A Breach in the National Narrative in Prime Time

During the waning days of the Biden administration, humor was in short supply. So, between Covid lockdowns and missile strikes, I was in dire need of a few smiles. Well, I’m a curious guy, and Fox’s Gutfeld! was riding high in the late night ratings, so I thought I’d give it a shot. (Oh, the humanity!)

Outperforming other late-night talk shows in the ratings and with a politically diverse audience - the all-important 25-54 demographic, Independents, Democrats, Republicans, even orphaned Progressives like me - Gutfeld! has consistently averaged more than 3 million viewers a night. While late night laughs were still limited, libertarian panelist, comedian and author, Kat Timpf, continued to win me over with her quick, satirical takes on most issues.

Returning to the show last week after a recent cancer scare and the birth of her son in January, Kat Timpf still lights up each episode, easily outshining her mostly MAGA-leaning co-panelists, but never more so than Tuesday night when she went off message, unapologetically calling for the United States to avoid another costly conflict in the Middle East, leaving the pro-Israel panelists either visibly surprised or scowling.

I don't see any reason for us to be involved. And the reason that Iran is bad is not a reason for us to get involved or that things would even get better if we did get involved. You look at Libya, you look at Afghanistan, you look at Iraq, you look at Syria. Didn't go so well for us.

The drumbeat for war was obviously getting personal for Kat. Recently married to Cameron Friscia, a former Army Ranger who served in Afghanistan, and now the mother of a four-month old baby boy, things were hitting too close to home.

I don't want anyone's son to have to go die for another country's war, including my own. Even though he's only four months old, based on our history in this region, it could very much still be a concern by the time that he turns 18. OK? And I know that people are saying we're just going to get in and get out. I don't see any reason to believe that.

The United States maintains a considerable military presence in the Middle East, with forces totaling more than 40,000 in more than a dozen countries and on ships throughout the region’s waters, all trip wires for escalation. A run-up to a possible war on Iran is part of a playbook Timpf’s seen before, like most of us.

It was just so sahweet to see this terse, Prime time narrative fissure on a neocon war propaganda operation like Fox News…laughs or no laughs.