Theo Von is finding out firsthand just how sticky the Cancel Culture web can be, and he’s not alone. The comic recently shared how UFC legend Dana White joined him on his “This Past Weekend” video podcast, and the two wound up swapping stories about how corporate overlords are trying to control their content.
White said shows should be mindful of a sponsor’s beliefs before starting a long-term relationship. Von then revealed how his chat with presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy got him in hot water with two of his sponsors.
“Take this episode down,” they demanded.
White, not known for his lack of colorful language, suggested Von push back against the sponsors threatening him.
Despite Von’s experience as a comic, having to navigate the choppy waters of cancel culture is no laughing matter. Roseanne Barr, also a friend of Von’s, saw her appearance on his show get censored by YouTube after making a crack about the Holocaust. YouTube pretended Barr’s joke meant she didn’t believe the Holocaust happened, a claim disproven by Barr’s actual views on the subject.
Von inserted a few jokes during his conversation with White, but the situation isn’t funny for a medium brimming with comedians who dare to speak their minds. It’s why big tech censorship is part of the big conversation almost every day.
White, always an outspoken individual, shared his own story about a “big” UFC sponsor pressuring him to remove a pro-Trump video from his personal social media account. White didn’t buckle, sharing a blunt message with the sponsor in question.
“You vote for whoever you want to vote for, and I’ll vote for whoever I want to vote for. That’s how this works. This is America,” White said.
The UFC CEO also defended his decision to partner with Bud Light, a brand under pressure after aligning with trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney. White explained the brand’s impact on American lives, from its support of U.S. military veterans to its many American employees.
It’s exactly the kind of free-thinking White believes in, which only makes Peloton’s pushback against Von all the more perplexing.
Barry McCarthy, the company’s CEO, and the fitness firm, maneuvers Von didn’t take kindly.
“Peloton sells stationary bikes, and they have a problem with Robert F***ing Kennedy,” White said.
The men proceeded to roast the company and its CEO for several minutes, a cathartic moment given the pressure they both feel from their respective sponsors.
Whether big tech censorship, cancel culture, or the changing corporate landscape, the challenges content creators face in the modern era are only growing. Peloton might have picked the wrong fight when it came to Theo Von and Dana White, though. After all, this is America. You can have whoever you f***ing want on your podcast.
