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Comedian Jeff Dye on leaving Los Angeles and the politics driving comedy’s new divide

Published

2 months ago

December 21, 2025

Comedian Jeff Dye on leaving Los Angeles and the politics driving comedy’s new divide

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After announcing his plans to leave California for Texas last month, comedian Jeff Dye made it clear that this was not a decision he came to overnight. For years, he clung to the belief that the state he loved could still be saved, but eventually that hope ran out.

Dye sat down with Fox News Digital, where he offered insight into his decision to leave Los Angeles for Austin and how politics have carved a growing divide within the stand-up comedy community.

A fixture of the stand-up scene since 2005, Dye is preparing to join the wave of entertainers and everyday Americans who have fled the Golden State in recent years. While he agreed that “there’s nothing heroic about leaving” California, the comedian expressed a sense of hopelessness about the state’s future under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s leadership — especially given his handling of the wildfires that tore through the Palisades earlier this year.

COMEDIAN JEFF DYE JOINS HOLLYWOOD EXODUS, SAYS LA FIRES WERE ‘QUITE A WAKE-UP CALL’

Comedian Jeff Dye sat down with Fox News Digital and discussed his recent decision to leave California for Texas. (Photo Courtesy of SA Ent. Group)

“I don’t think it’s good to leave California because you’re upset with the way it’s run. We should stay and fight for it,” he asserted. “But at a certain point, you just get a little defeated in like, I don’t know how to fight for it anymore. I don’t know what to do.”

On the issues of homelessness and transportation, Dye questioned where taxpayer funds allocated to tackle these problems have gone, aiming his questions at Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Newsom’s office had a dismissive reply when reached for comment by Fox News Digital, saying of Dye, “Who is that?” When reached for comment, a representative for Mayor Bass replied with a yawn emoji.

In April of last year, a state audit found California had spent $24 billion on tackling homelessness over five years without consistently tracking how the funds actually aided in the homeless crisis.

“How many things does Mayor Bass and Gavin Newsom, you know, how many things can they just lie to our face or ignore or not do before you go, I’m out of here?” he asked.

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With politics creeping its way into seemingly every facet of life, the stand-up comedy scene has been no exception.

Jeff Dye explained the impact that he felt politics are having on the stand-up comedy world. (Courtesy of SA Ent. Group)

Fox News Digital asked Dye whether he felt that the growing influence of politics in stand-up comedy has had a negative impact on the industry.

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed in stand-up comedy — and people will accuse me of being a drama queen or being a punk for even saying this — but the biggest thing I’ve noticed is that the politics is interfering with the comedy,” he said.

“It used to be my heroes, at least, were like, ‘Dude, don’t be politically correct and say what you think and don’t be afraid to break any faux pas.’ Where it’s now, even the most successful comedians are being like, ‘Hey, you can’t joke about that,’ or, ‘You can’t say that,’ which breaks my brain.”

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According to Dye, today’s stand-up stars tend to follow an unspoken rule: “Say whatever you want, but you better be liberal.”

One comedy legend whose words have stayed with Dye over the years is George Carlin, whose anti-establishment, provocative style helped define conscious comedy.

“George Carlin once said our job as comedians is to find that line and then deliberately cross it … I’m not running for office. I’m not doing TED talks. I’m not lecturing people on ethics and morals. I’m just supposed to be funny and point out things in society,” he explained.

Comedian George Carlin performs at the Cheyenne Civic Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming on June 1, 1992. (Mark Junge/Getty Images)

Dye contended that a few “brave comics” have shifted the Overton Window in regard to what is or isn’t acceptable to speak about as a stand-up.

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He credited comedians/hosts like Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Shane Gillis for this shift, praising their willingness to speak their minds with little regard for what others may think.

“Now you see a lot of comics coming along going, ‘Oh, it’s a little safer now, because these big comics have said a thing.’ I was on the front lines of that in a way,” he said. “I’ve always been more conservative than my comedic counterparts. I’ve always been way more religious as far as like, I’m a Christian, so that’s not a huge, popular thing in stand-up comedy. I was on the front lines in that way.”

Comedian Jeff Dye performs on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” on Jan. 19, 2018. (Andrew Lipovsky/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal)

Explaining his gradual shift in political ideology, Dye told Fox News Digital, “I was late to the Trump party. I was late to a lot of those things. I thought, because I had gay friends, that I must be liberal, and then becoming liberal became crazier and crazier and more Antifa-ish, and I was like, ‘I’m out.’”

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Dye acknowledged that some may scoff at the idea of comedians being brave for expressing their views, but he pushed back on that perspective — noting the risks that come with challenging the dominant political consensus.

“It is brave to say something that everyone else isn’t saying. There is some bravery in that. To say a thing that your peers and the people you work with are going to hate. And if you don’t think that’s brave, look at what happened to Charlie Kirk,” he argued. “It is brave because there are risks when you say things that people don’t like.”

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San Francisco, CA

Floats for San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade get finishing touches

Published

6 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Floats for San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade get finishing touches

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — ABC7 Eyewitness News got a sneak peak as crews put the finishing touches on the floats you’ll see at Saturday’s San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade.

Since it’s the year of the fire horse, you’ll see a lot of horses and fire symbolism on the floats, housed at Pier 19.

“So Year of the Horse, it’s energy, it’s passion, it’s momentum so a lot of things that we’re really hoping to embody in the new year,” said Stephanie Mufson, owner of San Francisco-based The Parade Guys, which designs and constructs the floats.

She said they’ve been building them for about three months, with the designs starting in November.

MORE: Bay Area artist brings Year of the Horse statue to life for Golden State Warriors

“We’re in the home stretch,” she said. “We’ve got a couple of days left and we’ve got a nice little team that’s cranking out all the finishing work that needs to go into it.”

