Earlier than final week, the identify Tony Hinchcliffe won’t have rang a bell to massive swaths of the American public. Then Hinchcliffe carried out at Donald Trump’s Madison Sq. Backyard rally and, properly, the remainder may very well be historical past. “[Imagine] telling a joke so dangerous you alter who the president is gonna be,” read one viral post on X after Hinchcliffe known as Puerto Rico a “floating island of rubbish.”
Whereas the implications of that comment could also be unattainable to measure, one factor was instantly clear after the fiasco: The suitable has its very personal ecosystem of entertainers and comedians, enormously in style figures that many on the left are blissfully unaware of.
Like Hinchcliffe, who counts comic and podcaster Joe Rogan as a good friend and mentor, lots of these entertainers are extraordinarily in style with the younger, straight, white male demographic that helped flip Rogan from Worry Issue host into right-leaning host of The Joe Rogan Expertise—the most well-liked podcast within the nation, in keeping with Spotify’s charts. Whereas showing on Crooked Media founder Jon Favreau’s podcast Offline, progressive streamer Hasan Piker laid out the vice grip that Rogan and his crew appear to have on (principally) white guys beneath 30. “Every part that they see is right-wing sentiment being expressed by people they discover charismatic, thought leaders, influencers that they subscribe to,” stated Piker.
However who, precisely, are these charismatic thought leaders and influencers? Right here’s a breakdown of some main gamers within the right-wing comedy sphere.
THEO VON
A humorist, actor, and podcaster, Von is straight away identifiable by his “aw, shucks” Southern drawl and his signature shaggy mullet. Previously few years, Von has constructed up fairly the social media following, boasting over 7 million followers on each Instagram and TikTok and one other 3.27 million subscribers on YouTube. His podcast, This Previous Weekend, is at the moment the ninth-most-popular podcast in America, falling between This American Life and The Ben Shapiro Present. Previously few months he’s had each Trump and his operating mate JD Vance on the podcast, in addition to nation music artists Miranda Lambert and Luke Combs.
Born Theodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III in 1980, Von grew up in Covington, Louisiana, in what he’s described as the poor side of town. He finally condensed his very lengthy identify and made his approach up the leisure ladder the old style approach—by way of actuality tv. He first appeared as a fresh-faced 19-year-old on MTV’s actuality journey competitors present Street Guidelines in 2000, then turned an everyday on MTV’s The Problem, showing on 4 completely different seasons of the competitors present between 2002 and 2006. Finally, he pivoted from actuality TV contestant to stand-up comedy, happening Final Comedian Standing after which showing on the sketch present Actuality Bites reverse future well-known comedians like Amy Schumer and Tiffany Haddish. In 2016, he launched This Previous Weekend.
Whereas he’s definitely been embraced by the appropriate, Von’s private politics are a little bit of a thriller. Every week earlier than having Trump on his podcast, he hosted Senator Bernie Sanders, and through his interview with Trump he stated that Kamala Harris can be welcome to return onto the podcast as properly. His stand-up is sort of apolitical—extra within the vein of Jackass and Larry the Cable Man than something you’d discover on The Colbert Report or The Every day Present (and even Gutfeld!). Final week, he posted on Instagram that he had voted. “Within the books!! Get on the market and vote!” wrote Von within the caption, with out specifying whom he endorses. Followers speculated within the remark part as to whom he may need voted for, with conservative firebrand Tomi Lahren leaving the remark “Combat Combat Combat.” Von’s private politics apart, with the success of his podcast and his rising affect with younger males, it’s no shock that The Atlantic questioned whether or not Theo Von could be the next Joe Rogan. Time will inform.
DAVE PORTNOY
Somebody who has made their private politics very clear is Dave Portnoy. The entrepreneur and Barstool Sports activities founder has been vocal about his support of Donald Trump for president. “I’m voting for Trump,” stated Portnoy whereas showing on Fox Enterprise. “I don’t know that I’d name myself a Trump man…. I wouldn’t have voted for him within the Republican primaries, however I’m voting for him now.”
Whereas he’s not a comic or entertainer—he’s additionally the one particular person on this checklist who hasn’t appeared on Hinchcliffe’s Kill Tony podcast—Portnoy’s affect can’t be understated. Barstool Sports activities has been influencing younger males for the higher a part of twenty years, since Portnoy based it in 2003. The official Barstool Sports activities Instagram account has 17.1 million followers, and its TikTok has almost 41 million followers. Barstool, as a model, makes a speciality of frat-bro-aggrandizing content material. (An affiliate Instagram account, @barstoolsmokeshows, which posts precisely what you assume it does, has virtually 1 million followers.) Barstool Sports activities has additionally served as a launch pad for expertise, most notably Alex Cooper, whose podcast Name Her Daddy ranks fourth hottest amongst listeners, in keeping with Edison Research, and just lately had Kamala Harris on as a visitor.
