Searches Linked to Comedian Dispensing Racist Remarks at Trump Gathering Exceed Taylor Swift's Online Queries
Searches Linked to Comedian Dispensing Racist Remarks at Trump Gathering Exceed Taylor Swift's Online Queries
Not long after comic Tony Hinchcliffe performed at Donald Trump's substantial Madison Square Garden gathering this past weekend, labeling Puerto Rico as an "island filled with floating trash," internet searches for his name surged. As Nate Silver declared, these searches have surpassed those for Taylor Swift. The apparent conclusion would seem to suggest that numerous individuals were clueless about Hinchcliffe's identity and swiftly sought to learn about the person who had insulted the island.
Hinchcliffe's remarks provoked a political uproar, with some commentators even doubting whether the viral quip—bound to upset some members of America's substantial Puerto Rican community—could impact Trump's election chances. Regrettably for Trump's team, according to 2022 census statistics, the United States has approximately 5.9 million individuals who claim Puerto Rican ethnicity living within it. Nearly half a million Puerto Ricans live in the closely scrutinized swing state of Pennsylvania alone.
The viral jest had visible political repercussions, with various politicians—both Democrats and Republicans alike—condemning it. The Trump campaign distanced itself from Hinchcliffe (a representative stated to Fox: "This joke does not align with the views of President Trump or the campaign"), despite presumably vetting his content prior to its public broadcast. The gag also reportedly inspired Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny—known as one of the most popular musicians among Generation Z Americans—to endorse Kamala Harris for President.
In addition to outrage, Hinchcliffe's jest seemed to spark a great deal of puzzlement—or at least intrigue—among a substantial number of individuals, several of whom had likely never even heard of the comedian. Below is a snapshot of the parallel Google search statistics for Taylor Swift and Hinchcliffe, with Hinchcliffe's results depicted in blue:
© screenshot Gizmodo
Google Analytics pertaining to Hinchcliffe provides some intriguing regional data. For example, in Florida, where around 1.2 million Puerto Ricans reside, Hinchcliffe's nationality was a common Google search query. The Miami Herald, one of Florida's largest newspapers, has reported that local politicians, including those who support Trump, have criticized Hinchcliffe's comments. One U.S. Representative, Maria Elvira Salazar, from Miami, stated that she was "appalled" by the joke. La Mesa Boricua de Florida, a Puerto Rican political advocacy group based in Florida, claimed, "Trump must not forget that in Florida, around 800,000 Puerto Ricans have the right to exercise their vote."
On the other hand, Google Search interest appeared to be most intense in predominantly "blue" states, indicating that there were numerous residents in those areas who were unaware of Hinchcliffe or his edgy comedy style. Searches peaked in Washington D.C., New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California. Hinchcliffe seems to have significant appeal among certain demographics, as his podcast has nearly 2 million subscribers on YouTube.
Hinchcliffe didn't only insult America's island territory on Sunday, he also made a joke about a Black audience member and watermelon ("Look at this man, oh my goodness. Wow. I'm just joking, that's one of my friends. He hosted a Halloween party last night. We had fun. We carved watermelons together"), shared his opinions on the connections between Hispanics, immigration, and birth control ("These Latinos, they love having babies, just know that. They do. They do. They don't do the pull-out method. They just go right in, just like they did to our country"), and even delved into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (he referred to Palestinians as "rock throwers," and made a jest about Jews being stingy). Truly a series of cringe-worthy performances.
The comedian's racial remarks have landed him in hot water previously. In 2021, he was "canceled" after he referred to comedian Peng Dang—who had introduced him at a standup event in Austin—as a "filthy little fucking chink." Dang later told USA Today that he was offended by Hinchcliffe's remarks: "Tony never approached me, spoke to me, or apologized. I don't think he considers that offensive," he said. Shortly after the incident went viral, Hinchcliffe was dropped by his agents. Now, Hinchcliffe has his own podcast (Kill Tony) and has allied himself with podcast king Joe Rogan. Indeed, an ancient Rogan clip resurfaced on Monday, featuring Rogan suggesting that Trump hire Hinchcliffe to write him some jokes.
It's tricky to decipher the Trump campaign's purposes behind their MSG rally. In the mainstream world, this event was often labeled as a sort of "fascist" echo of the MAGA movement's most controversial elements. Nevertheless, Madison Square Garden has been the host to various events throughout the years. Numerous presidents have held rallies there, and Cyndi Lauper is scheduled to perform there soon. Regardless of the large, boisterous political gathering at New York's iconic event venue, it doesn't necessarily mean it emulated the notorious Nazi-sympathizing rally that took place there in 1939. Nonetheless, a great deal of racist and sexist remarks were made during the event, and the general atmosphere (for my perspective, at least) felt like an approaching wave of darkness. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has conveyed to multiple news outlets that she believes the rally was intended to stir up the unsavory aspects of Trump's support base. That could be a reasonable assumption, although it's also plausible that the campaign viewed it as another chance to generate viral content. From what I can see, the mission was accomplished in that regard.
Technology and the future could play a significant role in addressing the backlash faced by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. In the future, advanced social media algorithms could potentially filter out offensive content before it goes viral, reducing the spread of hate speech and inflammatory remarks. Moreover, tech companies could invest in AI-driven language models that could automatically detect and flag potentially harmful content, empowering users to make informed decisions about what they share and engage with online.