Derrick Shavers was sanding some wood that will be painted and become cherry blossom trees on a float.

“It’s exciting,” Shavers said. “I look forward to coming every year and just creating and making things shine and sparkle.”

Bon was painting mountains for a float, making sure everything is perfect in time for the parade.

MORE: Meet the 2026 San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade mascot, Maverick

“It’s one of the few parades that actually happens at night still,” Bon said. “So we got to make sure all the lighting is in check, and people are safe on the float. It’s all in the details, just for it to walk by you for 10 seconds.”

Ten seconds that bring so much joy to those watching the parade.

Here’s how you can watch the parade on ABC7 Eyewitness News on Saturday, March 7.

Coverage starts at 5 p.m. wherever you stream ABC7.

SF Chinese New Year Parade 2026: How to watch ABC7 Eyewitness News live coverage

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

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Denver, CO

Grand Junction, Palisade reach Great Eight in Denver

Published

30 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Grand Junction, Palisade reach Great Eight in Denver

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Class 5A Sweet 16 has arrived, and both Grand Junction and Palisade are still standing with trips to the Great Eight in Denver on the line.

At The Jungle, the No. 2 seed Grand Junction Tigers set the tone early against No. 18 Golden. Defense carried the Tigers from the opening tip as they held the Demons to nine first quarter points while scoring 16 of their own.

Grand Junction added eight points in the second quarter while Golden managed six, sending the Tigers into halftime with a nine point lead.

Golden responded in the third quarter, outscoring Grand Junction 16 to 11 to cut the deficit to five entering the fourth. The Tigers answered in the final period, attacking the rim and converting key shots to win the quarter 19 to 10. Grand Junction secured a 54 to 41 victory to protect its home court and advance to the Great Eight in Denver.

Top seeded Palisade also defended its home floor with a trip to Denver at stake. The Bulldogs opened with nine straight points to energize a packed gym, but Frederick settled in and closed the first quarter on a run to tie the game at nine.

Frederick continued to respond in the second quarter and took an eight point lead into halftime.

Palisade shifted momentum after the break. The Bulldogs tightened defensively, holding Frederick to 21 points in the second half while scoring 39 of their own. Palisade completed the comeback to advance to the Great Eight.

Colorado Mesa University Women Deliver Historic RMAC Tournament Win

In collegiate action, the top seeded Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team defeated Colorado School of Mines 96 to 51 in the RMAC Tournament, marking the largest margin of victory in the tournament this century.

Olivia Reed-Thyne led the Mavericks with 34 points on 11 of 15 shooting, her third 30 point performance this season. Mason Rowland added 22 points and Hallie Clark contributed 10 as Colorado Mesa matched a program record with its 31st win. The Mavericks will host the semifinals Friday with a berth in the championship game at stake.

Colorado Mesa University Men Survive Overtime Thriller

The Colorado Mesa University men’s basketball team faced New Mexico Highlands University for the third time this season. The Mavericks scored 36 first half points and led by four at the break.

New Mexico Highlands shot 50 percent in the second half, received 21 bench points and outscored Colorado Mesa 43 to 39 to force a late push. With the season in the balance, Ty Allred hit a game tying 3 pointer to make it 75 and send the game to overtime. Allred scored seven points in the extra period as Colorado Mesa earned a 91 to 90 victory to advance to the next round.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

Published

36 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

The countdown to the FIFA World Cup hit a milestone Tuesday, approximately 100 days from the start of the global soccer tournament, which is being played this time in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Seattle is one of 16 host cities for the tournament, with the first game at Lumen Field scheduled for June 15.

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City leaders at a press conference on Tuesday described specific changes underway to welcome an estimated 750,000 people during the six matches, from adding new artwork in downtown to bolstering security.

“Our aim is actually to revitalize, reinvigorate, rejuvenate the downtown core,” Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee CEO Peter Tomozawa stated.

People who take a trip through downtown Seattle will see that part of that work has started in anticipation of the World Cup, with 53 colorful paintings on the columns of the monorail, showcasing the flags of the countries of the competing teams.

“In just 100 days, people will come back to Seattle and will be using the system to travel back and forth to various events related to [the] FIFA World Cup,” Seattle Monorail Services Megan Ching said.

“The visitors who are coming here for the World Cup are already booking their trips: where to stay, how to get around and what to explore,” added Jorge Gotuzzo with Visit Seattle.

Darkalinos restaurant hopes the events planned for Pioneer Square will convince new customers to return beyond the tournament.

“The summer season is what keeps us going,” General Manager Crystal Hernandez told KOMO News. “We’re going to have a beer garden in the plaza. There will be some live music outside.”

Behind the scenes, work continues to plan for crowd control and security. That means round table meetings and partnerships at the international, federal, state and local levels.

Iran’s participation in Seattle World Cup match up in the air following US strikes

“We’ve been working on the security plan for over three years,” Tomozawa explained. “We hired former SPD Chief John Diaz to design the plan and I have to say this is one of our highest priorities, for sure.”

Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes adds that businesses are eager to build on the success of the recent Seahawks Super Bowl parade. He said there will be watch parties for the matches at Westlake, Pacific Place and along the waterfront.

“Seattle’s a big event town, and we can do it well and produce a lot of joy for hundreds of thousands of people,” Scholes stated.

The World Cup Organizing Committee mentioned Seattle’s walkability makes it a great location for the tournament. It’s why they also announced a new walking path to connect multiple neighborhoods that will stay beyond the summer.

Seattle to host 4 free FIFA World Cup 2026 fan celebration venues starting June 11

It’s called the Unity Loop, runs about four-and-a-quarter miles and will connect the stadiums, waterfront, Seattle Center, Westlake and the CID, but no specifics were provided.

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