Judd Apatow says the Skydance merger has murdered satire
Judd Apatow says media consolidation in right-wing hands is shutting down comedic dissent.
Writer-director Judd Apatow expressed his disdain for the Skydance merger during an appearance on The Daily Beast's Obsessed podcast. The merger, which brings together two major film companies, news organizations, and other media outlets under the control of billionaire Donald Trump supporter David Ellison, has led Apatow to declare that political satire has become extinct.
He stated, "The idea of doing political satire, for the most part, is gone." Apatow criticized the current administration for discouraging jokes about the president, as jokes often reveal the truth or expose corruption. He highlighted specific instances where media organizations like CBS and ABC have censored comedians who dared to criticize Trump, such as CBS canceling Stephen Colbert's late-night show and suspending Jimmy Kimmel.
Apatow believes that corporations are bowing to Trump's authority and making unethical decisions to avoid controversy and maintain their paychecks. As a result, he fears that risk-taking in comedy is diminishing, and we are living in a world where everyone bends the knee to Trump. He emphasizes that the situation would require executives and business leaders to champion freedom of speech, human rights, and ethical decision-making.
Written by urgent.news from The A.V. Club's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
