Liberal comedian Bill Maher has launched the Cojones Awards, a new award for those who have stood up to cancel culture crowds, on Friday edition of his long-running HBO talk show. The award honors “outstanding achievement in pair development.”
Maher, 67, handed a gold cup of drooping testicles to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos for refusing to apologize for the controversy caused by Dave Chappelle’s 2021 comedy special The Closer, which was criticized for jokes about the transgender community.
Host congratulated Sarandos for steadfastness as Netflix employees walked out on jobs over the controversy. He joked that if employees don’t like the content, maybe “Netflix might not be the best place for you.”
“So making ‘Don’t let the door hit you in the ass’ sound no better than before, this is for you, Ted,” Maher added.
Another recipient is actor Ben Stiller, who in February defended his 2008 comedy hit Tropic Thunder that sparked controversy for Robert Downey Jr.’s use of blackface.
Comedian Bill Maher congratulated Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos for refusing to back off employees who walked in on Dave Chappelle’s comedy special, The Closer
So to make “don’t let the door hit you in the ass” sound no better, this is for you, Ted, said Maher.
Ben Stiller received an award for refusing to apologize for the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder in which Robert Downey Jr wore blackface
Stiller said he’s “proud” of the film and that he makes no apologies – noting that the film was controversial upon its release.
The lesson is if you stand up to the mob for just a day or two, your shallow, impatient, immature smartphone-driven gerbil brains will forget about it and move on to the next burger nothing and you, you still have your cojones, Maher said.
Other award winners include Cornell University and its president, Martha Pollack, who both refused students’ requests to append teaser warnings to college courses.
Maher joked, “She didn’t give up or hire a new dean of allergists, she just said, ‘No.’ College is for introducing you to new ideas, not for kissing your ass and making you feel cool and always right.”
The Ivy-league School Association voted in favor of the measure earlier this year. Pollack objected when she reached her office.
We cannot accept this decision because the actions he recommends would violate our fundamental commitment to academic freedom and freedom of inquiry, and conflict with the goals of Cornell education, Pollack wrote in a letter, reports. New York times.
Another award went to Trader Joe’s for refusing to remove names from its ethnic food selections, including Traders Jose’s, Trader Ming’s and Arabian Joe’s.
Another award went to Trader Joe’s for refusing to remove names from its ethnic food selections, including Traders Jose’s, Trader Ming’s, and Arabian Joe’s.
“See how easy it is?” said Maher, holding the cup. So, to the 19-cent banana house, over here, I’ve got some nuts.
In 2020, Trader Joe’s denied that the labels were racist in a press release after a petition circulated online calling for the names to be changed.
“We want to be clear: We do not agree that any of these labels are racist,” the popular grocery chain said in a statement posted on its website. “We don’t make decisions based on petitions,” she added.
Other Trader Joe’s names cited include Trader Giotto’s and Trader Joe San for Italian and Japanese foods.
Company spokeswoman Kenya Friend Danielle said the company has already dropped some names over the years, including Arabian Joe and Armenian Joe, and may lose others in the future. But this will only be on input from its employees and customers.
Other award recipients are Cornell University and its president, Martha Pollack, pictured here, who refused students’ applications to warn them not to take college courses
Introducing the segment, Maher said he was inspired to create the awards after spending a night at a film producer’s friends house where he was invited to host a discussion about cancel culture.
The comedian said that everyone in attendance agreed that it would be a good idea to create an award show for those “brave who fought back”.
After that of course, being Hollywood, nothing happened. But it’s still a good idea, so I’ll do it here for now,” he joked.
During the same show, in which Maher was joined by psychotherapist Esther Berrell, as well as anchors Glenn Lowry and Daniel Pessner, Maher also took aim at Fox News’ recent settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.
The network paid Dominion $787.5 million this week after the voting technology company alleged that the conservative network knowingly broadcast false claims that its devices were used to rig the 2020 presidential election.
Maher called out Fox News host Tucker Carlson for hosting Trump attorney Sidney Powell on his show. He noted that Carlson had called him a “psychopath…a liar…and a f***ing b***h” in private.
The comedian joked about Fox News’ statement on the settlement, which included the words: “This settlement reflects Fox’s continued commitment to the highest standards of journalism.”
Do you know of any news outlets that have, I think, higher journalistic standards? Maher responded to those who do not have to pay three-quarters of a billion dollars for being liars.
Despite not having a Cojones Award, Maher took the time to discuss Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
JK Rowling used to be a right-wing villain because she wrote books on magic. Now, she’s evil to the left because she madly believes there’s more to being a woman than pronouns and lipstick,” he told his fans.
