Flagrant w/ Akaash Singh: "Jimmy Kimmel FIRED & Charlie Kirk Reaction" w/ Mark Normand

Release Date: September 18, 2025
Main Theme: The pod takes on the hot-button political news of Jimmy Kimmel's firing and Charlie Kirk's assassination, free speech, media censorship, vengeance culture, and modern comedy’s boundaries—with guest Mark Normand.

Episode Overview

This episode intertwines sharp comedic takes with serious disillusionment about American free speech, political violence, and the shifting boundaries of what’s considered "cancelable." The crew also dives into the changing comedy landscape, social media’s effects, parenthood, and cultural shifts in Brooklyn and beyond. Mark Normand joins in for a classic unruly hang—and gets personal on sex, stand-up, and the future of comedy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fallout: Jimmy Kimmel Fired & Charlie Kirk Assassinated

• 00:57–14:36 | Timeline, Facts, and Free Speech Concerns

  • Jimmy Kimmel's Firing: Schulz breaks down the chain of events—Kimmel comments on the Kimmel show angering FCC and major affiliate pressure, leading ABC to pull him off air. There’s speculation about FCC involvement and pressure due to impending media mergers (01:19-02:36).
  • Free Speech Under Fire: Schulz and co. are adamant that, even though they dislike Kimmel's comments, his firing signals a dangerous precedent for free speech (03:19-03:42).
  • “This seems like a big attack on free speech. And yeah, I think we've been pretty staunchly in favor of free speech.” — Andrew Schulz (01:45)
  • Parallels & Hypocrisy: The pod mocks how both left and right now weaponize cancel culture, flip-flopping on principles depending on the political team in power (02:54-04:32, 08:16-08:46; see Shultz’s notable rant at 02:57).

• 14:36–15:36 | Censorship & Power

  • The conversation turns to how affiliate owners and powerful broadcasters are able to pressure giants like Disney, a step up in power versus "Twitter mob” cancellations of the past.

• 15:36–18:21 | South Park, Kneejerk Reactions, and Timing

  • Brief coverage on the South Park episode pulled after Charlie Kirk's death. “Not cancel culture, just badly timed,” they argue—contrasting with outright censorship for political gain.

2. Vengeance, ‘Scorekeeping,’ and Cancel Culture’s Evolution

• 07:08–08:39 | The Vengeance Cycle & Living Together
  • The show lampoons both sides’ eagerness for vengeance, scorekeeping, and their failure to seek harmony:
    • “To me, that indicates back when the left was trying to cancel people on the right, you don’t really care about living in harmony with these people you have to be in the country with.” — Alex (07:54)
  • True ‘Getting Even’: Schulz riffs that the real “even” is getting to say whatever without fear, not tit-for-tat canceling (08:16–08:46).

3. Comedy: From Censorship to the Personal

• 18:21–40:22 | Making Comedy in a Dangerous, Changing World

  • Mark Normand’s Approach: Discusses rapid-fire material turnover, prepping for his next special, and how the internet and short clips have changed the game.
    • “I’ve auditioned for 9,000 roles. I’ve never gotten one.” — Mark Normand (00:41, 68:46)
    • “Everybody’s putting specials out every 10 minutes. I’m like, hey, slow down, slow down. Put out one good one.” — Normand (19:10)
  • Fatherhood’s Impact on Material: Mark discusses how having a kid has changed, but not softened, his approach to comedy. He resists the “baby guy” stereotype, keeping his edge (35:08-36:45).

• Cancel Culture in Comedy:

  • Normand recalls stricter “punching down” policing from previous comedy generations (36:45–37:04).
  • The group debates audience sensitivities, family attending shows, and their own comfort with edgier humor.

4. Modern Sex & Relationships (Flagrant Style)

• 47:14–54:50 | Marriage, Intimacy, and Kinks

  • Open, comedic talk on keeping marriage fresh, the awkwardness of sex post-kids, and pushing past “Catholic” discomfort.
  • Mark Normand’s advice: “You just got to do it and just grit your teeth and say that crazy dirty talk.… Dirty talk. Put a finger up there, eat this, lick that, pull that, yank this. It's like a bop it.” (53:17)
  • Discussion on breast milk, cross-cultural taboos, and breast milk vs. cow’s milk.

• Sexual Diversity & Non-Normative Kinks

  • Embracing healthy experimentation; riffing on trans relationships, sexual openness, and why shaming kinks isn't helpful (“Kink shaming, you mentioned no one kink shame. Like the ladies back when in my single days, I had a weird kink and women would flip out every time.”—Normand, 46:04).

