For comedians around the world, the laughs often end as democracy fades
6 hours ago
- #free speech
- #authoritarianism
- #political satire
- Bassem Youssef, an exiled Egyptian comedian, highlights the intolerance of governments towards political satire, comparing it to the current climate under Donald Trump in the US.
- Trump's administration has targeted satirists like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, leading to cancellations and suspensions of their shows, raising concerns about free speech and authoritarianism.
- Senator Bernie Sanders warns that the US is moving towards oppressive regimes like Russia and Saudi Arabia due to diminishing free speech.
- Bassem Youssef's satire against the Egyptian regime led to his arrest and eventual exile, illustrating the challenges comedians face under repressive governments.
- In India, comedians face backlash under Modi's government, with instances of arrests and legal actions for jokes deemed offensive to Hindu nationalism.
- Russia and Turkey have also seen cases where comedians were detained or faced legal actions for their satirical content, treating comedy as a transnational crime.
- The case of German comedian Jan Böhmermann, who faced prosecution for a satirical poem about Turkey's president, underscores the global struggle for free speech in comedy.