Bill Burr’s first appearance on The View this week may have marked his final descent into destruction. It’s the latest in a string of television appearances promoting his new Hulu special, Drop Dead Years. Along his media tour, the comedian has opted to sit around with out-of-touch leftist personalities and poke fun at their favorite political bogeymen, in a betrayal of the salt-of-the-earth persona and audience he spent years crafting.
Less than a week after its release, Burr joined Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, where he publicly bashed tech billionaire and DOGE volunteer Elon Musk for being a “nerd.” The tired rant continued with his appearance on The View, where Burr once again attacked an unnamed mass of “tech nerds,” presumably including Musk, who “want to build robots ‘cause they don’t know how to talk to hot women.” (Musk has fathered 14 children.)
Taking shots at Musk is a quick way to garner applause and drum up controversy, and Burr’s style of comedy has always been abrasive. His career got a shot in the arm in 2006 in Philadelphia when he went on a now-famous rant about the city. After he and several other comedians were booed on stage by an irksome crowd, Burr snapped back with a 12-minute, expletive-filled taunt about Philly. It was a perfect encapsulation of the “screw you” attitude that would become Burr’s brand.
His comfortable seat on The View painted the opposite picture. Surrounded by a group of outspokenly leftist women known for their allegiance to the Democrat establishment, Burr looked oddly relaxed. Despite his reputation as a loud contrarian, he spoke unironically to Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, of all people, about how “someone needs to bring the boiling water down to a simmer.” Viewers might easily forget that he built his career on an anti-establishment attitude.
Burr also took potshots at Democrats’ new favorite target, warning that Musk was going to “trash” the planet. It’s an odd choice of attack, given that Musk and his fleet of electric vehicles earned praise from leftists for their climate consciousness about five minutes ago. Trashing non-leftist figures like Musk — and President Donald Trump — has become as common and unfunny among comedians as telling a knock-knock joke. Climate change alarmism is similarly worn out.
This episode of The View might have been just another rehash of the show’s usual left-wing sludge. However, Burr took the conversation down one final malicious rabbit hole.
After Behar asked “Do they not realize that they’re going to die, these people?” — apparently meaning tech innovators — Burr responded that he “always wondered that about all religions.”
“They always talk about a wrathful God who will send you to hell, and it’s like, none of you guys are operating like you fear this,” he quipped. Burr’s attempt to come off as a neutral observer (in his words, “I’m just trying to be, like, chill!”) only lasted a few seconds before his faux openmindedness fell apart. Asked if he was trying to avoid hell, Burr stammered for a few seconds before claiming “We are God’s mistakes.”
It wasn’t a clever or transgressive comment; it was just bitter. Poking fun at Christians is a weary trope. Going to church and worshipping Jesus are what’s actually counter-cultural these days; just look at a recent survey from Pew Research Center, which shows the number of Americans professing Christianity down 16 percentage points since 2007.
What a contrast between Burr’s statement and Trump’s recent declaration to “every child in America” that “you are perfect exactly the way God made you,” contra the lies of transgenderism.
Comedy often comes across as cynical. The basic formula for laughter is quite simple, as it requires tension to rise and then expectations to be shifted. Standup comedians will often build a situation that feels uncomfortable and strained to the audience, using the unanticipated punchline to pop the bubble of tension. Saying the things you aren’t supposed to say is one of the easiest ways to build the tension, creating a dialogue with an audience through sarcasm and misanthropy.
If Burr was attempting to do this with his anti-religion dig, he failed. There was clearly tension, but it was left awkwardly on the desk of The View. The only laughter that followed was a series of uncomfortable chuckles from the co-hosts, who ended their interview with Burr shortly afterward.
Bill Burr earned his chops with a crass, underground style of comedy that made headlines when he first took the stage. Almost 20 years after his profane Philadelphia rant, the establishment Burr once challenged has changed. Conservatives are leading a populist revolution against leftist-run institutions. Late-night “comedy” shows are so full of leftist propaganda, their popularity among normal Americans is tumbling (Fallon lost 41 percent of viewers between 2018 and 2024).
As Burr cozies up to talk show hosts, his jabs at the Republican Party feel like misguided mud slings. He sits down with old conformists to shout at the new generations. Unfortunately, Burr now embodies the satire he once espoused.
Brooke Brandtjen is a writer and journalist from Wisconsin who focuses primarily on culture, politics, and religion. She is extremely passionate about the arts and history, and is honored to write for a variety of distinguished publications.
Jesus Christ is King
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