” he reported.
Hopefully, that’s a sign that most Americans have finally had enough of allowing the most miserable people to dictate how others live.
And that is good news, for a society’s survival depends on it.
