During the opening to his Thursday radio show, conservative host Rush Limbaugh reacted to remarks made by late-night comics Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart the night before reacting to the killing of 12 the offices of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo during their programs a night earlier.
Both O’Brien and Stewart expressed remorse that the incident might have some sort of chilling effect on comedians and their jokes because it may put some in danger. But according Limbaugh, those on the right have not had the protections that those in the so-called “liberal bubble” like O’Brien and Stewart have had, and therefore have had their speech already affected.
“When I hear comments like this, I really wonder about the two worlds in which we live in because these guys who are liberal comedians, liberal commentators – they just have a cake walk when it comes to free speech,” he said. “They can away with saying anything. And not just get away with it, they are applauded. And then what they say gets written about. And then what they say gets amplified. And then what they say gets credited as great comedy or whatever.”
“But Conan, my friend – there are a bunch of American commentators and even I dare say American comedians that are having to pause and think about what they say for over a decade now,” Limbaugh continued. “I know people who have lost jobs, who have lost money. Some people have lost friends for saying things liberals don’t approve of. Liberals in their protective bubble have no idea what happens to people when their buddies set out on them and try to destroy them.”
Limbaugh went on to point out how honors are bestowed on people who target conservative and pointed to comedians that joke about former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and her special needs child as evidence.
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