A podcast hosted by comedian Theo Von and featuring Roseanne Barr was blacklisted by YouTube after the pair engaged in a sarcastic discussion about the misinformation policies of social media platforms.
YouTube said it had banned the episode because of “hate speech.” However, the only comment Barr made which could be construed as such was sarcastic.
It followed a long exchange between Von and Barr about the 2020 election, in which Barr pretended to be glad about social media misinformation policies.
The podcast is now available on Twitter:
Roseanne began the exchange, saying: “I’m glad that they did set up all these guidelines so that we’re only are allowed to speak the truth. And the truth is that Biden got 81 million votes by winning 36 counties. And that is just incredible, it really really is. And of these 81 million supporters who gave him more votes than any president has ever gotten before… I’m just glad that that they were careful to make sure that nobody could ever detract from that proven truth. That they mandated that that was the truth, and that nobody could say ‘well, what about -‘ no!”
Theo Von replies: “So the government made it a mandate?”
RB: “YouTube did, and so did all the social media”
TV: “Oh, so you can’t even speak on that on those platforms.”
RB: “No, you can’t say, you know…”
TV: “That the election was rigged.”
RB: “Yeah, that’s all a lie, the election was not rigged. 36 counties can give you 81 million votes. That’s a fact.”
TV: “So it wasn’t rigged?”
RB: “Of course not! 36 counties have 81 million people in them. See? That’s the truth. And don’t you dare say anything against it, or you’ll be off YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and all the other ones. Because there’s such a thing as the truth and facts and we have to stick to it.”
TV: “It’s scary.”
RB: “And that is the truth. And you know, nobody died in the Holocaust either. That’s the truth.”