Conan O'Brien Sean Penn

Conan O’Brien and Sean Penn, two radically liberal celebrities, both admitted that cancel culture is “ludicrous” and “very Soviet.” 

Cancel culture has become an unfortunately effective tool for the modern left to silence voices that differ from their own. So, it was quite a surprise to learn what Sean Penn and former late night host share Conan O’Brien had to say. 

O’Brien And Penn Trash Cancel Culture 

The two of them came to this agreement an episode of the podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.” 

“Empathy is a very important word and also forgiveness,” O’Brien noted. “This whole concept of cancel culture is … We found that someone did something in 1979 that is now not appropriate. They’re dead to us.”

“It’s ludicrous,” Penn said in agreement. 

“People can also be forgiven — if they even need forgiving. What happened to that?” O’Brien continued. “It feels very Soviet sometimes.” 

Penn Brings Up Alexi McCammond

Penn responded by bringing up 27-year-old reporter Alexi McCammond, who was forced out of her role as editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue earlier this year after it was found that she had posted offensive tweets about Asian people as a teenager.

“When we’re destroying careers like that, what are we really achieving?” Penn asked. “Or you look at politicians … I give a big nod to anyone that’s willing to enter the public arena who is doing so because they give a damn.”

Related: Cop Who Was Fired For Mocking LeBron James Triumphs Over Cancel Culture

Penn Talks Role In ‘Milk’

During the same interview, O’Brien praised Penn for his Oscar-winning turn as gay activist Harvey Milk in the 2008 movie Milk.

While Penn appreciated the accolades, he added that a straight actor playing a gay role would not be accepted by today’s cancel culture society. 

“It brings up an interesting point,” Penn said. “Another one I think a lot about these days. Today, almost certainly I would not be permitted to be cast in that role. We’re living in a time when, if you’re playing a gay lead character, you’d have to be a gay man, or a trans character. And there have been these casting issues.”

“When you have a period of evolution that certainly may [provide] an opportunity for people who have had less opportunities to move forward, that has to be supported,” he added. “And yet in this pendulum swing society that we’re in, you wonder at some point if only Danish Princes can play Hamlet. It is, I believe, too restrictive. People are looking for gotcha moments and to criticize.”

Here’s on such ‘gotcha moment’ lobbed at Sean Penn. 

Related: Charles Barkley Trashes Cancel Culture And ‘Politically Correct People’ After He’s Targeted For ‘Big Ol’ Women’ Joke 

We’re glad to see that even some liberals are starting to admit that cancel culture has gone way too far.

Sadly, cancel culture may already be too out of control for any of us to do anything to stop it. 

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