On Monday evening in the handoff between Cuomo Prime Time and CNN Tonight, liberal CNN hosts Chris “Fredo” Cuomo and Don Lemon bemoaned the fate of Shane Gillis, a comedian who was fired just days after it was announced he was going to join the cast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Lemon stated that the "naive" comic was being punished by the harsh "cancel culture."
Cuomo began the discussion by noting that Gillis was caught making “bigoted comments and slurs about gays and Chinese Americans” during his podcast and was let go despite his apology to “anyone who was actually offended.”
For his part, Lemon noted that he would leave it up to SNL to decide the matter. However, Lemon ruled he was “actually torn on this one” because “I really hate cancel culture,” the philosophy that anyone who’s offended by something either calls for a boycott or demands the removal of anything offensive.
The CNN Tonight host added that he believed “comedians are going to go the way of clowns” if people “scrutinize everything they say” unless the comment is funny.
Cuomo then made an interesting remark: “So I say let them offend, let the market and let the people decide.”
Lemon also stated: “If you don't like it, don't watch SNL, right?”
“NBC made the decision,” he added, even though “there is a bigger lesson in it for [Gillis] to stay in the spotlight of an SNL” so he can realize that “just sitting around like frat guys and saying racist things on a podcast no longer is -- was never funny, and no longer applies to the world right now.”
“America is about redemption,” Lemon stated with a straight face, while Cuomo responded that the comedian wanted a second chance “to show we can forgive people” because “[w]e're unduly punitive and vindictive about people making statements we find offensive.”
In response, the CNN Tonight host noted that Gillis “was a comedian that was learning” and was not bigoted but got into trouble because he was “naive.”
“I understand,” Lemon continued, “NBC's point of view because he represents the company, and he represents a brand. ... SNL has been around for a long time.”
Cuomo added that “comedy is more than just [being] funny. … It pushes at sacred cows. It makes us laugh at ourselves sometimes. It makes us uncomfortable. It bothers us.”
The CNN Tonight host asserted: “I think everyone is a little too sensitive, and I think going back in the past for every little thing that someone did, nobody would have a job … because everyone says stupid things.” Considering how far-left Cuomo and Lemon are and triggered by opposing views, perhaps they should follow their own advice.
Cuomo later defended their lengthy conversation as “part of a culture of decency.”
Of course, the decency and generosity will only last until Lemon and Cuomo discuss President Trump or another conservative Republican. Then the CNN anchors will go back to being leaders in the “cancel culture.”
