When Jon Stewart delivered this quote, in 2022, it sounded more like a reminder from history, than a forthcoming prophecy. To some, it may have seemed like the threat of an authoritarian America was behind us. And yet, Stewart’s claim now rings more evident than ever before: our society is under threat, and the comedians have been sent away. 

When ABC announced they’d be pulling Jimmy Kimmel off air as a result of his comments on the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, social media was riddled with arguments that the cancellation was nothing more than “a business firing an employee”. While Kimmel was reinstated days later, there’s more to this story than just a TV show. Kimmel was not any employee, and this was not any firing. 

Kimmell’s was not cancelled, he was silenced, and ABC did not fire Kimmell on their own accords, they were coerced. FCC chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, warned ABC that they could “either do this the easy way or the hard way”, threatening to pull their broadcasting license. That’s not the language of the leader of a government agency, it’s the words of a mob boss. 

As Stewart said, when authoritarianism rises, comedians are often the first to go. When Hitler rose to power, the satirists were some of the first sent to exile. In the height of his fascist regime, Mussolini targeted comic books and comedic plays. Even now, parallels can be made with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and his targeting of Kukly, a Russian puppet show. Authoritarians rarely fear guns and bombs; what they really fear is laughter.

Our country is built on a foundation of free speech. The ability to express what you want, even if it’s critical toward the government, is what separates us from the dictatorships of the past and present, and makes up a large piece of our national identity. 

If you think that the government’s blatant aggression towards free speech won’t affect you, you’re wrong. Today, it might be Kimmell. Tomorrow, it might be a journalist, an activist, or your neighbor. 

Comedians might be the first to go, but they will certainly not be the last. 

Written by: H.G., 17