Nate Bargatze UFC drama exposes liberal insanity for what it is

OPINION:

Every once in a while, the embers of cancel culture gain just enough oxygen to flare up, though sanity typically prevails and the chaos is quickly snuffed out.

Most recently, beloved family-friendly comedian Nate Bargatze found himself at the center of a ridiculous controversy — one that could emerge only under the auspices of true hyper-progressive madness.

Like many, Mr. Bargatze attended UFC Freedom 250, an event held at the White House to celebrate both America’s 250th birthday and President Trump’s 80th birthday.

Mr. Bargatze, star of the new film “The Breadwinner,” dared to show his face at the event and, as a result, was seen by fans and foes alike in at least one Instagram post alongside actress Cheryl Hines, wife of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

That image led some people to respond in anger, frustration and toddler-like antics. Mr. Bargatze’s mere presence at a White House event was too much to handle for some, who took to the comedian’s social media to publicly proclaim they’ll no longer support his comedic work.

As is typically the case, the media piled on the absurdity, with the Daily Beast running a headline that read, “Top-Selling Comedian Goes Silent After Being Exposed as MAGA.”

The notion that someone would be “exposed” in a political sense for simply attending a sporting event is ridiculous, but the story’s lead, of course, only upped the ante. It read, “America’s top-selling comedian has nothing to say after he was caught on camera grinning with MAGA royalty at the White House.”

“Caught on camera” seems to suggest he was doing something improper and in need of exposure, which is, again, preposterous but, sadly, par for our media course.

And the story isn’t done there. A “source” reportedly told the Daily Beast that Mr. Bargatze went to the event because the UFC is his “favorite sport” and that there was nothing at all political at the heart of the matter. This is a perfectly rational response — and one that should settle the issue, considering the comedian never seems to speak on politics.

But the case, of course, wasn’t closed there, as Mr. Bargatze was then critiqued for his own silence on the concocted controversy. Rather than comment on a fake story, the comedian has smartly said nothing at all.

And that “silence,” according to the Daily Beast, “appears to some as confirmation of his support for MAGA.” In the world of the nonsensical, you can’t win if you speak and they still try to malign you even in your silence. It’s remarkable.

Others have been less coy, though, when confronted about their presence at the UFC Freedom 250 event. In fact, Jack Osbourne, son of the late Ozzy Osbourne, didn’t mince words when he, too, faced criticism for attending.

Mr. Osbourne was apparently so disturbed by messages expressing devastation and disappointment over his presence there that he released a YouTube video addressing what he sees as madness. He said some of the reaction was “completely insane” and was so annoyed that he dropped expletives to make his point, telling critics to essentially “shut up.”

“I went to a sporting event. That’s it,” he said. “I didn’t go and throw my hat in the ring for political office. I wasn’t there going to endorse a politician or some kind of, you know, foreign affairs issue. Nothing. I literally went to the White House to go see UFC.”

Mr. Osbourne’s reaction isn’t only understandable, but it’s also the only rational response to people so unable to tolerate alternative views that they are personally offended by the mere fact that someone would dare attend a sporting event alongside Mr. Trump.

Politics has so infected the core of some human beings — particularly anti-Trump hyper-progressives — that many can no longer engage in rational dialogue, debate and understanding. Attending a UFC event at the White House doesn’t make Mr. Bargatze or Mr. Osbourne automatically MAGA, and subsequent silence isn’t indicative of any sort of statement.

The reaction to their attendance is the living embodiment of the absurd snowflakeism that so many conservatives have mercilessly mocked over the years. And while that’s not exclusive to one side of the political aisle, the Trump era has ushered in an inability, beyond anything we’ve ever seen, by many progressives to tolerate alternative views.

It’s far past time we move into an era of reasonable disagreement — one in which we’re not so offended by someone interacting with a political foe that we’re willing to be personally impacted or pledge to stop interacting with that individual’s work altogether.

Mr. Bargatze is right to choose silence, as there’s no need to justify the madness of a people who have made politics such an idol that they can no longer see straight or cope with divergent opinions. It’s time for people to behave like adults and not petulant children.

• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell also is the author of four books.