Ben Reacts to Unwoke Comedians | Part 2

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode: Ben Reacts to Unwoke Comedians | Part 2
Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)
Featured Guests: Andrew Schulz, Michael Knowles, Steven Crowder, Christina Mariani, Shania Twain

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features Ben Shapiro and guests reacting to and discussing clips from so-called “unwoke” comedians. The panel assesses the quality, edginess, and social sharpness of the humor, contrasting it with the current comedy climate. There’s a focus on boundary-pushing jokes, the cultural shift from ultra-political correctness, and the resilience of comedy as a platform for taboo or uncomfortable truths.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Tone: Comedy’s “Unwoke” Revival

• [02:04] Andrew Schulz: Sets up the episode—exploring comedians who "aren’t woke," rating their styles and performances.
• Emphasis on the shift: jokes being told now that “could not have been told 10 years ago.”

2. Edgy Joke Examples & Panel Reactions

Muslim Superhero Joke

• [02:12] Christina Mariani: "I feel like a Muslim superhero. It would be kind of like, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's another plane.”
• Immediate panel reaction, referencing 9/11:
  • [02:33] Andrew Schulz: "Come on. I mean, some of us still remember 9, 11. It wasn't great."

Homelessness Observations

• [02:36] Ben Shapiro: "This place is where you'll never see a homeless person."
• [02:38] Andrew Schulz: "Like the airport."
• Extended riff on how homeless people are present at bus stations but never at airports, with comedic exaggeration.

Louis CK's Return & Comedic Independence

• [03:05] Andrew Schulz: Praises Louis CK for building an independent career post-cancellation:
  “He has made an entirely independent career ... selling his albums on his own website ... making way more money than he was when he was a mainstream comedian. It's pretty incredible, actually.”

Freedom and Gender in America

• [03:29] Michael Knowles: Jokes about American freedom, highlighting the extreme flexibility of modern gender expression:
  • “If I want to be a lady tomorrow."
• [03:41] Steven Crowder: “I can.”
• Satirical contrast drawn between past and present norms, with Knowles joking about wearing a dress to work and firing people for not using the right pronouns.

3. Edginess, Race, and Self-Deprecation

Black Crime & Racial Stereotyping

• [05:54] Christina Mariani: "The other night I was walking home, it was really late, and a black guy walks towards me. Instinctively, I grabbed my purse."
• Follow-up punchline:
  • "Even though. Logically, I know he's not for sale. He did steal my wallet, though."
• [06:21] Andrew Schulz: Dissects the joke as both making a racist stereotype and mocking herself for holding that stereotype—"She's kind of making fun of herself, right? Which is why. Why it's funny."

Sex & Relationships

• [06:36] Shania Twain: Clever analogy between single sex, relationship sex, grilled salmon, and Panda Express— single sex is thrilling but unhealthy, relationship sex is boring but "healthier".
• Schulz admits he "was a virgin when I was married, so I'll take his word for it" [07:07], adding a personal and humorous note.

Movie Reference—Being Intentionally Racially Ironic

• [07:20] Christina Mariani: "Like when Leonardo DiCaprio died, I cried so hard they kicked me out of Django Unchained."
  • Panel loves this: [07:39] Andrew Schulz: "That is very funny. That's funny. Okay, so her whole shtick is that she pretends to be a racist. Okay, that's really funny."
• Meta-commentary about the comedic value of making fun of one’s bigotry: "That's kind of racist.” [07:44, Christina Mariani]

Liberals and Coffee Shops

• [07:47] Michael Knowles: “Liberals make better espresso. That’s a fact, Jack.”
  • Satirizes typical “liberal barista” tropes: "My coffee's made by some pill addled vegan witch ... fresh from an abortion, ready to go."
• Schulz comments: "I've yet to hear a really good sort of abortion joke ... that's more of an argument than a joke." [08:36]

LGBTQ+ Jokes and Critique of Cultural Expansiveness

• [08:45] Steven Crowder: Critiques the ambiguous “plus” in LGBTQA+, mocking vague inclusivity: “You can't just slap A plus on the end and expect my support. I need more information.”
  • Stretching the bit to “Disney Plus,” suggesting “by these standards, now Disney can start showing pornography because of Disney plus.” [09:21-09:43]

