New Yorker accedes after boycott threat

Comedians have forced Donald Trump’s strategist Steve Bannon off the bill of a major festival after threatening to boycott the event.

Judd Apatow, Bo Burnham, Jimmy Fallon and Jim Carrey are among the comics who threatened to pull out of the New Yorker festival if the divisive right-winger was also on the bill.

Stand-up John Mulaney seems to have been one of the first to withdraw, tweeting: ‘ I’m out. I genuinely support public intellectual debate, and have paid to see people speak with whom I strongly disagree… but this is PT Barnum level horseshit.’

Then others quickly followed suit.

Apatow  said: ‘If Steve Bannon is at the New Yorker festival I am out. I will not take part in an event that normalizes hate. I hope the @NewYorker will do the right thing and cancel the Steve Bannon event. Maybe they should read their own reporting about his ideology.’

Carrey posted: ‘Bannon? And me? On the same program?

Could never happen.’

And Burnham added: ‘I was scheduled to appear at The New Yorker Festival in a conversation with @MJSchulman whom I love dearly. After learning of the inclusion of Steve Bannon, I am respectfully saying fuck that. Peace and love!’

Bridget Everett, Mike Birbiglia and Patton Oswalt also tweeted: ‘I’m out.’

Breitbart News founder Bannon was predictably furious, calling the magazine’s editor   David Remick ‘gutless when confronted by the howling online mob’.

The festival runs from October 5 to 7

Published: 4 Sep 2018