Whether you dislike Theo Von, enjoy his comedy, or feel neutral about him, there is one thing most people can agree on: none of us wanted to read about his political views.
Theo Von is known mostly as a storyteller comedian who shares funny party stories. He could have avoided this situation by sticking to lighthearted, “hold-my-beer” style jokes. It seems like he might feel frustrated that comedy has become very political. However, by bringing politics into his act, he is putting himself into the spotlight. It’s unclear if he does this out of a sense of duty or to appear smarter, but it doesn’t fit his usual style. After all, this is the same guy who hosts a podcast where he talks about his friend getting a raccoon drunk. The audience would probably prefer if he just enjoyed his fame without discussing politics. If Chris Pratt can avoid politics, so can he.
The only small positive here is that the controversy stems from an actual comedy performance — though not a very successful one. Recently, Von was in Qatar at the invitation of former President Donald Trump. He was asked at the last minute to open for Trump during an event. Performing for troops is not new to Von; he has done several USO comedy tours. However, that experience may have worked against him this time. His usual performances for troops are often raunchy and spontaneous, intended for soldiers on a break. This event was different — a diplomatic occasion where troops were present, not the primary audience.
As a result, Von’s set was not very diplomatic. He even joked about being on TMZ for a bar fight, which gave him a green light to be more relaxed and share wild stories. But instead of sticking to familiar territory, he made jokes about Qatar and the military that fell flat.
One particularly poor choice was mocking the traditional clothing of the Qatari hosts. He compared their robes to something he called the “Ku Klux Sands,” a pun blending the Ku Klux Klan with desert imagery. This kind of wordplay sounded awkward and offensive. It was the kind of joke your grandfather might mumble at a family dinner after a few drinks, not something appropriate for an international event.
Von also made a joke about 9/11. While such jokes may not shock some audiences, the timing and location made it especially unwise. Making light of 9/11 in front of troops stationed in the Middle East is similar to joking about immigration policy in a prison in El Salvador. It touches on painful experiences and the reasons many soldiers are deployed. His joke began by asking, “Where do you guys think the next 9/11 should happen?” This was not the right moment to bring up such a sensitive topic. Military members, even those not on the front lines, would likely find this deeply inappropriate and distracting.
If Von wants to keep making jokes and avoid political headlines, he should stick to his podcast and avoid public dinners with political figures like Jared Kushner. Wearing a backward hat every day suggests a casual persona — so no one is really expecting him to comment seriously on complicated issues like immigration enforcement.
