Free Speech Fail: Criticizing Pop Stars Now off Limits?

Teflon has been used in some famous cases by woke public opinion.

This space is currently occupied by Amy Schumer and Chelsea Handler as well as John Oliver, John Oliver, John Oliver, and Billy Porter. The headlines about these artists are often positive and uplifting, even fawning.

Add Rihanna.

The pop superstar will be center stage at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime extravaganza. It’s a coveted slot for any musician, and Rihanna’s resume made her worthy of the gig.

Except ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith dared to suggest he isn’t excited to see her performance on the big day. Smith appeared on Sherri Shepherd’s talk show earlier this week, and here’s what he said about his level of anticipation for the singer’s set.

“I don’t want to say I’m not excited, she’s fantastic,” Smith stated. “There’s one thing she’s not. She ain’t Beyoncé.”

This might be the mildest of barbs, but it suggests that no one can compare to Beyonce. Given today’s rough-and-tumble social media culture, it’s about a 2 on a cruelty scale of 1-10.

Smith thought the backlash was quick, or Smith felt it was significant enough to warrant an apology.

A broadcast professional known for his outsized opinions had to apologize for suggesting one pop superstar wasn’t equally magnificent as another pop superstar. 

Shepherd addressed the matter on her show later, suggesting that Smith’s comments were different because Smith was speaking to a female audience. A mild blast of criticism can make strong, empowered women shiver.

And it didn’t end there.

Leslie Jones, hosting “The Daily Show” Comedy Central is looking for another comic far-Left to replace it Trevor Noah, screeched at Smith His thought crime.

“Dude, no!” Jones yelled. “Why would you do this to yourself? You know what Stephen A. Smith? You need to act like your hairline and back the f— off.”

Jones also complained about Smith’s apology, focusing on his use of the word “sweetie” Jones should not be considered off-limits. What Jones should have said, as a comedian and artist, is that telling people they can’t share their opinions is the antithesis of free expression.

Except Jones isn’t a fan of free expression.

She said it earlier in the week. white people cannot share their thoughts The controversial new statue in Boston that honors Martin Luther King, Jr.

RELATED: IT’S OFFICIAL: JOE ROGAN WHUPPED CANCEL CULTURE 

After a British celebrity, the Smith kerfuffle was born. made three mewling apologies He was convicted of a similar crime, but he lost his lucrative job.

“Top Gear” Amazon fired host Jeremy Clarkson following his exporiation of Meghan Markle by making a profane observation paying homage to a timeless sequence. “Game of Thrones.” Clarkson wrote about Markle:

At night, I’m unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ You can throw lumps of excrement at them.

Markle’s supporters lashed out at Clarkson for the comments. The British star tried to appease the Cancel Culture mob – three times – but it wasn’t enough to save his gig.

Clarkson would never have made a target of President Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, or Rep. Lauren Boebert. Similar remarks directed at Candace Owens or Elon Musk would have been laughed at, not reacted to.

Instead, he targeted a person who some consider a professional victimHe was wrong, and he paid for it. Piers Morgan was a fierce Markle critic. forced to quit his long-standing ITV gig last year for suggesting he didn’t believe what Markle said during her infamous Oprah Winfrey interview.

“Freedom of speech is a hill I’m happy to die on,” Morgan said.

That’s where Cancel Culture exists in 2023. It’s impossible to criticize certain personalities. For others, it’s open season.

UPDATE: Smith weighed in on his own controversy earlier today, railing against the culture’s willingness to silence him.

“All of the stuff going on in the world, I’m being accused of Black-on-Black crime because I happen to like one artist more than the other….I mean, you got to be kidding me! Handcuff me now! Put it behind my damn back! Y’all got to be kidding me!… Unbelievable!”