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

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.