The Michael Knowles Show: Episode 1681 - "FIRED: Star Wars Will No Longer Be Lame and Gay!"

Release Date: February 26, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles
Podcast: The Michael Knowles Show | The Daily Wire

Introduction

In Episode 1681 of The Michael Knowles Show, Michael Knowles dives deep into the tumultuous intersections of politics, media, and culture. From President Trump's strategic diminishment of media influence to the controversial departure of Kathleen Kennedy from Lucasfilm, Knowles offers a critical analysis of the current socio-political landscape. This summary captures the episode's key discussions, insights, and conclusions, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

1. President Trump’s Restructuring of Media Relations

Overview:
Michael Knowles opens the episode by lauding President Trump's success in dismantling the Associated Press's (AP) influence within the White House. He criticizes the media's inability, attributing their loss of power to their own incompetence.

Key Points:

• Media Power Shift: Trump's administration asserts control over which journalists gain access to the Oval Office and Air Force One, diminishing the longstanding authority of the White House Correspondents Association.

• Legal Victory: The Associated Press sued the Trump White House for restricted access, but the court ruled in favor of the administration, affirming that the White House has the prerogative to determine media access.

• Resetting the Press Relationship: Knowles emphasizes this as a pivotal moment to realign the relationship between the government and the media, highlighting the decline in media credibility and influence.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Knowles (00:00): “President Trump has officially gutted what little power remained of the legacy journalists who parade around the White House. That is great news in itself.”

• Caroline Levitt, Press Secretary (04:59): “We are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, watch your television shows and listen to your radio stations.”

• Donald Trump (07:49): “We’re going to be now calling those shots... The American people elected us. The majority of Americans voters elected us.”

2. Immigration Debate: Pramila Jayapal vs. Michael Knowles

Overview:
The episode shifts focus to the contentious debate on immigration, featuring Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal’s stance against President Trump’s immigration policies. Knowles counters her arguments with statistical data, challenging the purported economic benefits of illegal immigration.

Key Points:

• Pramila Jayapal’s Argument: Jayapal asserts that deporting illegal aliens harms the economy by removing essential laborers who contribute significantly to sectors like agriculture and maintenance.

• Knowles’ Counterarguments:

  • Welfare Dependency: Presenting data showing higher welfare usage among illegal immigrants compared to legal ones and U.S.-born citizens.

  • Economic Impact: Citing the Federation for American Immigration Reform's estimate of a $150.7 billion annual net cost due to illegal immigration.

  • Social Concerns: Highlighting issues such as human trafficking and sexual assault risks faced by illegal immigrants.

Notable Quotes:

• Pramila Jayapal (10:52): “Immigrants are us. Immigrants are us. And we all deserve respect and dignity.”

• Michael Knowles (11:37): “The broad thesis is putting human rights and dignity and all the rest of it aside, that illegal aliens are good for the economy. And that just isn't true.”

• Senator Eric Schmidt (Referenced 11:37): Reports illegal immigrants take more from the economy than they contribute.

3. Kathleen Kennedy’s Departure from Lucasfilm

Overview:
A significant portion of the episode criticizes Kathleen Kennedy's tenure at Lucasfilm, accusing her of undermining the beloved Star Wars franchise by infusing it with progressive and LGBTQ+ themes.

Key Points:

• Kennedy’s Influence: Knowles alleges that Kennedy introduced unrealistic and socially driven characters, such as the strong female protagonist Rey and trans representation in clone troopers, detracting from the original Star Wars essence.

• Cultural Critique: He argues that Kennedy’s initiatives are symptomatic of broader "woke" trends in media, which prioritize diversity and political correctness over storytelling quality.

• Satirical Interactions: The episode features humorous, fictional dialogues between Knowles and Kennedy, mocking her creative decisions and labeling them as attempts to "make it lame and gay."

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Knowles (24:09): “Every single creative idea that came to her, she said, yeah, okay, well, I want you to put a chick in it and make her lame and gay.”

• Kathleen Kennedy (24:09 - 25:07): Engages in a mock exchange insisting on adding "gay" elements to various projects, reinforcing Knowles' criticism.

• Michael Knowles (25:07): “She became the president of Lucasfilm after the Disney acquisition in 2012. ... she blew it. She became the president of Lucasfilm after the Disney acquisition in 2012.”

