From recent attempts to silence late-night comedians to complaints from conservatives about “woke culture” in Hollywood, DePaul’s film school community is worried about the impacts on free speech.
“I do not want our voices to be silenced in terms of creative freedom,” said Zoe Goldstein, a DePaul junior who’s majoring in film and television. “It is very scary the dystopian feeling going on in the industry with censorship.
“We are going backwards as a society.”
The entertainment industry has had a tough couple of months. President Trump recently ended plans to honor actor Tom Hanks, whom he called “woke” and “destructive.” Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had his show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” briefly removed from the ABC lineup. Kimmel is back on the air. But these are just a few ways the Trump administration is impacting the entertainment industry.
“The concerns about censorship in broadcast television are valid, especially considering historical instances like the Smother Brothers comedy hour in 1969,” said Christopher Parrish, a screenwriter who also teaches in DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts. He said the show featured stand-up and sketches that included jokes about the Vietnam War, which drew criticism from the Nixon administration.
“The refusal to self-censor and eliminate political humor led to the (CBS) network firing them,” Parrish said. The book titled “Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” illustrated the ongoing challenges of maintaining creative freedom in the face of censorship.
Parrish urged DePaul film students to “speak your truth through your work.”
“The best way to protect a democracy is through the expression of free speech,” he said.
Avery Anderson, a DePaul film student, plans to do just that.
“I voice my opinions and post on media platforms about issues,” Anderson said. “The media on TV is a place to express ourselves and not feel like we have the government watching over what we make.”
Anderson noted that government officials often say things people don’t agree with, so actors and comedians should be able to do the same.
“The government should not be involved in what is on the air,” Anderson said. “They shouldn’t be able to remove a talk show host from the air, simply because they don’t like something he says.”
When Kimmel was pulled off the air, some Americans threatened to boycott Hulu and Disney+.
“I’m proud of every American who protested this administration and also, in particular, the Americans who protested with their pocketbook,” Parrish said. He and others felt that public pressure helped get Kimmel reinstated.
Kimmel’s viewership went up after his return, with more than 6 million watching his first night back last month. This leads to a new wave and recurrence of late-night comedies on television. In addition, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” has been canceled by CBS, with its last day on air planned for May 2026, though the network claims it is for financial reasons.
“If late-night TV is changing, other media might be too. Colbert could end up on streamers like Netflix, and his audience could grow larger.” Parrish said.
Fueled by the desire for change, students like Goldstein and Anderson use their voices that have led to notable shifts in corporate decisions in the entertainment industry.
Parrish does not want students to despair. He quoted famed movie director Frank Capra, who is known for such classic films as “It Happened One Night” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” As Capra once said, “Only the bold should make movies.”
“American filmmakers, television writers, teachers, students and artists survived McCarthyism, Richard Nixon’s war on PBS and television political satire,” Parrish said.
“We will survive this.”
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