When left-wing activists and liberal comics collide
The Simpsons faces social media backlash this week after trying to respond to criticism that Apu (an heavily-accented Indian-American character voiced by a white actor) is a racist stereotype. Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel similarly had to apologize over "homophobic" jokes about Sean Hannity's allegiance to President Trump.
Recently, both The Simpsons and Kimmel have demonstrated an obvious liberal slant. But both are known for an irreverent, edgy brand of comedy that gets yuks by dancing on the line between humor and offensiveness. What happens when they stumble? Can liberal comics and left-wing activists co-exist?
On one hand, it might be fun to sit back and watch them fight, but schadenfreude is a fleeting joy at best. The inevitable end of this path is a culture where certain groups and topics are off limits for comedy - and eventually, for any discussion at all, serious or unserious. If that happens, who gets to decide where the boundaries are?
On the Podcast: The Art of the Political Profile
Politico Magazine's Chief Political Correspondent, Tim Alberta joined Matt Lewis and the News last week. Tim has penned some fascinating political profiles lately on subjects ranging from Senator Tim Scott to financial guru David Ramsay. I was surprised to learn he isn't the only person in his family who's good at getting people to open up and answer questions.
You'll also want to catch Eddie Scary, author of Fraud and Fiction (a rebuttal to Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury). Dropping today: my discussion with Sheila Tate, author of Lady in Red: An Intimate Portrait of Nancy Reagan.
Subscribe to Matt Lewis and the News on both iTunes and Stitcher.
In Pod We Trust
Part of the fallout from The Atlantic firing conservative columnist Kevin Williamson, has been a debate about whether opinion columns can still foster thoughtful discussion. My latest column over at the Daily Beast argues that podcasts - not TV or the op-ed section - are the best source for a smart, civil, discussion today.
Speaking of which, did I mention you can subscribe to Matt Lewis and the News on both iTunes and Stitcher? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Cyber-wars are not good and not easy to win
On a recent episode of Jonah Goldberg's "The Remanant" podcast, Goldberg and Sen. Ben Sasse debate and discuss whether America's free-market incentives are enough to compete with China's cybersecurity threats.
The China Hustle
Keeping with the Chinese theme, I just watched Magnolia Pictures' documentary, The China Hustle. The film tells the story of how Chinese companies lied to American investors by greatly inflating their earnings. But nobody caught on until an American tourist decided to go visit a decrepit factory down an old country road that was ostensibly doing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of shipping business. Retired General Wesley Clark, who was CEO of one of these investment banks, comes out looking especially bad here. Watch the trailer here.
(I would add that after watching it you might feel like you want to watch another documentary an hour or so later... but I'm not sure if that joke's okay anymore.)