5. Brooklyn, Gentrification, & Shifts in NYC

• 109:02–114:46 | New Brooklyn vs. Old Brooklyn
  • Old Brooklyn as the “toughest place in the world” vs. today's stereotype: “crunchy hipster.” (108:47–109:08)
  • Gentrification, policing of racial humor, and the strange, selective “wokeness” of new Brooklynites.
  • “It went from Biggie and Jay Z to this.” — Schulz (109:02)

6. Technology, Social Media, and Free Speech

• 74:12–82:15 | The Tech Overlords & Phone Generation
  • Tucker Carlson vs. Sam Altman: The pod admires Tucker’s “playing dumb” in grilling Altman over a murder conspiracy, using it as a window into the mindset of modern tech leaders (74:12–76:36).
  • Tech titans as “bullied nerds” now setting culture, pushing “big brain” priorities over humanity’s physical, irrational traits (77:56-80:33).
  • Phones and the Loss of Innocence: The group is surprisingly sincere about being glad to have grown up pre-smartphone, and mourns today's digital dependency.
    • “Isn't that weird? You would never say, Oh, I’m so glad I grew up before the car.” — Normand (81:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Free Speech and Censorship:

  • “This seems like a big attack on free speech.… And it is funny to watch right wing people just become left wing people.” — Andrew Schulz (01:45)
  • “The stuff that the left was canceling right people for, five, eight, ten years ago… the far left was poor… they had no power.… These guys have a lot more power.” — Schulz (13:18)

• On Vengeance & Scorekeeping:

  • “To me, that indicates… you don’t really care about living in harmony with these people you have to be in this country with.” — Alex (07:54)
  • “Getting even is now we can all say what we’d ever want to say, whatever we want to say.”— Schulz (08:27)

• On Parenting and Comedy:

  • “You want to be the baby guy, you don't be like, I love my kid. I'm sappy now. I'm the sentimental guy. So you got to still make it funny and with some edge.” — Normand (35:08)
  • “I used to be a janitor.… So like, talking on stage or writing jokes, it's just like, if I get to do this, I'm doing it.” — Normand (37:26)

• On Modern Relationships & Sex:

  • “Kink shaming. You mentioned no one kink shame. Like the ladies back when in my single days, I had a weird kink and women would flip out every time… after I orgasm, I like to leave.” — Mark Normand (46:11)
  • “You just got to do it and just grit your teeth and say that crazy dirty talk.… It's like a bop it.” — Mark Normand (53:17)

• On Tech & Society:

  • “We're letting nerds form the reality in the future. We live in thousand percent and it's hurting… it's not helping… the infighting. It's all bad.” — Mark Normand (78:41)
  • “Isn't that weird about the phone? …I’m so glad I grew up before it. That is a great point.” — Andrew Schulz (81:41)

• On Cancel Culture’s Power:

  • “The far left was poor, they had no power… these guys… are powerful dog.… If you own multiple affiliate news stations… that's power.… What's a little scarier is these guys have a lot more power than these guys.” — Schulz (13:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jimmy Kimmel’s Firing, Censorship & Free Speech: 00:57–05:46, 13:13–15:36
• Scorekeeping & Cancel Culture: 07:08–08:39, 14:36–15:36
• South Park & Distinguishing Cancellations: 15:36–17:15
• Comedy Post-Tragedy & Mark Normand on Stand-Up: 18:21–21:21
• Parenthood Changes in Comedy: 35:08–36:45
• Sex, Marriage, Kinks: 47:14–54:50
• Brooklyn’s Shifts: 109:02–114:46
• Tech Oligarchs, Social Media & Society: 74:12–82:15

Episode Character & Tone

The podcast is true to its “flagrant” branding—irreverent, crass, and brutally honest, but layered with genuine concern about civil liberties, media power, and social cohesion. Mark Normand's quick wit keeps the energy high and absurd, often flipping the darkest subjects with a punchline.

For New Listeners: What You’ll Take Away

• A comedic, at times biting, but sincere look at the real stakes of cancel culture, the erosion of free speech, and U.S. culture’s shift into a vengeance–driven, tit-for-tat era.
• An intimate peek at how comics navigate tragedy, career, and family.
• Relentless riffs and banter on politics, Brooklyn vs. New Brooklyn, marriage, sex, and society’s tech malaise.
• The perennial advice: Don’t take things (or yourself) too seriously—or you’ll get roasted.