Two weeks ago, radio host and Fox News personality Laura Ingraham ran afoul of the flying monkey brigade unleashed when she dared to criticize one of the left’s idols du jour. Mind you, her criticism was nothing like a deranged Democrat councilwoman howling “grab her by the p***y” at a teenage girl, minding her own business but wearing a pro-Trump tee-shirt.

In a very short period of time, she lost about 20 sponsors and the paid time on her show dropped from 14:33 minutes/hour to about 7 minutes/hour. Fox News issued a statement standing behind her but still, the viability of a show is based on its ability to draw advertising dollars. If a show becomes toxic it makes survival more difficult.

Now Laura Ingraham has received support from a most surprising quarter:

HBO host Bill Maher accused Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg of “bullying” Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham for the advertising boycott of her primetime program.

Maher said during his Real Time with Bill Maher show Friday night that he wanted to “defend” Ingraham as more than a dozen companies pulled spots from her show.

Maher challenged Hogg, a 17-year-old who has become a major voice for gun control along with other fellow classmates following the deadly mass shooting in Florida almost two months ago.

He praised Hogg and the other Parkland activists for their success in bringing the issue of gun control to the forefront of the political stage like it never has before.

“But, you now, if you’re going to be out there in the arena and make yourselves the champions of this cause people are going to have the right, I think, to argue back,” Maher said during the panel portion of his show according to Mediaite.

Maher also said that Ingraham, who previously appeared on his old ABC show Politically Incorrect, and that over the years she had become a “terrible person.”

But when Maher brought up Hogg’s boycott an audience member cheered and Maher challenged the boycott as un-American.

“He complains about bullying? That’s bullying!” Maher said. “I have been the victim of a boycott… It is wrong. You shouldn’t do this by team, you should do it by principle.”

https://youtu.be/qTKHsLaPv8U

Part of this is enlightened self-interest. Maher has had his run-ins with boycotts over the years, in addition to being a monumentally un-funny comedian and a pompous ass in the bargain, so he understands what-goes-around-comes-around as well, or better, than the next guy. I haven’t followed Maher’s work, if you can call it that, closely enough to render a judgement on his support of free speech. It may be legitimate but support for free speech is something of a rarity on the left these days.

No matter his motives, principled or self-interested…or both, it is encouraging to find voices, anywhere, willing to stand up to the organized thuggery of internet boycotts.