Final Joke Ratings and Takeaways

• [09:43] Andrew Schulz: “Comedy is definitely significantly less woke than it was 10 years ago. There’s no question, like half these jokes just could not have been told 10 years ago.”
  • Praises Christina Mariani’s approach: “...the lady who pretends that she's a racist as a comedian, Christina Mariani ... the Leonardo DiCaprio and Django Unchained joke is spectacular.”
• [10:01] Christina Mariani: Brief thanks: “Thank you.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Andrew Schulz [03:05]: “Louis CK... He has made an entirely independent career... It's pretty incredible, actually.”
• Michael Knowles [03:29]: “If I want to be a lady tomorrow... That's how good we have it.”
• Andrew Schulz [06:21]: “That's two racist jokes all at once ... she's kind of making fun of herself, right? Which is why it's funny.”
• Shania Twain [06:36]: “Relationship sex. No one's jazzed to eat salmon, but you finish it and you're like, pretty good. Single sex is Panda express ... I think I'm a deeply unhappy man.”
• Michael Knowles [07:47]: “Liberals make better espresso. That’s a fact, Jack.”
• Steven Crowder [08:45]: “A plus. You weird. Stay away from my kids. You can't just slap A plus on the end and expect my support. I need more information.”
• Andrew Schulz [09:43]: “Comedy is definitely significantly less woke than it was 10 years ago. There’s no question, like half these jokes just could not have been told 10 years ago.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:04] Episode focus and rules set by Schulz.
• [02:12] Christina Mariani’s Muslim superhero joke.
• [03:05] Discussion of Louis CK’s career resurgence.
• [03:29 – 04:37] Satirical take on American freedom, gender, generational differences.
• [05:54] Christina Mariani’s joke on black men and purse security.
• [06:36] Relationship and single sex analogy by Shania Twain.
• [07:20] Django Unchained joke and discussion of comedic “schtick.”
• [07:47] Liberal baristas and the politics of coffee shops.
• [08:45] Steven Crowder jokes about LGBTQA+ “plus.”
• [09:43] Andrew Schulz on the cultural state of comedy and best joke recap.

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Overall Tone

The tone mirrors the irreverence and boundary testing of the comedians under review: sarcastic, unapologetic, and often self-aware. The panel riffs on political and social taboos, mocking both woke and anti-woke excesses.

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Summary

This episode offers a raw window into the resurgence of edgy, non-PC comedy. The hosts praise comedians like Christina Mariani for their willingness to mine race and identity for laughs—largely through self-deprecation and irony—while exploring how the climate for such humor has (according to them) become more permissive. Throughout, the panel mixes in honest personal takes, celebrates comedic independence, and openly reflects on the shifting limits of comedy. The result is both a critique and celebration of contemporary comedic freedom, marked by memorable lines and hold-no-punches analysis.

Transcript

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[Andrew Schulz]

All right, folks, today we're gonna go through some more unwoke comedians and we'll see how good they are. We'll rate some of them, see who's the best. All right, let's do this thing.

[Christina Mariani]

I feel like a Muslim superhero. It would be kind of like, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's another plane.

[Andrew Schulz]

Come on. I mean, some of us still remember 9, 11. It wasn't great.

[Ben Shapiro]

This place is where you'll never see a homeless person.

[Andrew Schulz]

Like the airport.

[Ben Shapiro]

There's no homeless people at the airport. You go to the bus station, they're on the bus beside you. But at the airport, they can't even get to it. They can't even get to it. You ever seen a homeless person at the airport? You ever been at your gate and some guy's like, hey, man.

[Andrew Schulz]

I'm trying to get to Tokyo.

[Ben Shapiro]

Can you help me out?

[Andrew Schulz]

Louis CK Is like an amazing story, just an amazing business story. He got canceled over the, you know, whole masturbation in front of people scandal with their permission. Apparently, it was not great. But he has made an entirely independent career, just like selling his albums on his own website and selling his shows on his own website. He's making way more money than he was when he was sort of a mainstream comedian. It's pretty incredible, actually.

[Michael Knowles]

It's crazy how free we are in America. I know everyone says that, oh, there's no freedom anymore, blah, blah. No, like, if I want to be a lady tomorrow.

[Steven Crowder]

I can.

[Michael Knowles]

That's how good we have it. I can just be a lady tomorrow and none of you will see.

