In battles over free speech, comedians are often center stage

"Bassem Youssef, the Egyptian satirist whose Daily Show-like program was canceled after the military seized the once pro-democracy government, watched the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel with an immediate sense of familiarity. My Fellow American Citizens, Youssef wrote on X. Welcome to my world. Youssef's show skewering public figures led to a criminal investigation in 2013 after complaints that he had insulted then-President Mohammed Morsi. When a military coup followed, pressure on Youssef intensified. He announced that the climate in Egypt was not suitable for a political satire program. Youssef fled the country and resettled in the United States."

"As long as jokes have been told, comedians have drawn the ire of the powerful. That has often put comedians on the front lines of free-speech battles, from George Carlin violating obscenity laws to a satirical puppet show trying to exist in Vladimir Putin's Russia. In authoritarian regimes, crackdowns on speech usually make comedy a target. Comedy doesn't change the world, but it's a bellwether. We're the banana peel in the coal mine, Jon Stewart said in 2022 at the Kennedy Center, with Kimmel looking on from the audience. When a society is under threat, comedians are the ones who get sent away first."

Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian satirist, fled to the United States after his Daily Show-like program faced criminal investigation and post-coup pressure, which he said made Egypt unsuitable for political satire. Jimmy Kimmel faced an indefinite suspension after comments about the Republican response to Charlie Kirk's killing, with critics asserting he misrepresented an accused assailant's political beliefs. The Federal Communications Commission chair warned of consequences, and some ABC-affiliated stations declined to air Kimmel's program, prompting ABC's swift removal. Comedians frequently provoke powerful figures and often become immediate targets during free-speech crackdowns, serving as an early indicator of broader threats to expression.

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