When comedian Ben Bankas took aim at Jimmy Kimmel with his latest joke, he wasn’t just going for laughs—he was exposing the Left’s stunning hypocrisy on free speech. The same people who were clutching their pearls about Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension are the ones who cheered when conservatives were censored, canceled, and even ruined for daring to speak their minds.
Remember Roseanne Barr, who lost her career over a single tweet? Barr said Barack and Michelle Obama made a personal call to the head of Disney saying she should be fired for her free speech. Or Gina Carano, dumped by Disney for questioning lockdown orthodoxy? Megyn Kelly, pushed out for comments about political correctness? Glenn Beck and Alex Jones, stripped of platforms for going against the narrative? Tucker Carlson, smeared and silenced for challenging the establishment? And, of course, Charlie Kirk—who didn’t just lose a job, but his life—for speaking unapologetically about his beliefs.
Where was the outrage then? Where were the heartfelt op-eds about “protecting free expression” when conservatives were deplatformed, demonized, or worse? They didn’t just stay silent. They celebrated. They wanted dissent crushed. They wanted anyone who didn’t toe the progressive line shut down and shut up.
Now, when the axe falls on one of their own, they expect conservatives to link arms and rally to defend Kimmel’s “right to free speech”? Sorry, but no. You don’t get to weaponize cancellation against your opponents and then suddenly rediscover your principles when it’s your side paying the price.
That’s exactly what Bankas’ joke highlights: the Left doesn’t believe in free speech, it believes in controlled speech. It believes in speech that props up its ideology and censors the rest. The uproar over Kimmel isn’t about defending an American principle—it’s about defending their team. And conservatives have every right to sit this one out.
If liberals want credibility on free speech, they can start by admitting their hypocrisy and apologizing to the countless voices they tried to erase. Until then, they can fight their own battles.
Watch Ben Bankas’ joke for yourself—and check out fellow comedian Jimmy Dore’s commentary that drives the hypocrisy home: