Why ‘Broad City’ is Bleeping Donald Trump’s Name: ‘We Didn’t Want to Share the Air Time’
Some places are a safe space, and “Broad City” is one of those spots for so many of its viewers. The co-creators and stars of Comedy Central’s Emmy-nominated series take that responsibility seriously, but Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer had a very simple reason for censoring Donald Trump’s name in Season 4.
“We just got to a point in real life where we’re talking about the current administration, we’re talking about Trump, and it just feels so gross,” Glazer said during the “Broad City” TCA presentation Tuesday morning.
“We just didn’t want to share air time. We didn’t want to hear the word,” she said.
The choice was also made because it’s funny.
“We are censored in different ways on the show,” Jacobson said. “It becomes a big part of the show. What can we show? What can we say? All these Standards and Practices notes [affect the series].”
That they bleeped Donald Trump’s name thus came just as naturally as bleeping other unwanted words (and proves just as funny).
Jacobson and Glazer were on hand to talk with critics about their upcoming season, which includes an episode examining the caustic effects Trump’s election has had on women in America, and Season 4 was greatly altered because of the election. Jacobson said they had written most of the season before the election, and then their planned rewrites became more extensive after Trump’s victory.
“Our show is always pretty present. We talk a lot about pop culture. Obviously, Hillary Clinton was on the show last year,” Jacobson said. “This season, this is a thing that’s happening right now. This is something that’s happening in the other Abbi and Ilana’s lives. […] For us not to be talking about it as friends in the show would’ve been insane. It would’ve felt wrong.”
Glazer said it’s also noticeable if popular culture avoids discussing the political landscape.
“I think we can see in the industry right now that this message is becoming clear: If you’re not talking about the political landscape, you’re not talking about it,” she said. “It’s not casual.”
“Broad City” Season 4 premieres September 13 on Comedy Central. Seasons 1 – 3 are streaming now on Hulu.
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