A line from the classic “Star Wars” says a lot about today’s culture — two, actually.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” warned Han Solo in Star Wars, but the sentiment applies to nearly every corner of America in 2024.
Warren’s fans recognized both the depth of his remorse and his two-faced approach to his “crimes.” A member of the Biden family? Walk away, there’s nothing to see. A beloved country star? Get him!
The other one? “If you defeat me, I will be stronger than you can imagine,” Alec Guinness’ Obi-Wan Kenobi says, right before Darth Vader does just that.
And, spoiler alert, Vader regretted it.
In recent years, the modern left has tried to eliminate several prominent figures, but one by one, they not only survived, but returned stronger than ever.
In no particular order.
Bari Weiss
A New York Times reporter wrote in 2020: A scathing open letterLeft-leaning journalists were disgusted by the extreme bigotry of the old, graying female reporter, and the newspaper refused to defend her from fellow reporters, who called Weiss a Nazi, a racist, and more.
The paper seemed to think that Weiss would have preferred to have endured the criticism in silence.
Not likely.
Weiss bounced back and joined the Substack revolution. Her newsletter quickly became One of the most popular feeds on the platformAnd she wasn’t done yet.
Weiss then founded The Free Press, a news outlet focused on news rather than stories, and the platform was a huge success, with The New York Times publishing some of its harshest articles. About Wyeth and her new work Earlier this month.
The newspapers, which had failed to defend her against the nastiest accusations, now saw her as more than just a rival: Her Free Press represented a threat to their news monopoly.
Joe Rogan
The Spotify superstar was already at the top of the podcast world in 2021, and then the usual suspects and a band of old rock rebels conspired to bring him down.
“Wait,” Logan said, striking a tone hostile to the left’s response to the pandemic. “Why can’t we talk to vaccine critics like Dr. Robert Malone? Should young, healthy people be getting experimental vaccines? If Logan’s doctor told him to take ivermectin as part of a ‘whole lot’ to fight COVID-19, why not?”
Rogan did not get everything pandemic-related right, as did the corporate media, and he has never claimed to be a news source.
But by questioning The Narrative(TM), he drew the ire of Neil Young, and by extension the left, who removed his music from Spotify and called on the company to release Logan, along with fellow AARP members Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash and David Crosby.
The left smelled blood and unearthed old footage of Rogan using the N-word. Though he said it without malice and wasn’t mocking people of color, the low-level footage forced a rare apology from the comedian-podcaster.
The situation looked grim, and the liberal press pursued him.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek supported Rogan, however, and once the dust had settled, the podcaster renewed his contract and returned to external platforms like iTunes and YouTube, vastly expanding his cultural influence.
Rogan went on to spearhead a comedy revolution in Austin, Texas: his Comedy Mothership became the unofficial stand-up comedy capital of the city, and big-name talent like Roseanne Barr, Tyler Fisher, Tom Segura and Tony Hinchcliffe moved to Austin to be part of Rogan’s revolution of free expression.
The Rogan of 2024 is bolder than ever, exposing media bias and promoting free speech from his perch at Spotify.
Shane Gillis
The raspy stand-up comedian built a reputation for his self-deprecating delivery and apolitical musings, which even caught the attention of “Saturday Night Live” mastermind Lorne Michaels.
Gillis agreed to join the program’s 45-person cast.Number Throughout the season, the show has developed a voice that is different from the dogmatic left.
He arrived, but social justice warriors objected, finding that some of his old podcasts contained crude impersonations of Asian people. Gillis was gone, never to set foot on “SNL’s” hallowed stage.
Some SNL regulars disappear from Hollywood after leaving the show, and it’s likely that Gillis will suffer the same fate, or worse.
However, he refused to run away.
Gillis used YouTube, his loyal fanbase and social media to reinvent his own brand. And it worked. He became part of an insurrection of comedians who refused to play by the left’s rules. He wasn’t conservative or liberal. He was… funny.
And his star continued to grow.
Need proof? SNL swallowed its corporate pride and brought Gillis on as host earlier this year, and his starring role in the Netflix comedy series Tires proved he’d blown away critics’ expectations.
Megyn Kelly
The Fox News superstar left the network in 2017 for a cushy daytime job at NBC, and her eponymous talk show struggled in the ratings, leaving her vulnerable on two fronts.
Her fame at Fox News left her a perpetual target, and low ratings led to a poor investment from the Peacock network.
So when, in the midst of a debate about “offensive” Halloween costumes, Kelly wondered aloud why blackface isn’t allowed, the left lashed out. Kelly’s apology wasn’t enough.
This gave NBC an excuse to cut ties with Kelly, even though it would have to cover part of his remaining salary.
When Kelly was unlikely to return to Fox News and the blackface “scandal” meant the mainstream media would not take a chance on her, she turned to podcasts, hoping to use her soft voice and hard-news prowess to set herself apart from her rivals.
It worked: The show was a huge hit, attracting major news figures and celebrities. The podcast grew and grew, catching the eye of executives at SiriusXM.
The satellite station acquired “The Megyn Kelly Show,” acknowledging its power in an increasingly crowded media landscape.
Why? Kelly’s reporting is smart, sophisticated and fact-backed. She exposes the lies of the corporate media and provides transparency at a time when it is desperately needed.
She even landed a voice acting job on the irreverent Daily Wire cartoon series “Mr. Burcham,” making an incredible comeback.
Morgan Wallen
The country music star angered the left. Ignoring COVID-19 measures As a straight, white country singer, he added yet another unwelcome entry to the identity politics ledger early on in the pandemic.
In February 2021, TMZ leaked footage of an intoxicated Wallen uttering the “N-word.” He wasn’t targeting people of color, it was just stupid conversation between friends. Very stupid conversation.
Warren’s career evaporated overnight.
Radio stations boycotted his music, his agents cut ties with him, country music awards ceremonies banned him from attending their galas.
Warren has apologized, gone to rehab, and appeared to be genuinely sad about the incident.
Few stars have fallen so quickly from a word innocently uttered away from the stage. Months later, we would learn that his eldest son, Hunter Biden, had repeatedly used the N-word in text messages.
There was zero response.
Warren’s fans recognized both the depth of his remorse and his two-faced approach to his “crimes.” A member of the Biden family? Go away, there’s nothing to see here. A beloved country star? Get him!
Warren has cautiously stepped back into the spotlight, and fans have been waiting for him.
“Morgan Wallen has dominated the American music industry in 2023 like no one else has.” a Forbes.com headline screamed..
