We recently covered how comedian Bill Burr had chosen to immerse himself into the political discourse, and it was a case of bad decision-making. Not only did he show himself poorly equipped to expound on social and political issues but of other people who engage in that very discourse. He literally devolved into his own punchline.

Burr, at that time, was making the rounds of the podcasts and talk shows to promote his newest standup special, with one such stop quixotically being “The View.. I’m sorry, but as a fan of Burr’s standup, I do not see too many in the audience of that show who would be tolerant of his pointedly politically incorrect positions. Yet, he found a sympathetic environment and managed to spout off on Elon Musk and show support for alleged murderer Luigi Mangione.

Now, in the aftermath, when he is asked about his voiced positions–faced with something more than approving seal-clapping–Burr has turned indignant. He was on the red carpet for the Mark Twain Prize ceremony, and was asked pointedly about those recent comments. In response, he became combative, as if it was farcical to ask him about such topics.

Bill Burr refuses the media bait:

“You journalists need to get your balls back” pic.twitter.com/CqNuKjkqUV

— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) April 2, 2025

In his effort to lash out at those daring to press him, he makes a number of fumbles. He first states it is ridiculous to ask him about current events, then accuses the interviewer of passing the buck, and closes by declaring, “You need to get your balls back, that’s not my job. I’m just a dancing clown.”

Yes, Burr is falling back on the tired comedic trope perfected by Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” over the years, the Clown-Nose-On-Clown-Nose-Off dodge. Stewart would be (and in many cases still is) cited as a noble voice on topics by journalists, but whenever challenged on a topic or shown to be in error he would retort with “Why are you coming at me with this, I’m just a comedian!” Burr stands out here by implying he is being asked erroneously to comment on certain issues. 

But the very reason those are brought up was because in the coddled environment of shows like “The View” and on podcasts, Burr was spouting off specifically on current events and political items in the news, and did so comfortably. He was not challenged then or asked to explain his positions. But days later when asked about the very same issues, he goes from, “Well how DARE you, Sir!” intemperance to then lashing out, in order to get the interviewers to back off and let him squirm away.

This is Burr refusing to take on the very issues he was freely tossing out there. It was acceptable for him to state definitively that Elon Musk is a Nazi, but if you dare bring up the fact that Burr has mocked people for reflexively calling others “Nazis,” he becomes bothered and lashes out. That is a sign of him not wanting to defend or explain his own positions. 

Like so many others, I have stated for a long time that celebrities should not be listened to on social or political matters – but I also like to display why that is. As much as they love to have a media soapbox to dispense their views, they equally loathe when they are challenged or asked to explain cogently what they are saying. 

This reaction is on par with “Snow White” star Rachel Zegler, who wanted the freedom to lecture as she saw fit, then turned petulant when there was pushback on her comments. The studio had to step in and rein her in. When they meet resistance to their views, celebs do not consider it a welcome moment for discussion; it is an affront, and they strike out.

Burr displays this very characteristic, as he is asked to expound on the very same issues he previously volunteered. He accuses the person asking about his comments of acting in bad faith, and then insults him for daring to extend the same conversation. As far as the suggestion he made to the reporter–Burr might want to consider taking his own advice.