[Andrew Schulz]

Say.

[Michael Knowles]

I'll be at the coffee shop and your kids will be looking at me. And you'll be like, don't stare at the. Not one person's gonna go, what's with the six foot four, bearded. Not one person. That's how we just do anything. That's how good it is to be us. My dad couldn't have done that. My dad couldn't have just worn a dress to the factory.

[Andrew Schulz]

They would have murdered us.

[Michael Knowles]

They would have murdered him. They'd have been arrested. The judge would have been some old white bigot. He'd be like, well, they had to kill him. He's wearing a dress. Not now. Not in the good time. Now, if I wear a dress to work and you don't call me Christine, you're fired. What a time to be alive.

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[Christina Mariani]

The other night I was walking home, it was really late, and a black guy walks towards me. Instinctively, I grabbed my purse.

[Andrew Schulz]

Even though.

[Christina Mariani]

Logically, I know he's not for sale. He did steal my wallet, though.

[Andrew Schulz]

That's two racist jokes all at once right there, right? I mean, that's like the black guy stealing her wallet and she's gonna buy a slave joke. Although the first joke is really about her being a racist, right? And then based on that, so is the second joke. So, yeah, she's kind of making fun of herself, right? Which is why. Why it's funny.

[Shania Twain]

Single sex is more thrilling, but it lacks a nutritional value. Relationship sex is boring, but it's healthier. It's like a piece of grilled salmon. Relationship sex. No one's jazzed to eat salmon, but you finish it and you're like, pretty good. Single sex is Panda express. You walk in like, this is going to be excellent. The second it's over, I'm like, I think I'm going to commit suicide. I think I'm a deeply unhappy man. And tonight, Shania, end it.

[Andrew Schulz]

I mean, honestly, I have no basis for comparison here. I was a virgin when I was married, so I'll take his word for it. Gotta be honest, I'm still pretty into it. Oh, more of her. Wow. The editors like her sensitive, emotional.

[Christina Mariani]

Like I'll cry in movies just when my favorite character dies. Like when Leonardo DiCaprio died, I cried so hard they kicked me out of Django unchanged.

[Andrew Schulz]

That is very funny. That's funny. Okay, so her whole shtick is that she pretends to be a racist. Okay, that's really funny.

[Christina Mariani]

Okay, but that's kind of racist.

[Michael Knowles]

One thing you have to admit, and we can all agree on this, is that liberals make better espresso. That's a fact, Jack. You know what I'm saying? You got to give the devil their due, dude. That is their. I tell Republicans all the time. I'm like, listen, you keep your hard working, patriotic, family loving lifestyle out of this coffee shop. My coffee's made by some pill addled vegan witch. Some grumpy queer lady with a pocket full of crystals, Sagittarius Moon rising or whatever the. She's fresh from an abortion, ready to go. She don't got time for children. She gotta work.

[Andrew Schulz]

Yeah, that's. That's true. That is true. Also, I've yet to hear a really good sort of abortion joke. It's not even. It's not even a joke though, right? That's more of like an argument than it is a joke.

[Steven Crowder]

I'm a big fan of the LGBTQA community, but I have decided that the plus can go themselves. A plus. You weird. Stay away from my kids. You can't just stay slap A plus on the end and expect my support. I need more information. Like if I was doing a job interview and I'd be like, it says here on your application that you were incarcerated for a while. What was all that about?

[Andrew Schulz]

Ah.

[Steven Crowder]

Tax evasion. Plus, you were in prison for 15 years. I did a lot of plus. Like plaster isn't an umbrella that you can just have get away with by these standards. Now Disney can start showing pornography because of Disney plus.

[Andrew Schulz]

Comedy is definitely significantly less woke than it was 10 years ago. There's no question, like half these jokes just could not have been told 10 years ago. I'm gonna say. I have to say that the lady who pretends that she's a racist as a comedian, Christina Mariani. So congrats to her. The Leonardo DiCaprio and Django Unchained joke is spectacular. That's. That's a really good joke.

[Christina Mariani]

Thank you.

[Shania Twain]

I see the time code is helpful.

[Ben Shapiro]

Trump tomorrow was like, we're going to.

[Andrew Schulz]

Put all the homeless people in concentration camps. We'd be like, give it a shot. So, yeah, I mean, not politically incorrect in any way.

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