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society's "stupidly politically correct" sensibilities will lead to the "death of comedy", the veteran Hollywood comedian Mel Brooks has warned. Brooks, known for his plethora of acclaimed comedy movies, said political correctness was becoming a stranglehold on comedians. "It's not good for comedy. Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks," he said. "Comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering in the king's ear, always telling the truth about human behaviour." The producer and director said that his iconic western parody Blazing Saddles could not be made in today's political climate.

Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles would 'never' be made today By Rebecca Jones Arts correspondent, BBC News 14 minutes ago From the section Entertainment & Arts Mel Brooks, one of Hollywood's funniest film-makers, has told the BBC political correctness is "the death of comedy". He said Blazing Saddles, his Western spoof about a black sheriff in a racist town, could "never" be made today. "It's OK not to hurt the feelings of various tribes and groups," he said. "However it's not good for comedy. "Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks. It's the lecherous little elf whispering in the...

A university president in Tennessee apologized Friday for hosting black students in his home, which displayed a cotton decoration. Randy Lowry, president of Lipscomb University, apologized for showing centerpieces bearing cotton stalks while hosting black students at his home in an email sent to the school Friday and posted on Facebook. “The content of the centerpieces was offensive, and I could have handled the situation with more sensitivity,” said Lowry. “I sincerely apologize for the discomfort, anger or disappointment we caused and solicit your forgiveness.” The president reported that multiple students confided in him about the cotton decoration displayed during...

Sweeping another series. The Indians are now holders of the American League Record of 21 Wins in a Row!

Before analyzing Kid Rock as a cultural phenomenon, we first have to spend some time with the Frankfurt School, a group of European academics who rose to prominence in the mid 20th century. No, seriously. The word "dialectic" gets thrown around enough to warrant some clarification. Now used primarily as a pseudo-intellectual shibboleth to refer to social changes, the philosophical roots of the modern concept of dialectic are surprisingly important. Dialectic describes Hegel's idea that as society moves toward its perfected state, it must resolve internal contradictions – issues that cause social unrest and then lead to social change. According...

The US Navy, the mighty and heroic service that beat the tar out of America’s enemies for 240 years; the force that won brilliant victories at Midway, Manila Bay, Leyte Gulf, Lake Erie and a thousand other places is no more. The US Navy that refused to surrender and ‘had not begun to fight’ under the leadership of John Paul Jones, is now too incompetent to fight anyone; and every American should be seriously concerned. To paraphrase Oliver Perry, “We have met the enemy and it is cultural Marxism and social engineering.” The latest debacle to engulf the Navy was...

The state Department of Transportation will “follow the lead” of the city and rename the Yawkey commuter rail station — as some lawmakers have advocated — if Boston officials ultimately rebrand nearby Yawkey Way, a MassDOT spokeswoman said. State transportation officials say they aren’t “actively exploring or considering” renaming Yawkey Station amid a debate over its controversial namesake, former Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey.

In an age of careful branding, restaurateurs put a lot of thought into choosing just the right name. Rarely will they go to the trouble and expense of changing it. Yet the chef Tom Colicchio is dropping the name of his newest Manhattan restaurant, Fowler & Wells, after learning that it has historically racist connotations. The new name is Temple Court. Fowler & Wells, which opened last October, was named for a publishing company and scientific institute that once operated in a building on the same site in the financial district; that building was later torn down, replaced by Temple...

RUSH: I was making a joke after the protests in Charlottesville. I said, “Why don’t we just go ahead and ban Gone With the Wind? Let’s ban the movie. Let’s ban the book.” They’ve banned the movie. “Gone With the Wind is a landmark film, one which has been beloved since its record-breaking 1939 release. … Now, the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Memphis has decided to stop showing the film, as, in the words of one citizen, it has somehow been placed in the ‘tributes to white supremacy’ category. … “Memphis based Orpheum Theatre, whose stated mission is to ‘entertain,...

