Bill Maher unveils his ‘Cojones Awards’ for those who fought against cancel culture mobs

Liberal comedian Bill Maher launched the Cojones Awards, a new trophy for those who stand up to cancel culture mobs. Friday edition of his long-running HBO talk show. The award honors ‘outstanding achievement in breeding a pair’.

Maher, 67, presented a gold trophy of dangling testicles to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos for his refusal to apologize for the controversy sparked by Dave Chappelle’s 2021 comedy special The Closer, which was criticized for jokes about the transgender community .

The presenter congratulated Sarandos for his steadfastness when Netflix employees quit their jobs over the controversy. He joked that if the staff didn’t like the content, “Netflix might not be the best place for you.”

“So to never make the phrase ‘don’t let the door hit you in the ass’ sound better, this is for you Ted,” Maher added.

Another recipient was actor Ben Stiller, who defended his 2008 comedy hit Tropic Thunder in February, sparking controversy over Robert Downey Jr.’s use of blackface.

“So to never make the phrase ‘don’t let the door hit you in the ass’ sound better, this is for you Ted,” said Maher

Ben Stiller received an award for refusing to apologize for the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder, in which Robert Downey Jr. wore blackface

Stiller said he was “proud” of the film and offered “no” apologies – noting that the film was controversial upon its release.

And the lesson is that if you just stand up to the mob for a day or two, their shallow, impatient, immature smartphone-controlled gerbil minds will forget about it and move on to the next nothing citizen and you, you’ll still have your cojones ,’ Maher said.

Other recipients of awards included Cornell University and its president Martha Pollack, who turned down student requests to add trigger warnings to college courses.

“She didn’t budge or hire a new dean of sensitivity, she just said, ‘No. College is to introduce you to new ideas, not to kiss you and make you feel great and always be right. Maher joked.

The Ivy League school assembly voted in favor of the measure earlier this year. Pollack vetoed it when it landed on her desk.

“We cannot accept this resolution because the actions it recommends would violate our core commitment to academic freedom and freedom of inquiry, and conflict with the goals of a Cornell education,” Pollack wrote in a letter. The New York Times.

Another award went to Trader Joe’s for refusing to remove names from its ethnic food selections, including Traders Jose’s, Trader Ming’s and Arabian Joe’s

Another award went to Trader Joe’s for refusing to remove names from its ethnic food selections, including Traders Jose’s, Trader Ming’s and Arabian Joe’s.

Holding up the trophy, Maher said, “See how easy it is? So, to the house of the 19 cent banana, here, have some nuts.’

In 2020, Trader Joe’s denied the labels were racist in a press release after an online petition circulated demanding that the names be changed.

“We want to be clear: we do not agree that any of these labels are racist,” the popular supermarket chain said in a statement on its website. It added: “We don’t make decisions based on petitions.”

Other Trader Joe names mentioned include Trader Giotto’s and Trader Joe San for Italian and Japanese food.

Company spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel said the company has indeed dropped some names over the years, including Arabian Joe’s and Armenian Joe’s, and may lose others in the future. But that will only be done on the basis of input from its employees and customers.

Other recipients of awards included Cornell University and its president Martha Pollack, pictured here, who turned down student requests to link trigger warnings to college courses

Introducing the segment, Maher said he was inspired to create the awards after spending the night at a movie producer friend’s house, where he was invited to host a discussion about cancellation culture.

The comedian said everyone at the party agreed it would be a good idea to host an awards show for those “brave people who fought back.”

“Then, of course, nothing happened, because it was Hollywood. But it’s still a good idea, so I’m going to do it here and now,” he joked.

On the same show, in which Maher was joined by psychotherapist Esther Perel, as well as podcasters Glenn Loury and Daniel Bessner, Maher also addressed Fox News’ recent settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

The network paid Dominion $787.5 million this week after the voting technology company alleged the conservative network knowingly broadcast false claims that its machines had been used to rig the 2020 presidential election.

Maher called out Fox News host Tucker Carlson for having Trump attorney Sydney Powell on his show. He noted that Carlson has privately called him a “psychopath… a liar… and f***ing b***h.”

The comedian joked about Fox News’ statement about the settlement that read, “This settlement reflects Fox’s continued commitment to the highest standards of journalism.”

“You know which news outlets, I think, have even higher journalistic standards? Those who don’t have to pay three-quarters of a billion dollars for being a liar,” Maher countered.

Despite not receiving a Cojones Award, Maher did take the time to discuss Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

JK Rowling was a right-wing thug because she wrote books about witchcraft. Now she’s a villain of the left because she has this idiotic belief that there’s more to being a woman than pronouns and lipstick,” he told his audience.