Howard Stern Is Still Lashing Out At Will Smith Amid Dave Chappelle Drama
Howard Stern isn't afraid to call out double standards when he sees them, despite being full of contradictions himself. The shock jock OG ran for governor of New York in 1994 on a libertarian ticket, but with a pro-death penalty campaign pledge. He's a fierce advocate for free speech and regularly rails against censorship — even if he completely disagrees with content or potentially fatal misinformation.
After Spotify was subjected to a tidal wave of demands to cancel Joe Rogan's podcast over his continuing anti-vaxxer disinformation and dialogue, Stern vehemently defended him, despite previously slamming Rogan and his controversial views. "I heard Joe Rogan was saying, 'What are you busting my balls [for]? I took horse de-wormer, and a doctor gave it to me.' Well, a doctor would also give you a vaccine, so why take horse-dewormer?" Stern ranted on his Sirius morning show (via Variety). He insisted there was no space or time left for "idiots" in the USA. "Stay home, die there with your COVID," he concluded.
Ever the contrarian, though, Stern stepped up for Rogan after he became a target of cancel culture. "I'm against any kind of censorship," he said during another of his breakfast broadcasts (via Mediaite). "I really am. I don't like censorship. I don't want to see Joe Rogan canceled." So, it's a no-brainer that Howard Stern is lashing out over the treatment of Will Smith and Dave Chappelle –- arguing that it's a clear case of double standards.
Howard Stern sees a double standard
Howard Stern is lashing out over the treatment of Will Smith and Dave Chappelle, claiming Hollywood is "f**ked-up" and full of double standards. He's fuming about Isaiah Lee, who allegedly attacked Chappelle over a homophobic joke he made, and Smith, who slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke about his wife's alopecia.
"[After Lee's attack] did they let him go back to his seat and laugh and sit next to his wife and then give them an award? No! They took him backstage; they broke his arms and hands so bad," Stern vented (via Mediaite). He also took umbrage at Jamie Foxx rushing to Chapelle's aid –- while Rock was left dazed and confused, alone on stage. "[Everyone] came over and consoled Will Smith — because it was live television and Hollywood didn't know what to do about Will Smith."
There's no arguing about the appalling treatment of Chappelle's assailant. However, the two incidents were vastly different. Lee rushed the stage brandishing what appeared to be a firearm — but later transpired to be a fake gun. In contrast, Smith was armed with, well, just an arm — which he used to smack Rock hard across the face with before storming away. Per New York Post, Lee has been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon. Meanwhile, Smith has made numerous tearful apologies, received a 10-year ban from attending the Oscars, and has likely killed his career.