As Howard Cosell reported when George Halas died, “It was inevitable.” It had to come to this: ESPN is now officially satire-proof. Comedic farce can’t come close. And more changes are coming from The Worldwide Leader. Veteran anchor Bob Ley — real first name Robert, last name pronounced Lee — no longer will be confused with Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Henceforth, Ley will be known as Odell Beckham III. n who was removed from calling a Virginia football game lest his name spark another race-based riot near the school’s Charlottesville, Va., campus, has been given five name-change options by...

As a child in Glasgow, I learned that sticks and stones might break my bones but words didn’t really hurt. I’m now at New York University studying journalism, where a different mantra seems to apply. Words, it turns out, might cause life-ruining emotional trauma. During my ‘Welcome Week’, for example, I was presented with a choice of badges indicating my preferred gender pronouns: ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’ or ‘ze’? The student in front of me, an Australian, found this hilarious: ‘Last time I checked, I was a girl.’ Her joke was met with stony silence. Later I realised why: expressing bewilderment...

Universities are now factories of conformism; only the brave and resilient will survive them In a few weeks, a new intake of students will arrive, all fresh-faced and excited, at universities around the country. They’ll be thrilled at the prospect of escaping the wagging finger of mum and dad, eager to absorb new ideas. But I’m afraid they are in for a rude awakening. Unless they’re very fortunate, they will soon find themselves enveloped in a world that’s more censorious than stimulating and taught not to question ideas but to learn by heart the progressive creed. It will take...

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.” George Orwell In what is eerily evocative of a Stalinist purge of history, all of American history is being scrubbed by the new fascists. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are now in the cross hairs. It doesn’t matter to the fascists if it isn’t...

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting (adults, not children, are in...

I work for a college which is very liberal these days, in your face banners and condescending "workshops" open to all frequently, with "diversity credit" (reference below). It's sickening enough. Including having Moochelle Uhbama here the other year. But since Trump was elected, now we get hand-wringing e-mails about "hatred" and that we need to beware of evil right-wing people who cause violence (LOL). Got another one today.

Just a little over a year ago, an employee at Yale smashed a stained glass window at the school because he was angry over the image of African Americans carrying cotton. We covered it in this post: Yale employee smashes allegedly racist stained-glass window, Yale won’t press charges. Not only did Yale not press charges, they rehired the employee with much fanfare. Now another piece of campus art has been altered for the sake of political correctness. ***snip***...you may have noticed a stone carving by the York Street entrance to Sterling Memorial Library that depict a hostile encounter: a Puritan...

Today's counter-revolution against liberty is being fought on a number of fronts in American society. One is on college and university campuses across the country, where the ideology of "political correctness" is strangling freedom of speech and smothering intellectual controversy and debate. Critical to this campaign is the capture of language. It is through our language that we think about ourselves, our relationships to others, and the social order surrounding us. Words do not merely delineate objects, individuals, events or actions. Words also create mental imageries, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs that color how people see themselves and the world around...

A school board in Portland, Ore., has dropped “Lynch” from the names of two elementary schools, claiming it had negative connotations and made some people feel uncomfortable. The move Wednesday evening by the Centennial School District’s board also included a slight alteration to the name of a third school. But the move has sparked criticism, including on social media, from some community residents and former students. They claim the board’s decision is a sign of political correctness running amok. The district had received complaints in recent years that the names of Lynch Meadows Elementary School, Lynch View Elementary School and Lynch...

People say the movie industry has lost its way and alienated its audience, but I'm super-excited about the future of movies, especially in light of Tinseltown’s current trend towards goose-stepping leftist conformity! How can that go wrong?From fussy fascist fatties like Lena Dunham listening in to stewardesses’ private chats, to withered crones like Chelsea Handler wishing we too could arrest Chinese tourists for goofing on Hitler like the Germans do – apparently there's no one else in Germany who needs arresting – it's becoming clear that free-speech and free thoughts are things of the past! Sure, you could Google “free...

In this video, I talk to James Damore and another employee who wishes to remain anonymous about James' memo regarding Google's diversity programs and their overweening ideological basis. He was fired last night. That says everything that needs to be said.