Celebrities, comedians and left-wing media outlets lashed out at the Federal Communications Commission for reversing positions on “net neutrality,” a regulation imposed on internet providers during the Obama administration.
“GO FCC YOURSELF,” proclaimed the front page of HuffPost on Dec. 14, with a photo of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. That was also the name of the website shortcut liberal comic John Oliver has been promoting for months to get opponents to comment against repeal. Yahoo News reported that some Twitter users even urged FCC chairman Ajit Pai to go kill himself for voting against net neutrality.
The Daily Beast attacked businesses in its condemnation of the vote: “FCC Votes to End Net Neutrality, Let Corporate Greed Run the Internet.” That’s more than a little ironic since several huge corporations wanted the regulations left in place including Google, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, AirBnb, Netflix (with many others) and were all part of a day of action on net neutrality.
“Gutting Net Neutrality is the Trump Administration’s Most Brutal Blow to Democracy Yet,” The Nation claimed.
Late night liberal comedians also attacked Pai. Jimmy Kimmel called him a “jackhole,” and his vote “absolutely despicable.” Stephen Colbert called it a “sad day for us webketeers, us internauts” in a segment called: “R.I.P. The Internet.”
Kimmel claimed the vote meant that “big corporations are about to take full control of the Internet. So ‘Merry Christmas,’ everybody.” He then urged anyone without health insurance to go sign up for it under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) because without net neutrality “we may not even have WebMD anymore.”
Many liberals portrayed it as the death of the internet, including actress Alyssa Milano who Tweeted during the vote saying in part: “you can watch them destroy the internet live with me! Go to FCC.gov! #SaveNetNeutrality #TrumpBrokeTheInternet.” Other Hollywood liberals including actor Mark Ruffalo also criticized the FCC decision.
While the liberal media didn’t always acknowledge it, net neutrality regulations had opposition — and not just from Pai. Daily Wire compiled seven specific complaints against the regulation back in July.
