Staff Reports
In the topsy-turvy world of media ratings, it seems that the left’s narrative control is slipping faster than a greased pig at a state fair. The once-mighty news giants, CNN and MSNBC, are reportedly in ratings trouble so deep that their viewership might soon need a miner’s helmet and a flashlight just to find them. The buzz is that MSNBC might be up for sale at the proverbial garage sale prices, prompting nervous financiers on the left to scramble for new faces to speak their language and push their agendas. As you might predict, recruiting genuine personalities with authenticity and charisma is not as simple as a revolutionary slogan.
Enter the internet personality Brian Tyler Cohen, the left’s latest silver bullet—or perhaps just a nickel nugget. There’s speculation that he’s been selected to be the next big thing on the left, much like a substitute player gets called from the bench in the height of a championship game. With his talking points seemingly pre-packaged and delivered as a meal kit, it’s no wonder some critics claim he lacks originality. This all came to a humorous climax recently when the conservative voice Benny Johnson took him head-on in a debate on Chris Cuomo’s show, looking to expose what he sees as Cohen’s constructed persona.
The “debate”, if it can truly be called that, began with an opening far more flamboyant than a fireworks show on the Fourth of July. Benny wasted no time highlighting that Cohen had received unexpected exposure on Trump’s social network, much like finding out a cat has a secret fondness for dog food. This clever jab presumably left Cohen scrambling, much like a cat trying to escape a bath. Benny’s strategy resembles a traditional farmer’s method of keeping dogs from killing chickens by tying the carcass to their necks—it’s graphic but effective in making them own their mistakes.
Fans of lively debates would argue it turned into a masterclass of the dead chicken strategy, aimed at pinning undesirable policies on Cohen. Particular focus centered around the proposals of Zorhan Mandami, a politician with dreams of leading New York with taxation policies some call outlandishly prejudiced and others find boldly progressive. Benny confronted Cohen with Mandami’s ideas, supposedly aligning Cohen with fiscal plans perceived by critics as reverse Robin Hood in nature. The intent was to connect Cohen to policies considered unappealing, making him undeniably accountable.
As if this circus didn’t have enough clowns, the talk shifted gears to a questionable report by CNN, which inaccurately described a criminal in New York City. The suspect’s race was inaccurately reported, leading Benny to charge that such reporting could inflame racial tensions. While CNN corrected this faux pas as quickly as a teenager deletes an embarrassing tweet, it still provided Benny plenty of fodder for his argument about media bias, warning against what he sees as a potential “race war” driven by reckless journalism.
The evening wrapped with Cuomo attempting to lighten the mood by referencing a viral moment where Benny showcased his weightlifting prowess, or rather, what his opponents might describe as “fitness fabricating.” However, this moment only added a punchline to Benny’s humorous takedown approach, proving once again that humor can highlight hypocrisy with pinpoint accuracy. In the theater of media commentary, sometimes it seems the real winners are those who can blend critique with comedy, leaving audiences questioning both their beliefs and their biases.
