In a recent exchange of words, renowned comedian Bill Burr took aim at Ben Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, for labeling him a "woke" comedian.
This led to a robust retort from the conservative political commentator.
During an interview with Vulture, part of the "Good One" podcast released on August 1, Burr expressed his disapproval of Shapiro's comments from December. Shapiro had previously criticized Burr for adopting a "woke" stance after the comedian highlighted the avarice of CEOs following the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Burr accused Shapiro of misunderstanding the term "woke."
"He doesnt even know what that word means," Burr contended. "His definition of woke is white liberals definition of woke, and they didnt even know what it was; they just took the word from Black people," as reported by Vulture.
Burr further criticized the tendency of people to appropriate from other cultures without understanding the meaning behind the borrowed terms. He also accused Shapiro of intentionally seeking out controversy to fuel his commentary and profit from the division it creates within the country.
"He went there to be annoyed so he can then have something to talk about and then he can make money off dividing his own country. Those people, its treasonous what they do," Burr stated.
In the interview, Burr dismissed Shapiro as an "idiot," expressing his frustration with the commentator's attempts to draw him into his sphere of influence. He also criticized individuals on the right whom he believed to be racist.
"Racists. Theyre racists," Burr declared. "They send pictures of monkeys to me and my wife. Theyre fucking horrible people. And theyre cowards, and they never say it to your face."
Shapiro, however, did not let Burr's comments go unanswered. In a video posted on YouTube on August 1, Shapiro defended his use of the term "woke" and compared Burr's current content to his earlier work in comedy.
"I called Bill Burr woke because he is," Shapiro asserted. "He believes that America is a deeply racist place, and that its embedded in all of our social systems, and the evidence of that is our economic inequality, and therefore, its probably ok to shoot healthcare CEOs."
Shapiro lamented the apparent shift in Burr's comedic approach, remarking, "Oh, how times have changed."
Burr, however, defended his comedic style, stating that his job is to critique both sides of the political spectrum. He expressed his frustration with the current political climate and the media's role in perpetuating division.
"I cant fix the political system, but when I do stand-up, if I start trashing, like, Trump, Id hear the left in the crowd go, Yeah, yeah, yeah! And Id be like, The fuck? You voted for a guy that is staring off into space. Your guy literally should be in a fucking home. What are you patting yourself on the back for? Your fucking party has not let you choose your candidate since Obamas second term. Youre liberal? Thats fucking insane,'" Burr argued.
Burr maintained his stance, arguing that the real issue lies with those who fund the political parties and the media outlets that distract the public from the real issues. "CNN and Fox News are a fucking disease," he said.
This ongoing exchange between Burr and Shapiro highlights the tension and division within the current political and cultural landscape. It underscores the importance of understanding the terms we use and the implications they carry, as well as the role of media in shaping public discourse.
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