When there’s a new comedy special to promote, you’ve gotta make the media rounds. This was the backdrop for standup comedian Tim Dillon’s recent run-in with CNN.
(His new comedy special is now available on Netflix, by the way.)
For the uninitiated, Tim Dillon is a gay comedian who lives in Los Angeles, yet loves to tweak the left on the nose. (And, occasionally, other body parts.) He’s an independent thinker with a soft spot for absurdity. As Vulture described him:
Tim Dillon doesn’t really fall into any particular comedic niche. He is simultaneously a boisterous, conservative-leaning Long Island native and a thoughtful, homosexual foodie with a soft spot for frozen yogurt. His confrontational style puts audiences on the edge of their seats, but with no loss of enjoyment or laughter. Tim Dillon is a comic you really remember.
He’s also an F.O.J. — Friend Of Joe (Rogan). They’ve been guests on each other’s podcasts and support each other’s careers. Before the 2024 election, one of Dillon’s guests was none other than JD Vance.
It was while appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience, in an episode released today, that Dillon recounted the behind-the-scenes drama of his much-ballyhooed CNN feature story: “Comics like Tim Dillon helped Trump reach young men. Democrats want in on the joke.”
Here’s how CNN framed the political comedy scene:
Digital creators like Dillon — irreverent, predominately male and previously politically unclassifiable — emerged as a key force behind Trump’s victory. Democrats and Republicans alike have credited these podcasters, YouTubers and self-styled contrarians for driving support for Trump among men, particularly those under 40.
It’s not yet clear if the dynamic will hold. Democrats say they’re already adapting to address corners of the Internet they have long overlooked, and Republicans concede Trump’s singular celebrity may prove challenging to replicate. Within the entertainment industry, opinions are mixed on how this new wave of influencers will wield their clout going forward.
And it’s put guys such as Tim Dillon in the media’s crosshairs, because — in a roundabout way — they’re blaming him for Trump’s victory:
A post-election review of the digital landscape by the progressive media watchdog Media Matters found right-leaning online content has five times as many followers as programs on the left. Former Daily Show Host Trevor Noah is the only left-of-center voice among the top 10 most popular internet shows, the analysis said.
“The Democratic Party lost control of the cultural zeitgeist and the ways in which culture is formed,” said Rob Flaherty, the deputy campaign manager and digital chief for former Vice President Harris. “What you ended up with is an online environment where all the fervor is on the right, and all the people in the middle are seeing is that fervor.”
Keep this in mind, because it explains why CNN behaved as it did. You can watch the entire segment below (queued for your convenience), and follow along with the transcript:
DILLON: I did a CNN interview for an hour because I’m promoting my special
ROGAN: Who did you talk to?
DILLON: This girl L. Reeves [Note: The CNN article is credited to Steve Contorno.] She was cool. You know when you see the Vice documentaries where she talks to the Nazis and the Incels?
ROGAN: Oh, Jesus!
DILLON: It was that chick! They sent her in.
ROGAN: That’s a good move for them.
DILLON: This is hilarious. So I’m sitting there, and she’s sits down and is like, “Are there any leftwing comedians?” And I named 10 of them that are all in arenas. And she’s like, [disappointed] “Oh.” Cuz their whole thing now is that podcasters are the most powerful people in the world. And she goes, “Do you think your friends are the new establishment?” I said, “Well, there’s 22 intelligence agencies and an entire legacy media. There’s lots of Ivy League schools, there’s this, there’s that. Do I think [podcaster and comedian] Theo Von is the new establishment?!” No. I don’t think so.
ROGAN: [laughter]
DILLON: “I think you ran a really unpopular candidate. I don’t think Americans like child sex-changes. And I don’t think they want an open border and I think, y’know, if you co-opted some of those issues, you might’ve won.” They said to me at CNN, they’re like, “We’re editing the interview.” I said, “Put the hour out.” I sat there for an hour and we had a nice conversation… And then she goes like this, she goes, “Um, I can’t believe you’d show up. People have said they can’t come on [CNN] because Joe Rogan would get mad at them.” And I said, “That’s absolutely ridiculous.”
ROGAN: Why would I care?
DILLON: I said, “He doesn’t care, he would never care.”
ROGAN: Oh, that’s so silly.
DILLON: It’s the silliest thing ever.
ROGAN: They think we’re at war.
[More Conversation]
DILLON: She goes, “What do you think of the Joe Rogan show? Why is it so popular?” I go, “Well, one of the reasons is he doesn’t edit people. They’re not edited. They come on and say what they want to say and there’s no editing…
[More Conversation]
DILLON: She goes, “Comedy’s right-wing.” She goes, “Name left of center comedians.” I named literally eight of them and I said, “They are all in arenas. What are you talking about?”
ROGAN: It’s so dumb… By the way, I used to be left of center, according to the metrics of 2015.
[More Conversation]
ROGAN: They also want me to be an enemy of CNN. I don’t give a f*** about CNN… I hope CNN corrects course and does real news, and just concentrates on the news and all this f***ing… I don’t want editorial comments from morons. Right? When you’re force-feeding me Don Lemon’s opinion on how the world should be, and how everyone should be shamed if they don’t get vaccinated… you’re force-feeding me morons. Of course your ratings plummeted! Of course! And you guys lied about so many f***ing things and never corrected yourself.
DILLON: They’re an arm of the Democratic National Committee. And they’re an arm of that party.
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