Babylon Bee CEO blasts Facebook for demonetizing page because of Monty Python-inspired joke about Democratic senator

The Christian satire website, The Babylon Bee, is once again the target of Big Tech censors as Facebook demonetized its page for posting an article satirizing Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono's comments during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon said Facebook demonetized the Bee's page in social media posts Tuesday, claiming that a post referring to a "Monty Python" joke was flagged for violating Facebook's community standards.

"So after a manual review, Facebook says they stand by their decision to pull down this article and demonetize our page. I'm not kidding. They say this article 'incites violence,'" Dillon posted. "It's literally a regurgitated joke from a Monty Python movie!"

The Bee satire, titled "Senator Hirono Demands ACB Be Weighed Against A Duck To See If She Is A Witch," jokes about Hirono believing Barrett to be a witch based on the judge's "perfect recall and no notes" while undergoing questioning during her hearing.

"Oh, she's a witch alright, just look at her!" a fictional quote from Hirono said. "Just look at the way she's dressed and how she's so much prettier and smarter than us! She's in league with Beelzebub himself, I just know it! We must burn her!"

This fictionalized, satirical Hirono then suggests that Barrett be weighed against a duck to determine if she is in fact a witch.

"In addition to being a Senator, I am also quite wise in the ways of science," the fake joking quote said. "Everyone knows witches burn because they are made of wood. I think I read that somewhere. Wood floats, and so do ducks — so logically, if Amy Coney Barrett weighs as much as this duck I found in the reflection pool outside, she is a witch and must be burned."

The duck joke is borrowed from this scene from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail":

Monty Python Duck Clipwww.youtube.com

According to Dillon, Facebook pulled down the article, claiming the joke about burning Barrett was an incitement to violence.

"In what universe does a fictional quote as part of an obvious joke constitute a genuine incitement to violence? How does context not come into play here?" Dillon wrote. "They're asking us to edit the article and not speak publicly about internal content reviews. (Oops, did I just post this on Facebook?)"

He continued, pointing out Facebook's hypocrisy, "A Black Lives Matter leader said that if change doesn't happen, they'll 'burn down this system.' That's allowed on Facebook. You can quote it. You can link to it. But a Monty Python joke about burning a witch at the stake? That's incitement to violence."

Dillon announced that the Bee will not edit the article to get its Facebook page's monetization reinstated.

The Blaze has reached out to Dillon for additional comment but not yet received a response.

The Babylon Bee has had previous conflicts with Big Tech and media companies.

Satirical pieces published on its website have been fact-checked by USA Today and Snopes.

In August, Twitter temporarily suspended the Bee's account without warning, prompting the website's supporters to begin a #FreeTheBee campaign to end the suspension. After outcry, the account was restored and a spokesman for Twitter told Fox News the account "was mistakenly caught in a spam filter."

The Babylon Bee bills itself as "the world's best satire site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims. We write satire about Christian stuff, political stuff, and everyday life."

They direct readers to take all complaints about their satire to God.