The Daily Show: Ears Edition

TDS Time Machine | Censorship

Nov 15, 2025
Join comedians Michael Kosta, Hasan Minhaj, and Ed Helms as they tackle the hot-button issue of censorship with humor and insight. Kosta interviews a notorious book banner in Florida, revealing the absurdity of book bans. Minhaj dives into the battle between free speech and extremist rhetoric, proposing witty counter-strategies. Helms brings laughs with a sketch on campus journalism facing censorship. The conversation flows from big tech's struggles with moderation to the importance of reading banned books—don't miss these eye-opening revelations!
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ANECDOTE

Student Reporter Faces On-Campus Censorship

  • Ed Helms recounts a Rutgers investigative journalism class where a student's expose on athletics led to attempts to censor the class.
  • The story illustrates how institutional pressure can suppress student reporting and reshape curricula.
ANECDOTE

Relentless Book Challenges In Florida

  • Michael Kosta interviews Bruce Friedman, who filed over 900 challenges to Florida school books under the Curriculum Transparency Bill.
  • The campaign removed books and even led to librarians being targeted or removed from their jobs.
INSIGHT

Book Bans As Political Theater

  • Trevor Noah frames modern book banning as a manufactured culture-war tactic used for political gain.
  • He argues bans target books on race, gender, and history to stoke division, not genuinely protect children.
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