4. Media Personalities and Internal Conflicts

Overview:
Knowles discusses the internal turmoil within liberal media organizations, highlighting Rachel Maddow's defense of Joy Reid amidst Reid's firing from MSNBC. He critiques the narrative that these actions are racially motivated.

Key Points:

• Joy Reid’s Firing: Knowles portrays the dismissal of Joy Reid as part of a broader pattern of destabilizing minority representation within media outlets.

• Rachel Maddow’s Statement: Maddow expresses regret over Reid’s departure, labeling the move as racist and critiquing the reduction of non-white hosts.

• Critique of Liberal Media: Knowles argues that despite accusations of racism, liberal media continues to marginalize and eliminate minority voices, undermining their credibility.

Notable Quotes:

• Rachel Maddow (38:49): “It is also unnerving to see that on a network where we've got two, count 'em, two non-white hosts in primetime... That feels worse than bad.”

• Michael Knowles (35:19): “Dick Blumenthal wants to talk about people's qualifications and credentials. The most notable fact about Dick Blumenthal is that he lied about serving in Vietnam.”

• Michael Knowles (39:38): “This is next level stuff. You see this sometimes from MSNBC. When MSNBC hired Ronna McDaniel, you saw a bunch of the hosts on NBC attacking the network for hiring the former head of the Republican National Committee.”

5. Rising LGBTQ+ Identification in America

Overview:
The episode delves into the increasing percentage of Americans identifying as LGBTQ+, analyzing generational differences and attributing the rise to social contagion rather than inherent identity.

Key Points:

• Statistics Breakdown:

  • Overall LGBTQ+ identification at 9.3%.
  • Zoomers (Gen Z) at 23.1%, Millennials at 14.2%, Gen X at 5.1%, Baby Boomers at 3%, and earlier generations around 1-2%.

• Social Contagion Theory: Knowles posits that the surge in LGBTQ+ identification is driven by cultural and societal influences, referencing Rene Girard's mimesis theory to explain the imitation of behaviors and identities.

• Cultural Indoctrination: He criticizes initiatives like drag queen story hours and gender education in schools as deliberate attempts to cultivate LGBTQ+ identities from a young age.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Knowles (39:38): “LGBTQ identity would seem to be a little bit of a social contagion here. This is backed up by some science, by the way.”

• Michael Knowles (39:38): “Human beings are mimetic creatures. ... We imitate each other. That's how you get that number.”

• Michael Knowles (39:38): “Culture indoctrination in schools, this is why the left wants to put gay porn in kindergarten. That's why they want to put genderqueer in elementary schools.”

6. Dan Bongino’s Appointment as Deputy FBI Director

Overview:
Knowles defends Dan Bongino's appointment to the FBI, countering Democratic criticisms regarding Bongino’s qualifications and political ideology.

Key Points:

• Background on Dan Bongino: A former New York police officer and Secret Service agent with extensive law enforcement experience, Bongino is also a popular conservative podcast host.

• Democratic Criticism: Democrats, represented by Senator Dick Blumenthal, argue that Bongino’s role as an "ideologue" could pose risks to the FBI’s integrity and impartiality.

• Knowles’ Defense: He highlights Bongino’s credible law enforcement background, dismissing the accusations as baseless and politically motivated attacks.

Notable Quotes:

• Dick Blumenthal (35:19): “He is of podcast ideologues without any obligation to head this investigative agency with profound and far-reaching power over people's lives.”

• Michael Knowles (35:59): “Dan Bongino was a New York police officer. ... He's a career cop. And the worst attack you can make on Dan Bongino is he's a good communicator.”

• Michael Knowles (35:59): “Dan Bongino has got federal experience in law enforcement, protecting people like the President of the United States. He's a career cop.”

Conclusion

In this episode, Michael Knowles presents a staunchly conservative critique of the current political and cultural shifts in America. He applauds President Trump's efforts to reclaim media authority, challenges progressive narratives on immigration and LGBTQ+ identities, and vehemently criticizes liberal influences in media and entertainment. Additionally, Knowles defends conservative figures like Dan Bongino against Democratic critiques, painting a broader picture of a cultural battleground where traditional values clash with progressive ideologies.

For listeners seeking a comprehensive analysis of these issues from a conservative perspective, Episode 1681 of The Michael Knowles Show offers a detailed and provocative exploration of the forces reshaping American society.