If pure-hearted laughter is divine, its suppression is demonic—and this reality unfolds in America through a campaign against comedy that leftists have waged for decades.
Consider USSR-born comedian Yakov Smirnoff, popular during the 1980s Cold War era. In an old Miller beer commercial, he quipped: “In America, there’s plenty of lite beer and you can always find a party!”
He followed with a sharp punchline: “In Russia, the Party always finds you!”
Smirnoff was joking—but not kidding. The Soviet Union enforced authoritarian censorship, requiring jokes to be approved by a de facto “Department of Humor” within its Ministry of Culture. That unit ensured all culture aligned with communist ideology.
Today, as socialism and communism gain traction in America, so too does the suppression of good comedy. Commentator Armando Simon recently lamented left-wing humorlessness, citing Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sánchez. She explained that one factor helping her break through school indoctrination under Fidel Castro’s cult of personality was observing that Castro never joked—a trait highly unusual for a Cuban leader.
We are witnessing a Marxist upheaval advancing toward turning America into a Communist utopia. Symptoms include self-censorship, cancel culture, political indoctrination in schools and the military, network news becoming propaganda outlets, and societal fragmentation.
Another symptom is the slow strangulation of comics and comedy. Comedians report a toxic atmosphere stifling laughter. “Cancel culture” is being waged by insufferable, self-righteous fanatics who lurk behind the scenes to pounce on any transgression. This movement targets comedians because they are hypersensitive—essentially leftists themselves. It constitutes censorship that varies widely in punishment, as seen with comedians Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chapelle.
Simon highlights additional cancel culture targets. In many European countries, reports from 2021 suggested jokes could lead to fines or imprisonment—but this applies only to “wrong” jokes.
Similarly, Simon claims no communist countries produced comedic films. Yet they did—with authorities strictly controlling what humor could be presented.
This myth of wholly humorless leftists contrasts with another: the assumption that “anything goes” is morally acceptable. In truth, vulgar or salacious humor degrades society and should be condemned. If entertainment worsens society rather than improving it, it becomes pure vice.
Leftists specialize in self-delusion through rationalization—a detachment from reality that profoundly affects their sense of humor. Thirty years ago, I attended a feminist conference where speakers claimed “patriarchal” societies hindered girls’ academic performance. After refuting them with facts and reason during the comment period, four middle-aged women approached me. When I joked about not wanting a hit squad sent to my house, one replied solemnly: “We don’t do things like that.” They missed the obvious punchline.
This isn’t isolated. In the 1990s, late Representative Patsy Schroeder (D-Colo.) claimed on the House floor that radio host Rush Limbaugh intended to feed his mother “dog food”—a reference to Limbaugh’s previous joke satirizing Democrats.
Such dislocation from reality echoes ex-Army Sergeant Charles Jenkins’ account of life in North Korea: “In North Korea, when you lie they think you are telling the truth, and when you tell the truth they think you are lying. You learn real quick to say no when you mean yes, and yes when you mean no.”
Leftists fear humor’s power to reveal truth and expose lies. As a commenter under Simon’s article noted: “Leftism is so overflowing with inherent contradictions and logical fallacies that it is pure gold for comedy.” Another added: “The reason Progressives hate comedy is because Satan hates being laughed at.”
The internet’s “preference cascade” has fostered a subculture of un-woke comedians. Nicholas De Santo, based in the UK, created a pro-life abortion set arguing pro-abortionists are worse than Nazis—and succeeded in making it funny.
Leftists well know humor’s power as a weapon. As socialist activist Saul Alinsky wrote: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” It has no defense, is irrational, infuriating, yet effective at forcing concessions.
The people who seek to ban hunting knives and seize firearms also want control over this potent tool—laughter.
