Facebook has deleted a satirical article about Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and demonetized the Babylon Bee, the satirical conservative-run website that published it. The social media Masters of the Universe claim that a Monty Python joke “incites violence” according to the Bee’s CEO.
Facebook has decided that in addition to the New York Post’s news reporting about Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden, satire about elected Democrats is something that might also get you banned or suppressed on the platform.
Seth Dillon, CEO of the Babylon Bee, reported “So after a manual review, Facebook says they stand by their decision to pull down this article and demonetize our page. I’m not kidding.”
“They say this article “incites violence.” It’s literally a regurgitated joke from a Monty Python movie!”
Dillon also alleges that Facebook told him to keep quiet about its censorship; to edit the article to bring it into line with the platform’s demands, and not speak about the incident publicly. Dillon responded by speaking about the incident on social media.
“They’re asking us to edit the article and not speak publicly about internal content reviews,” said Dillon. “Oops, did I just tweet this?”
In what universe does a fictional quote as part of an obvious joke constitute a genuine incitement to violence? How does context not come into play here? They’re asking us to edit the article and not speak publicly about internal content reviews. Oops, did I just tweet this?
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) October 20, 2020
The satirical article compares Democrat senator Hirono’s antics in Amy Coney Barrett’s supreme court nomination hearing to that of a medieval witch-hunter. The article utilizes the humor of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Via The Babylon Bee:
“Oh, she’s a witch alright, just look at her!” said Senator Hirono. “Just look at the way she’s dressed and how she’s so much prettier and smarter than us! She’s in league with Beelzebub himself, I just know it! We must burn her!”
Senator Hirono then pulled a live duck out of a massive burlap sack next to her and announced: “In addition to being a Senator, I am also quite wise in the ways of science. Everyone knows witches burn because they are made of wood. I think I read that somewhere. Wood floats, and so do ducks– so logically, if Amy Coney Barrett weighs as much as this duck I found in the reflection pool outside, she is a witch and must be burned.”
In 2018, Facebook apologized to The Babylon Bee after threatening to demonetize the website — which exclusively publishes satire — for “fake news.” It appears the social network’s position on satirical content that mocks the left has hardened since then.
Breitbart News has reached out to Facebook for comment.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. His new book, #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election, which contains exclusive interviews with sources inside Google, Facebook, and other tech companies, is currently available for purchase.
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